Space telescope researcher sets her sights on Parliament

MPs will get an insight into the future of space-based telescopes when a Leicester scientist presents her work into x-ray optics.

Dr Charly Feldman, 33, a postdoctoral research associate from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, originally from Harrow, London, is attending Parliament to present her physics research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of the STEM for BRITAIN competition on Monday 12 March. Charly is currently a research associate on two space missions - SVOM with Professor Julian Osborne and SMILE with Dr Steve Sembay.

Charly’s poster on research about space based X-ray optics will be judged against dozens of other scientists’ research in the only national competition of its kind. The poster presents a brief history of optics for large scale X-ray telescopes describing two of the current production techniques and suggesting possible future methods for development.

The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, with financial support from the Clay Mathematics Institute, Research Councils UK, Warwick Manufacturing Group, Society of Chemical Industry, the Nutrition Society, Institute of Biomedical Science and the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research.

The University of Leicester’s leading role in space research and technologies will also be represented at the GREAT Festival of Innovation from 21 - 24 March in Hong Kong, organised by the UK’s Department for International Trade. Space science researcher and aspiring astronaut Dr Suzie Imber will join representatives of the University in talking about some of the latest exciting developments to come from space science and space-enabled technologies. The GREAT Festival of Innovation will explore how innovation impacts the way we LIVE, WORK, PLAY and LEARN with an impressive line-up of thought leaders and entrepreneurs from business, education, culture, media and technology.