Profile

Photo:

Hira Virdee

My CV

  • Education:

    School – Frogmore Community College /
    Sixth form – Farnborough /
    Undergraduate – University of Oxford /
    Masters – University College London /
    PhD – University College London

  • Qualifications:

    GCSEs – English, English Literature, French, Geography, History, Mathematics, Music, Punjabi, Religious Education, Resistant Materials, Science (Double Award), Statistics

    A-levels – Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths, Physics, AEA Mathematics, AQA Baccalaureate

    Undergrad – Physics – focused on detection of the Higgs boson

    Masters – Physics – figuring out how to store nuclear waste inside glass containers

    PhD – Physics and Engineering – figuring out how to track space debris and predict where it will be in the future

  • Current Job:

    CEO, Lumi Space

  • About Me:

    I enjoy photography, cycling, rowing and spending time with family. I’m also a real petrolhead, with a small collection of fun cars.

  • Read more

    Satellites have got their power from the sun since the first one was launched in 1957. I think it’s about time that changed, and am working to increase the amount of power small satellites get.

    Satellites used to be the size of a van and weigh a ton, but now they’ve shrunk to the size of a shoebox. These small satellites have changed the space industry – making it cheaper, quicker and easier to use space for business or for research. But the problem is that for small satellites, there is only so much we can cram into a shoebox.

    This is me on an abandoned airfield testing how much power we can transmit over long distances

  • My Typical Day:

    My average day is a mix between doing interesting science and running a business. I enjoy the practical side of experiments – tracking satellites, working with lasers and doing something very new which hasn’t been done before. I spend a lot of time talking to investors and satellite companies.

  • What I'd do with the prize money:

    I want to buy a CanSat kit and a drone, and go to schools to show how satellites work – we would put together a small satellite the size of a can, and then drop it from the drone to show how satellites work.

  • My Interview

    • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

      Space Laser Scientist

      What did you want to be after you left school?

      A banker!

      Were you ever in trouble at school?

      A few times - for example, writing a bit of code that shut other peoples computer down!

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