Evidence session
One-off: Asteroids and
planetary defence
Tuesday 24 June, 9:30am, Committee Room 8, Palace of
Westminster
The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will investigate
the current science and research surrounding asteroids, and the
international policy response in case of an emergency asteroid
threat, in a one-off session.
In the first panel, the cross-party committee will hear from
experts in planetary science and astrophysics to explore
asteroids and non-earth objects, and how experts predict their
paths. Questions may also focus on the future of space mining,
the contribution of citizen science projects to asteroid
detection, and government support for planetary science
research.
In the second panel, MPs will question the UK Space Agency on
domestic and international collaboration for asteroid tracking
and planetary defence. They could investigate the UK's science
capability, including its asteroid threat simulation and
preparedness, planetary defence research and public awareness
surrounding asteroid hazards.
Witnesses at 9:45:
- Dr Sarah Crowther, Research Fellow in Planetary Science,
University of Manchester
- Professor Chris Lintott, Professor of Astrophysics and
Citizen Science Lead, University of Oxford
Witnesses at 10:45am:
- Dr Cyrielle Opitom, Chancellor's Fellow, School of Physics
and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh
- Edward Baker, Programme and Planetary Defence lead, National
Space Operations Centre, UK Space Agency
Innovation Showcase at 9:30am:
- Dr Simon Wallace, Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer,
Co-founder, Suffrago
- Rachel Swann, Director and Chief Operating Officer,
Suffrago
