University of Leicester Professor to Receive 2007 Planetary Award

A University of Leicester Emeritus Professor is to join the ranks of some of the world’s best- known space pioneers and explorers when he receives the 2007 Planetary Award at the 20th Annual Meeting of the Association of Space Explorers in Edinburgh on 21st September.Professor Ken Pounds, from the University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, is to receive this prestigious award, which is traditionally presented to someone from the host country ‘who has made a major contribution to international space research’.

Previous recipients include Yuri Gagarin, Isaac Asimov, Jacques Cousteau, Thomas Paine and Sir Hermann Bondi.

Professor Pounds has a long history in space science and is a UK pioneer in the subject. He was among the founders of the Space Programme at the University of Leicester, now among the biggest academic space research centres in Europe, and is a founder- trustee of the National Space Centre.

Over a 50- year career Professor Pounds has played a major role in establishing the international standing of space science in the UK and Europe.

Professor Pounds remains active in research and five of his publications appear in the all- time 1000 most cited astronomy publications. In 1989 he received the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society for his leadership in the development of space science.

Commenting on receiving the award, Professor Pounds said: “Previous winners include Yuri Gagarin, Hermann Bondi, Jacques Cousteau, Isaac Asimov and the Apollo- Soyuz fight crew — so you can imagine I feel quite overshadowed in that company.”

The Association of Space Explorers is a very elite group of over 300 individuals from over 30 countries who have all flown around the earth. The award which they present is very highly prized.

Notes to Editors: For more information on this please contact Emeritus Professor Kenneth Pounds, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, tel 0116 252 3509, email kap@star.le.ac.uk