From Outer Space to Mining

The UKCA’s three day workshop on ‘From Outer Space to Mining’ has been written up for the journal, Astronomy and Geophysics. From Outer Space to Mining, the meeting summary, provides a concise description of the meeting and talks.

 

The three day meeting at Boulby Mine looked at ways in which space technology could be used to advance mining safety and the efficiency of mineral extraction in mines. In particular, it explored the specific challenges faced by Boulby in extracting salt and potash from the subsurface and how technologies developed for astrobiology and space exploration could be applied to the mine.

 

Before the open public workshop, the UKCA and the Boulby Underground Science Facility hosted a two day meeting on analogue research and the use of Boulby as an analogue environment for a proposed MINAR programme.

 

UK Centre for Astrobiology Opening Talks

Talks that were given at the UK Centre for Astrobiology opening are now on You Tube. The talks include introductory talks by Charles Cockell and Dr Lynn Rothschild from the NASA Ames Research Centre as well as addresses by Prof. Lesley Yellowlees, Head of the College of Science and Engineering and Prof. Arthur Trew, Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd7LH1OODrA

 

 

Following the opening we enjoyed a talk on The Search for Life Beyond the Earth, by Dr Christopher McKay from the NASA Ames Research Centre. You can watch this talk here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJRUYk3cHE

 

Chris McKay at UKCA opening

Chris McKay at UKCA opening

UK Astrobiology Conference 2013

UKCA hosted the UK’s 5th astrobiology conference (ASB5) which was a great success. 130 delegates attended. The programme for the meeting can be found here.

 

The conference was preceded by an informal opening of the UK Centre for Astrobiology on the evening of April 16th with a public lecture on ‘The Search for Life in the Universe’ by Christopher McKay, NASA Ames Research Centre.