STEM Event set to Propel Scottish Students’ Ambitions

Panel of Industry Experts Converge in the Capital for Student Event

UNIVERSITY students in Edinburgh are being offered the chance to find out more about the opportunities available to them in the UK’s thriving space sector.

Supported by Scottish space firm Skyrora, the ‘Beyond Earth’ event will discuss what the future holds for society as advancements in the space sector continue, as well as making students aware of career opportunities available to them in the growing industry.

The event boasts an esteemed panel of industry experts, with talks from Dr. Rochelle Velho, Chief Medical Officer at the Austrian Space Forum, Professor Charles Cockell, co-founder of the UK Centre for Astrobiology and Dr. Nicol Caplin and Dr. Aiden Cowley of the European Space Agency.

Held at the University of Edinburgh’s George Aikman Lecture Theatre on Friday, 29 March, the evening is free to students and welcomes members of the public for the admission price of £5.

Calum Hervieu, the event’s organiser and Edinburgh University alumni, said: “Having studied in Edinburgh myself, I found that being north of the border can mean students aren’t aware of the opportunities available to them in this growing industry.

“That’s one of the reasons why having an Edinburgh company like Skyrora as one of our sponsors is such a great fit.

“Students will walk past their offices on Princes Street every day and hopefully by coming along they’ll realise the number of exciting opportunities available to them.

“I’d also like to say a huge thanks to the organising team behind the event – Elisha Johti, Olivia Jackson and Lewis Lappin. They are current Physics students at the University of Edinburgh and their hard work has played a huge role in making the event possible.”

Skyrora is currently developing launch vehicle technology for a future Scottish spaceport that builds on previous UK space heritage, something that led them to successfully transport the Black Arrow rocket – the only British launch vehicle to reach orbit – back to the UK from the Australian outback earlier this year for educational outreach purposes.

Committed to inspiring the next generation, the firm has signed up to the STEM Ambassador Programme and visits schools across the country to teach students about science and engineering, as well as helping a group offer 250 Welsh Brownie’s earn their ‘space badge’ earlier this year.

The event comes shortly after Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation, Ivan McKee’s predictions that the Scottish space sector could be worth up to £4bn by 2030.

Selling it out in under 48 hours, organisers will be offering spare tickets on the door in case of late cancelations.

Derek Harris, Business Operations Manager at Skyrora, said: “We’re delighted to be sponsoring such a great event that’s happening right here in Edinburgh.

“It’s our hope that some of the people that come along will be inspired by the guest speakers and decide a career in the space industry is for them.

“Skyrora has already 3D printing prototype engines and we’re fast approaching our next test launch date so who knows, someone in the audience could be working on developing our rockets in the near future.”

Skyrora successfully completed its inaugural test launch north of the border last year.

The company’s next rockets, Skylark Micro and SkyHy, are ready to launch and will allow their team to gain more valuable experience, with the latter capable of reaching the edge of space, a feat never accomplished by a private company launching from the UK before.

Skyrora’s rapidly expanding team, which is spread across four countries, aims to capture its share of the fast-growing small satellite launch market and recently displayed a 3D printed prototype engine for its orbital launcher at the National Student Space Conference at Edinburgh University.

It is developing launch vehicle technology that builds on previous British rocket programmes with the aim of reducing the cost of launches thanks to proven technology and advanced engineering methods.

The firm draws on Britain’s launch heritage with ambitions to build a robust supply chain while creating new employment opportunities to inspire the next generation of talent.

More information about the event is available at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-earth-the-future-of-space-exploration-panel-event-tickets-56928538792.