European Space Agency guest to deliver George Fraser Memorial Lecture

An interplanetary spacecraft operations expert who played a pivotal role in one of the European Space Agency’s most ambitious planetary missions will speak at the UK’s largest planetarium in Leicester next month.

Elsa Montagnon, a distinguished figure in the European space community, will present a talk titled: “Operating Spacecraft: A Career Operating ESA’s Fleet Throughout the Solar System” at the 8th George Fraser Memorial Lecture for Space Park Leicester on Wednesday, 25 September.

Elsa has been a cornerstone of ESA since 1999, contributing significantly to the operations of some of Europe’s largest and most complex space missions. In 2007, she became the Spacecraft Operations Manager for the BepiColombo mission, which aims to explore Mercury, the innermost planet of our solar system.

Her leadership was instrumental in translating the innovative Mercury Imaging X-Ray Spectrometer (MIXS) concept, conceived by Professor George Fraser, Director of the Space Research Centre at the University of Leicester (2002 – 2014) who died unexpectedly on 18th March 2014, into a fully operational instrument now orbiting Mercury.

Elsa’s illustrious career has since evolved and she currently serves as the Head of the Mission Management and Science Operations Division at ESA, overseeing the operations of ESA’s fleet of spacecraft.

In her lecture, Elsa will offer insights from her extraordinary career, reflecting on the challenges and triumphs of managing space missions that span the solar system. From BepiColombo’s journey to Mercury to other significant European planetary missions, her talk promises to be a captivating exploration of the intricacies of space operations and the future of European space exploration.

The annual George Fraser Memorial Lecture series was established by his University of Leicester colleagues to honour the memory and legacy of Professor George Fraser, a pioneering scientist whose contributions to space science have left an indelible mark on the field. This event not only commemorates his work but also continues to inspire new generations of scientists and engineers.

Dr Adrian Martindale, Head of Space Projects and Instrumentation at Space Park Leicester and Lecturer at the University of Leicester, said: “I am delighted to welcome Elsa to Leicester to commemorate the life of our friend George Fraser.

“In her role leading the BepiColombo Flight Control Team, Elsa was a constant source of encouragement and support during the complex process of developing George’s idea for the MIXS instrument into something that can be safely operated in space.

“Her inspiring career has cut across some of the biggest projects ever undertaken in Europe, and I can’t wait to hear her perspective on ESA’s inspiring science programme.”

The lecture taking place in the Sir Patrick Moore planetarium at the neighbouring National Space Centre, will be accompanied by stunning visuals from some of ESA’s most iconic missions, including images of the BepiColombo spacecraft and the MIXS instrument.

Whilst attendance to this lecture is free with a ticket, if you would like to explore the National Space Centre on the day, you must book a general admission ticket from the National Space Centre’s website.

For further information and to book your talk only ticket, search for Space Park Leicester on Eventbrite or visit: https://tinyurl.com/ym6cs4xf

Main Image: Illustration of the Bepicolombo spacecraft in Mercury’s orbit (©ESA – P. Carrill)