From Antarctica to Space – Dr Meganne Christian

Dr Meganne Christian will recount the experiences that led her to be selected as a member of the European Space Agency astronaut reserve; from materials science studies in microgravity to a year working at Concordia Station in Antarctica, one of the most remote places on Earth (also known as “White Mars”). She will describe her experiences of the tough selection process, the training so far, and the work she is doing on future space stations at the UK Space Agency.

Date: Tuesday 3 June

Time: 18:00 – 19:00 (Doors open at 17:30)

Session length: 1 hour

Venue: Zeta Building, Thomson Avenue, Harwell Campus (What3Words: ///originals.orbit.dumplings)

Car park access: Signposted ‘Runway Carpark’ on Rutherford Avenue (What3Words: ///snug.verge.pocket) – Driving directions from A34 Chilton Interchange here. Barriers will open 30 minutes before advertised event start time.

Ticket Cost: £3 per person (Under 18s go free)

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear first hand from a real-life astronaut!

About Meganne Christian FRAeS:

Meganne is a member of the European Space Agency astronaut reserve and Senior Exploration Manager (Commercial) at the UK Space Agency, advising on human and robotic spaceflight in the post-ISS landscape.

She holds a Bachelor of Engineering and a PhD in Industrial Chemistry from the University of New South Wales. From 2014 to 2023, she was a materials science researcher at the National Research Council of Italy and participated in two parabolic flight campaigns to test graphene coatings for thermal management of satellites. She has also undertaken two missions, including a winter-over, to Concordia Station in Antarctica, where she was a research scientist in charge of atmospheric physics and meteorology.

In November 2022, she was selected from a pool of over 22,500 applicants across Europe to be one of the 17 members of the European Space Agency’s first astronaut class in 13 years.