Dr Helen Walker at the AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium – Credit DK3WN

AMSAT-UK was privileged to have a presentation about the UKube-1 spacecraft by Dr Helen Walker of RAL Space at the International Space Colloquium held in Guildford, July 24-26.

Helen is an astronomer, working in the Satellite Operations Group at STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. She has around thirty years experience of working with astronomical satellites, both as researcher and planning specialist.

For five years she helped ESA plan science observations on the Mars Express satellite since then has worked with the four Cluster satellites. She is Test Team Leader for the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) which will fly on the James Webb Space Telescope.

Her research interests focus on planets, and the material around stars which might form planets.

Helen is Mission Manager for the UKube-1 CubeSat which was launched on Tuesday, July 8, 2014 at 1558 UT from Pad 31/6 at Baikonur in Kazakhstan. It carries a 145.840 MHz beacon and a set of AMSAT-UK FUNcube boards which provide an educational beacon on 145.915 MHz for use by schools and a 435/145 MHz linear transponder for amateur radio SSB/CW communications.

Watch UKube-1: technology, mission and operations – Dr Helen Walker

The presentation slides are available here

UKube-1 https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/ukube-1/

Dr Helen Walker on Twitter @SheAstronomer

She is an astronomer http://www.sheisanastronomer.org/index.php/profiles/europe/helenwalker

Dr Helen Walker was kept busy answering questions after her presentation