• Lecturer in Space Systems Engineering (Systems Power and Energy)

email: Patrick.Harkness@glasgow.ac.uk

Biography

Patrick Harkness obtained a MEng degree in Aeronautical Engineering from The Queen’s University of Belfast in 2003 and a PhD in space debris mitigation from Cranfield University in 2007. He then worked for Lockheed Martin on the subject of controlling atmospheric reentry through magnetohydrodynamics before taking up a postdoctoral role at the University of Glasgow, focusing on planetary drill tools, in 2008. Patrick now works as a Lecturer at the University of Glasgow and is a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the IMechE and the AIAA, and a Fellow of the RAS. Patrick is involved in the organization of several international conferences and is currently vice-chair of the AIAA Space Construction subcommittee.

Research Interests

Patrick’s research is focussed on space deployable structures, with two main strands. The first is deployables which shall not experience significant loading, including antennae and solar panels but also some gossamer structures such as aerobrakes to facilitate the deorbit of space debris objects. This interest leads on to some activities in reentry modelling and heat transfer.

The second field consists of deployable drill tools for planetary exploration, where he focuses on the actual drillbit. The application of ultrasonic technologies to these drillbits reduces the mechanical load needed to penetrate rock and thus could permit much smaller spacecraft to access the subsurface of bodies such as the moon and Mars.

1.    First Step Award, University of Glasgow, Sept. 2010, £5k

2.    Knowledge Transfer Award, University of Glasgow, Magna Parva Ltd., EADS Astrium Ltd., Feb. 2011, £143k

3.    Feasibility Study for Innovation in Space, Technology Strategy Board, Feb. 2011, £24k

4.    Spark Award, University of Glasgow, Tisics Ltd., August 2011, £5k

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