Global Space Design Challenge at Imperial College

We are really looking forward to this summer in London. The GSDC team are very busy planning and organising the Summer Residential Programme at Imperial College, London which will be taking place 9-20th July 2022.

This will be the first residential programme that the GSDC has been able to run since 2019, so we are making sure that all the lectures, workshops and trips will provide a memorable and educational experience for all of the participating students.

Included in this programme will be day trips to visit Oxford University and Cambridge University. There will be top class lectures from Imperial College staff and workshops. The whole programme is an amazing opportunity for any student who would like to apply to the top Universities in the United Kingdom or simply a chance to improve their personal statement. Towards the end of the programme we will also be running the GSDC World Finals and any students registering for the residential programme will also qualify for this exciting and immersive competition. 

If you would like more information about the Residential programme please look on our website and feel free to contact our programme coordinator, Samantha Hession. s.hession@gspacedc.com

We can’t wait to see you soon!

The First Global Space Design Challenge of 2022

There is a buzz in the air at GSDC HQ this month as we look forward to our first space design competition of 2022. We are planning a two day online event on the weekend of 26-27 February which is shaping up to be a challenging but exciting weekend.

This space design competition is set up to eight years in the future and it will challenge students to design and pitch a space settlement that answers to the request for proposal (RFP) a fictional contract outlining the requirements of the settlement. The students will present their final design to a panel of judges who will decide on the winning team at the end of the programme.

If you think that you would enjoy working in a large company with other like minded people and competing to win the Global Space Design Challenge, then please sign up to secure your place on 26th and 27th February. https://gspacedc.com/global-space-design-challenge-online-programmes/

There is also an opportunity to win a place at the Global Space Design World Finals which are being held at Imperial College, London in July 2022.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas 2021 will soon be with us, quickly followed by New Year’s. With the Global Space Design Challenge, there is a lot to look forward to in 2022. We are, for instance, already planning an online competition from 26-27 February. 

This will be an intense introduction to all aspects of space settlement design. You will form a company with a group of students and work together as a team using science, design, engineering and a variety of other skills. At the end of the two-day competition, you will present your company’s project layout to a panel of leading industry experts and academics. 

The winning team will be given the opportunity to attend the GSDC World Finals, held at Imperial College London in July 2022.     

To register interest in our programme, please complete this form:  https://forms.gle/BPN8oxaRbj4kpz948

We would like to wish all of our past, present and future students a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We look forward to seeing you all in person or online in 2022.

Research into Health Technology

Research in Health Technology

Research on ISS has allowed for innovations in surgical performance through the world’s first robotic technology capable of performing surgery inside MRI machines. This technology is making difficult brain tumor surgeries easier and impossible surgeries possible. Soon, medical technology stemming from space station robotics will enter clinical trials for use in the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer by providing increased access, precision and dexterity resulting in highly accurate and minimally invasive procedures. Development of an advanced technology solution for pediatric surgery is also in the design stages. In common laser surgeries to correct eyesight, a new technology developed on ISS is now used on Earth to track the patient’s eye and precisely direct a laser scalpel. Thermal regulation research on ISS has also led to the use of sensor technology for monitoring during surgery.

When medical facilities are not readily available such as in remote and underdeveloped regions of the world, ultrasound units are used in conjunction with protocols for performing complex procedures rapidly with remote expert guidance and training. These telemedicine and remote guidance techniques empower local healthcare providers, provide patients with access to more timely and diagnostic care, and the healthcare system is made more efficient.

A lightweight, easy-to-use device to measure nitric oxide in air exhaled by astronauts on ISS is used to study possible airway inflammation before health problems are encountered. This device is now used at some health centers to monitor levels of asthma control leading to more accurate medication dosing, reduced attacks, and improved quality of life.

The study of plasmas (charged gases that can permeate many materials and spread evenly and quickly) reveals that they support the disinfecting of chronic wounds, the neutralization of bacteria, the boosting of tumor inactivation, and even the jumpstarting plant growth.

International Space Station Benefits for Humanity

The International Space Station is a unique laboratory for performing investigations that affect human health both in space and on Earth. During its time in orbit, the space station has enabled research that is providing a better understanding of many aspects of human health including aging, trauma, disease and environmental impacts. Driven by the need to support astronaut health, several biological and human physiological investigations have yielded important results that we on Earth can also benefit from. These results include new ways to mitigate bone loss, insights into bacterial behavior, and innovative wound- healing techniques. Advances in telemedicine, disease models, psychological stress response systems, nutrition and cell behavior are just a few more examples of the benefits that have been gained from applying studies in orbit to human health back on Earth.

Jian Heseri’s Chinese message- One of our invaluable long…

Jian Heseri started volunteering with UKSDC in 2009，first as a supporting technical specialist, and later on as judge and “company” CEO.  After completing his Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London, he currently works as a reliability engineer in the petroleum industry, specialising in technical risk management and system reliability solutions in the hostile underwater environment.  The best treat for his volunteering weekends is seeing creative ideas from young candidates coming together into designs.