Astronaut University

NASA ASTRONAUT TO LECTURE AT UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER
Students to get unique insight into human space flight for new course modules

Left: Jeff Hoffman, prior to his 1990 flight on the Space Shuttle Columbia (mission STS-35). Image courtesy of NASA.

Jeff Hoffman, the 64-year-old former NASA astronaut with five space missions and over 20 million miles of space travel under his belt is to teach a new generation of physicists about human space flight and robotic missions.

He has been seconded to the University of Leicester's Physics and Astronomy department to be a guest lecturer. This is the first time a UK university has attracted an astronaut in a teaching role and will be the UK's only degree course with elements taught by a lecturer who has actually travelled in space.

Professor Martin Barstow, Head of the Physics Department said this was a terrific coup for the University which houses Europe’s biggest academic space research facility. The renowned Physics and Astronomy department has previously won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education and been lauded for its advanced thinking. Its work led to the creation of the National Space Centre in Leicester.

Dr Hoffman said: “I originally came to the University of Leicester because of the world-class reputation of Leicester's X-Ray Astronomy group and have enjoyed continuing personal and professional ties with University personnel.

“I hope the next decades will see increased UK participation in space exploration and would love to see the University of Leicester play a leading role. I look forward to sharing my experience of space flight with students, giving them an understanding of what is going to be required for what we hope will be a renaissance inof space exploration, and in particular to share my ideas about future synergy between humans and robots in this exciting enterprise."