Playing ‘space billiards’ to save earth - interview with Dr. Sima Adhya

As a part of a programme conducted by British Council, Colombo to improve the science knowledge among Sri Lankan students as well as the general public, four UK scientists delivered their lectures last week in leading schools in Colombo and Kandy. 

Thilina Heenatigala, General Secretary of Astronomical Association of Sri Lanka had a brief interview with the team’s space scientist Dr. Sima Adhya. Indian born Adhya studied natural sciences at Cambridge, and read her PhD at UCL on how spacecrafts wobble in their orbits due to sunlight. Her PhD was in collaboration with a team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where some of the techniques she developed have now been included in NASA’s routine orbit determination software.

As a space mission scientist she works at the Space Department of QinetiQ, where her duties are to look at every aspects of a space mission; analysing data, writing programmes and putting in place all the systems that are needed. She was also the runner up of FameLab Competition, which is a British national competition to find the new voices in science and engineering.

Q: What kind of research are you involved in as a space scientist? 
A: Well, I work as a Space Mission Scientist in the Space Department of QinetiQ, based in the UK and am currently working for the European Space Agency on a mission study designed to deflect an asteroid. Actually, it is a practice run to test our technology, in case an asteroid is on a collision course with Earth in the future. 

Q: Could you explain the mission plan?
A: The plan is to deflect an asteroid. You can think of it as space billiards, but on a vast table with tiny, tiny balls! What we’re going to do is hit a very small asteroid which is very far away – about 30 million miles – with a spacecraft. There are actually two spacecrafts. The first one would basically orbit around the asteroid and map it, while taking measurements such as mass and density etc. And the second one will lock onto it and then smash into the asteroid at about 10km per second, which is pretty fast, while the first spacecraft will be monitoring the whole collision. As a space scientist, this is a kind of mission you dream of being involved in.

Q: We have seen the nightmare scenario of asteroid collision in movies like, Armageddon and Deep Impact, but what are the chances of such an asteroid hitting the Earth?
A: Well, you have to say that the chance of an asteroid hitting us is very slim. Though we have predicted an asteroid will come very close to the earth in 2029, that asteroid named Apophis is expected to pass within 30,000 km from the Earth.

Q: Should we earthlings be afraid or not?
A: If it’s something very big, or if it’s a comet, I would say that we don’t have any hope for the moment, so might need to be a little afraid. But I’m sure if something like that happens all of the states around the world would cooperate.” 

Q: How did you get interested in science?
A: I was always interested in science. I found pure science and mathematics the most interesting and rewarding. The theory of evolution inspired me too. It makes you to see the world in a different manner. Since my childhood I wanted to be an astronaut. But unfortunately, UK doesn’t fund manned-missions at the moment. Maybe in the future I might ravel at least as a space tourist if the price ever becomes as normal as regular travelling costs.

Q: What is the purpose of your visit to Sri Lanka?
A: Actually I’m here to do a science workshop sponsored by your local British Council. I have been visiting quite a few schools this week in Colombo and Kandy, and trying to inspire the young students to pursue a career in science.

Q: How is the feedback on your programmes in Sri Lanka?
A: The response has been fairly good though some students were shy to ask questions. But in some places they didn’t let me go. After my 45 minute talk in Kandy, I had to answer their questions for another 45 minutes. So, it has been a very interesting visit. 
It’s been hard work, but it’s been rewarding, quite stretchy but challenging. I’m very grateful; people here have been really welcoming.

Q: What do you think of the science knowledge of Sri Lankan students?
A: Sometimes it is a bit hard to tell, but I have had some really interesting questions from students. But I don’t see any difference between the students back home and here.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for us?

A: Since I’m staying only a few days here I really can’t suggest anything specific. But I think organising something like FameLab would be an interesting step forward. Oh!! And FameLab is a National Competition held in UK, it’s more like an American Idol of the scientific world. I’m one of the finalists of last year’s competition. Actually, it makes science more fun.

Thilina Heenatigala.