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Horizons Beyond: Fireside Chats on the Future of Space Innovation
November 15 @ 8:30 am - 10:30 am
Join us for a morning of inspirational Space discussions, featuring Dr Peter Swan – Chief Architect of the International Space Elevator Consortium, Adrian Nixon – Founding Director of Nixene Publishing Ltd, and Dr Alistair John – founder of Race 2 Space and Programme Lead for Aerospace Engineering at the University of Sheffield.
This event will feature fireside discussions with international stalwarts of the Space industry, where we will deep dive into the future of the rockets and their influence on the sector, material developments and why the North of England is the place to be, and why the opportunity for collaboration across academia, industry and countries is greater than ever before.
Agenda
08.30 – 09:00: Networking and Breakfast. Project Showcase from students at the University of Sheffield – including Project Sunride, MarsWorks and SunSat.
09:00 – 09:10: Introduction
09:10 – 09:25: Dr Alistair John – Race 2 Space
09:25 – 09:50 Fireside Chat with Dr Peter Swan
09:50 – 10:10 Fireside Chat with Adrian Nixon
10:15 – 10:30 Q&A
10:30 – Close
10:40 – 11 Networking and Project Showcase
Dr Peter Swan – American Dr Peter Swan serves on the Board of Directors of the Space Elevator Development Corporation and is Chief Architect of the International Space Elevator Consortium. He actively advances space elevator concepts and contributes to the National Space Society, particularly with the International Space Development Conference and SpacEdge Academy. Dr Swan is an Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics, where he has chaired Commission 6 and edited key studies on space elevators and space resources. A fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and AIAA, he graduated from the US Military Academy and served 20 years in the Air Force, specializing in space R&D. He has also led spacecraft development for Motorola’s Iridium satellite program and co-founded a company teaching space systems engineering. He teaches at Arizona State University and holds a Ph.D. in Space Systems Engineering from UCLA.
Dr. Alistair John – Programme Lead in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Sheffield, where he leads the Aerospace Engineering program. He holds an MEng and PhD from the same institution, collaborating extensively with Rolls-Royce. His research focuses on improving jet and rocket engine performance, efficiency, and environmental impact. He founded Race2Space, an initiative for students to build and test rocket engines. His expertise includes aerodynamic design, propulsion, and heat transfer, and he is actively involved in several high-profile grants and aerospace research projects.
Adrian Nixon – Founding director of Nixene Publishing Ltd and Editor of the Nixene Journal. He serves on the board of the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) and is an advisory council member for Stellar Modal, a space transportation association. A Chartered Chemist and member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Adrian has over 20 years of industry experience, including roles in technical service, R&D (where he created several patents), and global market management. He also holds an MBA from the University of Bradford and has worked for a leading global consulting firm.
Breakfast will be provided but is strictly on a first come basis. Limit of two employees per company/institution. If you have any questions, please email f.barr@leeds.ac.uk.
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