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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

European Stocks Slide as Middle East War Fears and Rising Oil Prices Shake Markets

European shares extended their losses on Tuesday as a deepening global equity selloff rattled investors. Mounting concerns over a prolonged Middle East war and a sharp surge in oil prices fueled fears of higher inflation...

Gold Prices Surge for Fourth Day as Middle East Tensions and Strong U.S. Dollar Shape Market

Gold prices extended gains in Asian trading on Tuesday, marking a fourth consecutive session of advances as investors reacted to escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Safe-haven demand remained strong,...

S&P Global Warns of Potential Downgrade for Berkshire’s PacifiCorp Over Oregon Wildfire Liabilities

SP Global has warned that it may downgrade PacifiCorp, the Berkshire Hathaway-owned utility, to junk status as mounting liabilities from Oregon wildfire lawsuits threaten its financial stability. The credit rating agency...

South Korea Manufacturing PMI Rises for Third Month on Strong Semiconductor Demand

South Koreas manufacturing sector continued its upward momentum in February, marking a third consecutive month of expansion as semiconductor demand fueled faster factory output. According to the latest SP Global survey,...

RBA Signals Possible March Rate Hike as Energy Risks Threaten Inflation Outlook

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock has signaled that the central bank could raise interest rates again as soon as its March 1718 meeting, even without waiting for first-quarter inflation data....

Politics

U.S. Military Strikes on Iran Complicate Xi-Trump Summit and Expose China’s Energy Risks

The recent U.S. military campaign against Iran has reshaped global geopolitics and placed Chinese President Xi Jinping in a difficult position ahead of a potential summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump is expected...

Trump and Merz Meet at White House Amid Iran Strikes and Trade Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the White House on Tuesday for high-stakes talks centered on the Iran conflict, U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, rising tariff tensions, and Europes evolving...

Trump Says U.S.-UK Relationship Has Deteriorated After Starmer Hesitates on Iran Strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump said the long-standing U.S.-UK relationship has weakened after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially declined to provide full military backing for American strikes against Iran. In an...

Israel Prepares Weeks-Long Military Campaign Against Iran Amid Escalating Air Strikes

Israel has prepared for a potential weeks-long military campaign against Iran, signaling a significant escalation in Middle East tensions. According to Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, the...

Trump’s Iran Strikes Spark War Powers Clash in Congress

U.S. President Donald Trumps decision to authorize military strikes on Iran has ignited a heated debate in Congress over presidential war powers and constitutional authority. Republican lawmakers argue that the attack was...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

OpenAI and U.S. Defense Department Update Agreement to Clarify AI Usage Terms

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company is working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to update their existing agreement, reinforcing clear boundaries around how OpenAIs technology, including ChatGPT, can...

OpenAI Secures $110 Billion Funding Round at $840 Billion Valuation Ahead of IPO

OpenAI has raised a record-breaking $110 billion in fresh funding, pushing the ChatGPT makers valuation to an impressive $840 billion. The massive investment round, backed by SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon, highlights the...

U.S. Deploys Tomahawks, B-2 Bombers, F-35 Jets and AI Tools in Operation Epic Fury Against Iran

The United States launched a sweeping military operation against Iranian targets under Operation Epic Fury, deploying advanced weaponry that included Tomahawk cruise missiles, B-2 stealth bombers, F-35 and F/A-18 fighter...

Australia Targets AI Platforms With Strict Age Verification Rules

Australias internet regulator has warned that search engines and app stores could be required to block artificial intelligence services that fail to implement age verification systems by an upcoming compliance deadline....

AWS Data Center in UAE Hit by Fire After Objects Strike Facility Amid Regional Tensions

Amazon Web Services (AWS) confirmed that one of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates experienced a temporary power shutdown after objects struck the facility, causing sparks and a fire. The incident occurred at...