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Mon, Sep 21, 2026 04:40 AM All times are UTC

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Ian Whittaker

Lecturer, Nottingham Trent University

I completed my PhD in 2010 looking at the interaction of the Sun with the upper atmosphere of Venus. Since then I have held six postdoctoral contracts, covering medical imaging, solar physics, the Earth's radiation belts, lightning in tropical cyclones, X-ray astronomy, and X-ray observations of the Earth's magnetopause.

I currently teach at Nottingham Trent University, where I am responsible for astrophysics lectures, laboratory supervision, tutorials and student projects. I am very strongly interested in space science outreach, encouraging students and the public to take an interest in how our planet interacts with the solar system.

Space Science Series

Privatised Moon landings: the two US missions set to open a new era of commercial lunar exploration

Jan 04, 2024 04:37 am UTC| Business

Two commercial spacecraft are scheduled to launch to the Moon early in 2024 under a Nasa initiative called the Commercial Lunar Payload Service CLPS. This programme is intended to kickstart a commercial transportation...

Space Science Series

Earth has many objects in orbit but definitely only one Moon – despite what some people think

Nov 10, 2023 14:37 pm UTC| Science

Big Brother has always chosen its contestants for entertainment value rather than for intellectual debate. This was recently highlighted in a discussion started on the programme by dental therapist Chantelle, who suggested...

Space Science Series

Nasa's Psyche mission is set for launch – here's how it could unveil the interior secrets of planets

Oct 15, 2023 04:07 am UTC| Science

Its unlikely to be a bad omen, but Nasas mission Psyche is currently due to launch on Friday 13 October. Lifting off at 10.19 EDT on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, it faces a perilous journey and isnt scheduled for arrival...

Space Science Series

Chandrayaan-3: India hopes to land a rover on the Moon for the first time

Aug 22, 2023 04:20 am UTC| Science

On Wednesday August 23, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) mission Chandrayaan-3 will deploy its lander and rover to the surface of the Moon. As the name suggests, this is the third mission in a programme of...

Scientists have started steering lightning with lasers – here's how

Jan 24, 2023 07:36 am UTC| Science

Lightning may look beautiful but every year it kills thousands of people, does huge amounts of damage to buildings and infrastructure, and causes power outages. The only protection we have is lightning rods, which were...

Space Science Series

The UK is about to have its first space launch – but Cornwall is unlikely to become a new Cape Canaveral

Oct 19, 2022 08:52 am UTC| Science

Virgin Orbit, a US company which provides launch services for satellites, has announced that the first orbital space mission from the UK will blast off from Cornwall. The rocket, which will carry nine satellites, along...

Ax-1: why the private mission to the International Space Station is a game changer

Apr 05, 2022 11:57 am UTC| Science

Its not long since billionaires were competing to get to the edge of space. Now, the first set of private citizens are getting ready to take a SpaceX shuttle up to the International Space Station (ISS). Unlike the short...

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Economy

Vietnam Stocks Join FTSE Emerging Market Indexes, Unlocking Billions in Foreign Investment

Vietnamese stocks officially joined FTSE Russells emerging market indexes on Monday, marking a major milestone for Vietnams stock market after years of reforms designed to improve market access and attract foreign...

Gold Prices Hold Steady Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit, Middle East Risks

Gold prices were largely unchanged in Asian trading on Monday as investors remained cautious ahead of high-level U.S.-China talks while continuing to monitor geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Spot gold traded...

Yen in Focus as BOJ, Fed Rate Hikes Reshape Currency Markets

The Japanese yen remained the center of attention in currency markets on Monday after last weeks sharp decline fueled speculation that Tokyo could intervene to support the currency. Investors were also reassessing the...

France Debt-to-GDP Ratio Seen Hitting Record 119.3% in 2026

Frances public debt is projected to climb to a record 119.3% of gross domestic product in 2026 as the government struggles to contain its budget deficit and restore confidence in the countrys finances. The French finance...

US-China Talks Target AI, Tariffs Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng began high-level talks in New York on Sunday, seeking progress on artificial intelligence, tariffs and critical minerals ahead of this weeks summit...

Politics

Trump-Xi Summit Puts Trade Truce and Taiwan in Focus

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in Washington on September 24, with expectations for a major breakthrough limited as both leaders focus on preserving stability in U.S.-China...

Denmark Says Greenland Sovereignty Protected in US Military Deal

Denmark has insisted that its sovereignty over Greenland will remain intact under an emerging agreement with the United States that could significantly expand the American military presence on the strategically important...

Trump Open to Pezeshkian Meeting as Iran Tensions Escalate

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during this weeks United Nations General Assembly in New York, even as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain elevated. Fox...

Michelle Bachelet Withdraws From UN Secretary-General Race

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has withdrawn her candidacy to become the next United Nations secretary-general, ending her campaign after failing to secure sufficient support among members of the UN Security...

North Korea Fires Two Ballistic Missiles From Wonsan

North Korea fired two short-range missiles from its eastern coast on Sunday, marking its second round of missile tests in roughly a week as tensions rise over US-led military exercises in the region. South Koreas military...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

SoftBank Launches $11 Billion Bond Sale to Fund OpenAI Investment

SoftBank Group Corp. has launched a major bond offering worth $10 billion and 1 billion to finance its latest investment in OpenAI, according to a term sheet released Monday. The Japanese technology investment group is...

Trump Plans Federal AI Force and AI Czar

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he plans to create a federal AI Force and appoint an artificial intelligence czar, outlining an effort to accelerate U.S. AI development while using existing laws to address...

SpaceX Nasdaq 100 Weight to More Than Double in Rebalance

SpaceX is set to gain significantly more influence in the Nasdaq 100 Index when the benchmark completes its quarterly rebalance on Monday, with the companys weighting expected to more than double. According to Bloomberg,...

Westinghouse Targets $50 Billion Valuation in U.S. IPO

Westinghouse Electric Co. is seeking a valuation of more than $50 billion for its planned U.S. initial public offering, as the nuclear technology company moves closer to a public market debut amid growing interest in...

NASA, Boeing Discuss Expanding Starliner Missions

NASA is holding discussions with Boeing about expanding the use of its Starliner spacecraft for future missions, potentially giving the troubled vehicle a larger role in U.S. human spaceflight plans. The space agency and...