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UK in ELIPS-4
Andrew KuhMicrogravity Programme Manager
UK Space Agency
ELIPS overview• European Life and Physical Sciences
• UK 16M€ subscription – ¼GDP share
• Research on the International Space Station and analogue platforms (drop tower, parabolic flights, centrifuge, bedrest etc)
• Provides access to facilities for experiments in space environments – the main effects being extremely low gravity, isolation and radiation
£1.2B Investment in ESA 2013-16
New UK Commitments at ESA Ministerial 2012
GMES Space
Component 3 +
Climate Change
Initiative
3.0%
mid-TRL technology
(GSTP)
2.7%
robotic exploration
technology (MREP-2)
1.7%MetOp 2G
7.9%
human spaceflight
technology
1.6%
life & physical
sciences (ELIPS)
1.2%
General Budget
(studies, low TRL
technology, tech
transfer, data
preservation, education)
+ CSG
16.6%
telecoms technology
(ARTES)
15.6%
navigation satellite
technology (EGEP)
1.7%
Core Earth
observation science
and technology
(EOEP)
16.1%
Space weather (SSA)
0.6%
Space Science
31.3%
• A small share of the total UK contribution to ESA (1.2% of UK subs)
…but high profile
• Minister was convinced of potential; task now is to ensure maximum return – economic and scientific
• Requires coordination and cooperation across agencies, funding bodies etc
• The priority for ELIPS is enabling science excellence for Europe. This takes precedence over all else (cf. other space programmes…)
• The UK now has the opportunity to influence how that is achieved
International Space Station
• UK also made a one-off 20M€ contribution to the ISS Exploitation programme…
Focused Fundamental Research– Fundamental Physics – Fluid and Interface Physics– Combustion Physics– Material Sciences– Astrobiology– Human Physiology and
Performance in Space
ELIPS Research Components
Applied Research:– diagnostics and novel treatments
for age-related diseases– biotechnological solutions– lightweight and advanced
materials– energy and waste saving
processes– advanced heat transfer processes– environment monitoring and
control
Industry-driven R&D and technology demonstrations
– Enabling Research for Human Exploration (ground-based analogues and ISTAR/Mars500-ISS):
– Human research and space risks mitigation
– On-orbit analysis technologies– Novel materials and on-orbit
synthesis processes
1500 European scientists involved in approximately 260 investigations within current ELIPS programme.
Involvement of Research Councils
• Discussions were held with each RC prior to the ESA Council of Ministers, to ascertain level of interest.
• Strong interest from research communities supported by BBSRC and EPSRC – biomedicine and materials.
• BBSRC have committed funding to research on ageing using ELIPS facilities.
• NERC- and MRC-funded researchers may have some interest, but these RCs have other priorities
• STFC ?
CASE STUDY:
ACESAtomic Clock Ensemble in Space
The most precise measurement of time
with stability better than 10-16 range.
ACES will be used to:
• test Einstein’s general relativity and alternative theories of gravitation
• demonstrate a new type of 'relativistic geodesy' resolving differences in the Earth gravitational potential at the level of tens of centimetres
• contribute to the improvement of the global navigation satellite systems and their future evolutions
• contribute to the monitoring of the Earth atmosphere through radio-occultation experiments.
• perform space-to-ground and ground-to-ground comparisons of best available atomic frequency standards.
Two potential routes to getting UK researchers involved:
New, UK-led experiments:
• Current programme already very full
• Under-subscription to programme envelope means ESA are focussing on existing projects rather than new ones
• Long lead-time to implementation on many platforms (less so on PF and Drop Tower)
Involvement on existing experiments:
• Iff the current PI and ESA are seeking additional partners
- So, this opportunity is not without its challenges!
1,000,001• There are one million and one interesting things one
could do in space
• There are significantly fewer things that will be possible:
Scientist’s
research
interestsFunders’
Priorities
ESA
programme
+ technical
constraintsUK Space Agency
Research community
Measures of success
• Increased base of expertise with 60 scientists/engineers
involved in the programme
• 50% of projects to have industry-academia collaboration
• Increased involvement in, and leadership of, Topical
Teams
A balance of ‘quick wins’ and longer term goals needed:
• Subscription to ELIPS-5 depends on success in ELIPS-4
• Success in ELIPS-5 will depend upon planning now
• The good news: UK Space Agency has no funding priorities – our interest is in securing the maximum scientific return, wherever this may come from
• The bad news: UK Space Agency has no funding…
(for science exploitation) – this must come from elsewhere
• What we can do:
– Keep ESA informed about UK research community strengths and goals, through:
• formal oversight role on programme boards etc and
• informal contact with ESA Executive
– Keep UK research community informed about opportunities; aid networking and events like today’s
– Liaise with RCs and other funders to make sure they understand (and trust) ESA processes
– Advise applicants through the proposal process
Conclusions
@spacegovuk
bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency
Andrew Kuh
National Exploration and Microgravity Programme Manager
