This free talk will be an evening of discovery and inspiration as we explore the final frontier.
This lecture will be delivered by Dr Sarah Kessans, Senior Lecturer in the School of Product Design in UC’s Faculty of Engineering, who sent New Zealand’s first experimental payload to orbit Earth onboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Dr Kessans’ research facility, which is small enough to fit in your hand*, launched off SpaceX’s Commercial Resupply Mission CRS-30 in March 2024, in an uncrewed mission to the ISS.
Dr Kessans will share her insights into the fascinating world of space research and exploration, highlighting why Aotearoa New Zealand is actively participating in sending scientific experiments into space. She will discuss her innovative projects and experiments, the scientific objectives behind them, and the potential benefits for both New Zealand and the global community.
During the talk she will share insights from her own research and collaborations, providing a glimpse into the future of space exploration and its implications for science and society.
This free event is part of the UC Tauhere Connect series, which aims to foster knowledge sharing and community engagement through public lectures on diverse and impactful topics.
For more information and to register: www.canterbury.ac.nz/news-and-events/events/2024/why-is-aotearoa-sending-experiments-into-space-
Related content
Dr Kessans was one of the space experts involved in a suite of resources looking at the amazing mahi taking place in Aotearoa New Zealand. This introductory article provides a taste of the wide range of content.
Disover more about the innovative thinking, led by Dr Sarah Kessans, behind a space research lab named LUCY that is so tiny it can fit in your hand. LUCY sits inside a very small satellite called a CubeSat and is testing the technology that may one day help us grow food on Mars! Sarah is using a CubeSat to better grow protein crystals in microgravity when her CubeSat is in low Earth orbit.
