The Eye of Big Brother – Seeing Further Than Ever Before

Three experts on the topic of Space Science spoke at a House of Commons event on Wednesday 20 May, in an effort to highlight the progression and challenges of Europe’s journey into space.

The event, held at the House of Commons, was organised jointly by the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Parliamentary Space Committee and included speakers, David Southwood from ESA, David Williams of Avanti Communications Group and Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock of Astrium Ltd.

All three addressed an audience made up of MPs, Lords, academics and journalists to talk about the feats accomplished and the challenges faced by space exploration, and how this in turn is affected on a commercial, economical and ethical basis.

Southwood spoke enthusiastically about the progression in science that has brought about the launch of Herschel and Planck, two new satellites, and explained how their namesakes, two 19^th and 20^th Century physicists, are still influencing space technology today.

Williams followed in an effort to sell the commercialisation of space technology. He recognised that because scientific advancement has lead to the broadening of our Universe, people are coming to expect facilities such as the internet to be far-reaching and completely flexible to our needs.

He went on to explain that this has allowed him to exploit a niche in communications and subsequently provide technologies like high-speed broadband to rural Britain. And that things will only advance from here, he said “we are on the verge of a paradigm shift, space is going to change the way we view our lives and the way we develop products”.

Finally, Dr Aderin-Pocock regressed back to her childhood providing an example of how she uses this technique to enthuse groups of children about the wonders of space. She talked of her aspirations as a child to meet the Clangers, and live on Mars. Bringing the topic back to basics, she grasped the idea of ‘bringing the mountain to Mohammed’. Explaining how, if kids and young adults don’t want to explicitly take an interest in space exploration, then it’s her role to take it to them. In the not so conventional form of Big Brother – in Space.

Dr Aderin-Pocock was definitely thought provoking in terms of space exploration and the general public; suggesting futuristic ideas for TV series’ where contestants don’t return to earth, alongside feasible yet morally questionable suggestions of scientifically altering the atmosphere of Mars to make it suitable for human inhabitation.