Former NASA astronaut, Professor Jeff Hoffman to lecture on ‘The Future of Human Space Exploration’

First astronaut to log 1,000 hours on the Space Shuttle to speak at the University of Leicester on 8 December

A former NASA astronaut will be delivering a public lecture at the University of Leicester on Tuesday 8 December.

Honorary graduate and Visiting Professor at the University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, Jeff Hoffman, will be addressing the public on ‘The Future of Human Space Exploration’ in the New Lecture Theatre at 6.15pm.

Professor Hoffman took part in five flights as a space shuttle astronaut, logging 1,211 hours and 21.5 million miles in space. Most notably, he was a member of the team on the first rescue mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope which provided us with many of the fundamental details we know about the universe.

He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2007 and is now a Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. Since 2008, Professor Hoffman has also been a Visiting Professor of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester.

During his lecture, Professor Hoffman will discuss the history of the Hubble Space Telescope, describing the most recent mission, as well as discussing the future of NASA’s human spaceflight program, including locations and possible vehicles which could be used to expand our horizons.

Outreach Officer for the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dr Tracey Dickens, commented:

“We are pleased to have NASA astronaut Jeff Hoffman presenting his public lecture. He is a very popular speaker and his last talk at the University was very well attended. Jeff will be addressing a subject which is always of interest to the public and stimulates the imagination, namely the future of humans in space. We expect that his talk will appeal to people of all ages.”

Jeff Hoffman has previously delivered a public lecture on ‘The Hubble Space Telescope: Past, Present and Future’ and he will also be unveiling a new telescope at the University’s Observatory on Manor Road on Monday 7 December.

‘The Future of Human Space Exploration’ is taking place on Tuesday 8 December at 6.15pm in the New Lecture Theatre, Fielding Johnson Building South Wing. This is a public event and there are still spaces available. To book a place, please contact Kiri Rhodes via kr124@le.ac.uk or 0116 252 3570.

Note to Newsdesks:

For more information about the lecture, please contact Kiri Rhodes via kr124@le.ac.uk or Dr Darren Wright via dmw7@le.ac.uk.

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About the University of Leicester

• A member of the 1994 Group of universities that share a commitment to research excellence, high quality teaching and an outstanding student experience.

• Winner of Outstanding Student Support award, Times Higher 2009/10

• Named University of the Year by Times Higher (2008/9) Shortlisted  (2006, 2005) and by the Sunday Times (2007)

• Ranked top with Cambridge for student satisfaction amongst full time students taught at mainstream universities in England

• Ranked as a Top 20 UK university by the Sunday Times, Guardian,Times and UK Complete University Guide, published in The Independent

• Ranked in world’s top 3% of universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong International Index, 2005-08 and the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings

• Students’ Union of the Year award 2005, short listed 2006 and 2007