Biography
I joined the Goonhilly Earth Station team around 3 years ago. I work as part of the deep space operations team, operating our huge antennas for various space missions and projects. Space has always fascinated me, I love getting lost in thought observing the stars. I studied Physics with Astrophysics at Bristol University for my undergraduate degree, before recently completing a master’s degree in Space Science and Technology with the Open University. I was very grateful to recently receive the West Country Women award for ‘Women in STEM’, after being part of the team involved in upgrading our GHY6 antenna for deep space communications. As part of my role, I enjoy sharing with others the work we do at Goonhilly, in the hope of inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Stellar Astrophysics: Astronomy enabled by Goonhilly Earth Station
Goonhilly Earth Station, situated on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, has been at the forefront of satellite communications ever since the first antenna was built and became operational in 1962. The first antenna was built to receive the first TV transatlantic broadcast via the Telstar satellite. More than 60 years later, Goonhilly Earth Station now has repurposed some of its large antennas for deep space communications. This included installing a cryostat, in collaboration with Oxford University, into of one of the dishes to improve the performance for radio astronomy. This talk will cover the past, present and future plans for Goonhilly Earth Station.