The Space Research Centre (SRC) is part of the University's Department of Physics and Astronomy and is housed in the Michael Atiyah building, which opened in three phases, in 1998, 2003 and 2011. The first phase of the building is entirely occupied by SRC office space, laboratories and workshops. The second phase houses the SRC's large cleanroom and two further laboratories, and is shared with the University's Mathematical Modelling Centre. The third phase houses additional laboratory space and office space for researchers from the Earth Observation Science research group.

The SRC's programme has three main areas of focus, which are:

developing novel sensors and optics for high energy astrophysics, planetary landers and orbiters and interdisciplinary research in the Life Sciences and Medicine on its own and in conjunction with other research groups;

providing engineering capability in Space;

planetary science including concepts for the next generation of instrumentation, tools and techniques and planetary materials and their analysis.

Space missions the SRC is, or has been involved with, include XMM, Chandra, SWIFT, Beagle 2, Meteosat Second Generation, James Webb Space Telescope and Bepi-Colombo, among others.The SRC, utilising its expertise in high speed electronics and nano-second to pico-second time resolution light detectors, also leads on the light detection systems for the UK contribution to the International Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) - a ground based, high energy gamma-ray telescope, which is currently in development.

Space Research Centre contact details

Administrator: Ms. Beverley Robinson bar4@le.ac.uk

Senior Project Manager: Dr. Paul Drumm pd128@le.ac.uk

Postal Address:

Space Research Centre

Department of Physics and Astronomy

Michael Atiyah Building

University of Leicester

University Road

Leicester

LE1 7RH

United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 (0) 116 252 3491

Facsimilie: +44 (0) 116 252 2464

Email: Space Research Centre PA (Colette Godfrey) - cj171@le.ac.uk

You can download a copy of the Space Research Centre brochure here.



Staff and students in the Space Research Centre can access research resources here.