Q: You have been invited to talk about your involvement in TRUTHS as a
panelist at the forthcoming Protect our Planet Day (POP23) at the end
of November. What is POP23 all about?
A: Protect our Planet 2023, or POP23, is a live-streamed event aimed at
schools and organised by the UK Space Education Office (ESERO-UK) at STEM
Learning, working in collaboration with the European Space Agency and the
UK Space Agency. It takes place on Thursday 30 November 2023. Schools can
join us for free talks, workshops, and other online events throughout the
day to hear from world-leading experts and researchers who are passionate
about protecting the planet, both down here on Earth and from space.
Subjects will range from learning how satellites monitor, model and
predict climate change to protect our planet’s delicate ecosystems to
finding out more about working in the space industry and how to make a
difference themselves. Last year, POP22 attracted more than 100,000
people, and I am greatly looking forward to taking part in it next month
on behalf of Teledyne Space Imaging.
Q: How did you get involved?
The UK Space Agency asked for volunteers from the teams working on TRUTHS.
I provided a summary about my work at Teledyne Space Imaging, my
background in engineering and my interest in sustainability, tackling
climate change and working in ‘green space.’ As a result of that, I was
invited to join a panel as a speaker to talk about our work with the
TRUTHS mission.
Q: What is your own background in ‘green space’ and working
sustainably?
A: I'm a mechanical engineer by trade. I started as an apprentice when I
was 16 and worked my way up, working for several different companies, both
large and small. More recently, I've become involved with start-up
companies with a focus on green working and sustainability. For example, I
have worked on the electrification of trucks – taking diesel powered 7.5
tonne trucks and turning them into hybrid electric vehicles.
Another project that I worked on was with an augmented reality start-up
company that was committed to reducing waste and lowering carbon emissions
in the construction industry. All of this has fuelled my interest in
sustainable working and helped me bring my ideas and passion to Teledyne
Space Imaging.
Q: What is the next stage for Teledyne and the TRUTHS mission?
A: We are looking to start the next phase of the project with Airbus in
November. This will involve designing and building prototypes to test the
infrared detector and front-end electronics. It’s going to be a huge
learning curve, both for me and for Teledyne, but also an interesting
challenge. After this phase is complete, we will move on to implementation
and more procurement for the next stages.
Q: Where can people find out more about POP23?
Visit the website
https://www.stem.org.uk/Enrichment/protecting-our-planet, which gives more information about the topics being covered. You can
also register your interest in the event there for free.
