Ian Whittaker

Dr. Ian Whiitaker is a senior lecturer in physics at Nottingham Trent University in Nottingham, England in the United Kingdom. He earned a master's of physics with space science and technology from the University of Leicester in 2006 and earned his Ph.D. in space physics from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 2010 while studying the interaction of the sun with the upper atmosphere of Venus. Ian has lectured at Nottingham Trent University since 2017 and has a special interest in space science outreach. In addition to his lecturing duties, Ian is a contributor to The Conversation, where he writes about a wide range of issues on space exploration and science. 

Articles by: Ian Whittaker

The crew consisting of pilot Larry Connor of the United States, commander Michael López-Alegría of Spain and the United States, and mission specialists Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe from Canada and Israel.

Ax-1: Why the private mission to the International Space Station is a gamechanger

By Ian Whittaker published

Unlike the short "joyrides" of Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, this mission will be reaching the roughly 400km altitude needed to dock with the ISS.

Illustration of a future Moon base by the European Space Agency.

Why can't we put a space station on the moon?

By Ian Whittaker published

A space station on the moon could be very useful to provide future space missions with a stopping point between Earth and deeper space. Why haven't we built one yet?

The crew of China's Shenzhou-12 astronaut flight to the country's new space station waves to reporters in a press conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on June 16, 2021. They are (from left): Tang Hongbo, Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming.

Tiangong: astronauts are working on China's new space station — here's what to expect

By Gareth Dorrian, Ian Whittaker published

Three astronauts on China's new space station have performed the country's first spacewalk and are busy configuring the module for future crews.

An artist's illustration of weather on the alien planet WASP-76b

From iron rain on exoplanets to lightning on Jupiter: four examples of alien weather

By Ian Whittaker published

The continuing research with exoplanets involves trying to identify their atmospheric composition, specifically to answer the question of whether life could exist there.

nasa's space launch system sls illustration

SpaceX vs NASA: Who will get us to the moon first? Here's how their latest rockets compare

By Gareth Dorrian, Ian Whittaker published

No-one has visited the Moon since 1972. But with the advent of commercial human spaceflight, the urge to return is resurgent and generating a new space race.

mars 2020 perseverance

From Space Force to Artemis: What a Joe Biden presidency may mean in orbit and beyond

By Ian Whittaker, Gareth Dorrian published

So how is space exploration likely to change going forward?

Neowise seen from the International Space Station.

Comet Neowise: An increasingly rare opportunity to spot an icy wanderer with the naked eye

By Gareth Dorrian, Ian Whittaker published

Neowise is the first bright comet to be visible with the naked eye from the northern hemisphere since the mid-1990s.

Earth and Moon as seen by the Galileo spacecraft.

Four amazing astronomical discoveries from ancient Greece

By Gareth Dorrian, Ian Whittaker published

Almost as interesting as what they knew, however, is what they did not know.

Artist's illustration on NASA's 2020 Mars rover on the Red Planet.

Life on Mars? Europe Commits to Groundbreaking Mission to Bring Back Rocks to Earth

By Gareth Dorrian, Ian Whittaker published

It will be one of the most daunting, complicated and, potentially, scientifically rewarding missions ever undertaken to the red planet.

satellite hit by rocket

Space May Soon Become a War Zone — Here's How That Would Work

By Gareth Dorrian, Ian Whittaker published

At an upcoming summit in early December, NATO is expected to declare space as a "warfighting domain," partly in response to new developments in technology.

NASA HAVOC at Venus

NASA Wants to Send Humans to Venus, to Live in Airships Floating on Clouds

By Gareth Dorrian, Ian Whittaker published

But how is such a mission even possible?

Astronaut on the Moon

Five Reasons to Forget Mars for Now and Return to the Moon

By Ian Whittaker, Gareth Dorrian published

Hopes of colonizing Mars rest on the premise that we could terraform the red planet, making it habitable for humans with a breathable atmosphere and clement temperatures.

This view of Earth's horizon was taken by an Expedition 7 crewmember onboard the International Space Station on June 13, 2003.

Even a Kid Can Prove the Earth Is Round: Here's How

By Ian Whittaker published

You don't need to build a rocket, like "Mad" Mike Hughes, to prove the Earth isn't flat – here's the simple science.