Dr Peter Grindrod awarded £240k UK Space Agency grant for Mars research
Newly-appointed lecturer awarded important grant for ExoMars research.
Dr Peter Grindrod, Lecturer in Planetary Science in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, has secured a UK Space Agency Grant for £240,000 for 'Identification and Analysis of Mars Landing Sites: ExoMars' with partners at Imperial College, the University of Leicester, the Open University and the Natural History Museum.
This project will identify and characterise a variety of potential landing sites for the ExoMars 2018 Rover, through geological studies of existing satellite imagery. The work will concentrate on ancient sites (> 3,600,000 years old) that show abundant geomorphic and mineralogical evidence for aqueous activity.
Photo: ExoMars 2018 Rover
Head of Department, Professor Gerald Roberts, says 'This important grant from a newly-appointed member of staff places Birkbeck at the forefront of research into Martian geology and exploration that our students will benefit from through research-led teaching. We congratulate Peter on his success.'