"From the South Pole to Outer Space: Concordia research and ESA astronaut training"
Dr Meganne Christian, UK Space Agency
Talk Description
Meganne will recount the experiences that led her to be selected as a member of the European Space Agency astronaut reserve, from materials science studies in microgravity to a year working at Concordia Station in Antarctica, one of the most remote places on Earth, also known as “White Mars”. She will describe her experiences of the tough selection process, the training so far, and the work she is doing on future space stations at the UK Space Agency.
Our Speaker
Dr Meganne Christian FRAeS is a member of the European Space Agency astronaut reserve and Senior Exploration Manager (Commercial) at the UK Space Agency, advising on human and robotic spaceflight in the post-ISS landscape. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering and a PhD in Industrial Chemistry from the University of New South Wales. From 2014 to 2023 she was a materials science researcher at the National Research Council of Italy, and participated in parabolic flight campaigns to test graphene coatings for thermal management in satellites. She has also undertaken two missions, including a winter-over, to Concordia Station in Antarctica, where she was a research scientist in charge of atmospheric physics and meteorology. In November 2022, she was selected from a pool of over 22,500 applicants across Europe to be one of the 17 members of the European Space Agency’s first astronaut class in 13 years.
Zoom
Time: Feb 19, 2026 19:15 London / Cardiff
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