University of Leicester Professor of Astrobiology chosen to attend NATO panel

A University of Leicester professor, representing and helping lead the UK’s Space Academic Network who has helped shape the UK’s role in international space exploration, was invited to attend the NATO Science & Technology Organization (STO) Systems Concepts and Integration (SCI) Panel Research Specialists’ Meeting on dual-use space technology (SCI-370).

The SCI Panel plays a critical role in advancing international collaboration on cutting-edge systems integration, interoperability, survivability, and disruptive capabilities. Attendance at last week’s (8-10 Oct) meeting in Bath, led by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the NATO alliance, delivered in partnership with the UK Space Agency, was by invitation only.

With over four decades of groundbreaking contributions, Mark Sims, a Professor of Astrobiology and Space Instrumentation, has helped shape the UK’s role in international space exploration and establish Space Park Leicester, the University of Leicester’s £100 million hub for innovative research, enterprise and education in space and Earth observation, as a world-class base for businesses, researchers, academia and innovation.

He is also a co-chair of the UK’s Space Academic Network (SPAN) which aims to represent academia on space policy and funding, working with both the Government and Space sector industry. SPAN has over 250 members from 50 universities.

His remarkable career includes leadership roles on high-profile missions such as ESA’s EXOSAT, the ROSAT mission, and serving as Mission Manager of the Beagle 2 Mars Lander. 

His expertise has inspired generations of scientists and engineers and continues to influence the development of next-generation missions, including Mars Sample Return and Earth Observation projects.

Professor Sims, from the University’s School of Physics and Astronomy, said: “Collaboration across nations is essential to addressing the complex challenges we face in space science, security, and technology. 

“I was pleased, as co-chair of the Space Academic Network, to contribute to discussions, and to share the UK’s academic expertise with international partners along with colleagues from SPAN.”

Beginning with his work on data analysis from Ariel 5, particularly focusing on the bright X-ray transient A0620-00, his PhD research also involved pioneering a shadow-based wide-field-of-view camera for X-ray astronomy. 

His contributions extended to being a European Space Agency research fellow at ESTEC in the Netherlands from 1981 to 1984, working on missions such as EXOSAT, Kvant, MIR, and the SpaceLab 1 experiment 23 alongside development of new x-ray detector systems.

Returning to Leicester in 1984, Professor Sims took on key roles, including assembly integration and test manager for the ROSAT mission, mission manager for the Beagle 2 Mars lander project, and principal investigator of the Life Marker Chip (LMC) life detection instrument on the ExoMars rover. He also led the University team that qualified the National Space Centre’s education experiments for Tim Peake’s Principia mission. He has chaired and taken part in important committees, played pivotal roles in space missions, and led the academic team that designed the Space Park Leicester building.