Professor Chris Welch is Professor of Astronautics and Space Engineering at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France, where he is Head of the Space Payloads Laboratory and Director of Masters Programs. At the time of the interview he was also President-Elect of the British Interplanetary Society. Although technically a physicist-turned-engineer, he sees himself more as a “spaceist”, interested in all aspects of space. In this episode of the Astro Ben Podcast, part of the Diversity in the Space Industry series, Chris talks about his career, from being one of the final twenty candidates for the 1991 UK-USSR Juno mission to the Mir space station, to getting a poem on the International Space Station.
They also cover how diversity has been a focal point for space societies and federations, how much of a factor diversity is in making space exploration successful, the quota question at the International Space University and whether Chris would go to space.
What you will hear in this episode
Chris’s background, and why he blames Neil Armstrong for his passion for space
Chris’s poem on the International Space Station
How diversity has been a focal point for space societies and federations over the years
How much of a factor diversity is in making space exploration successful
Taking for granted the ability to study STEM
The quota question at the International Space University
What Chris would do with a magic wand for the space industry
Whether Chris would go to space
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More episodes: Moriba Jah on space environmentalism | Kevin J. DeBruin on space education | All Astro Ben Podcast episodes
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