Nasa medical chief and SpaceX astronaut heading to Scotland’s largest space expo

Nasa’s chief medical officer and a private astronaut will discuss how humans can build “long term” habitats in space as experts gather in Scotland next month.

JD Polk, who has been chief health and medical officer at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) since 2016, will tell industry leaders about the challenges of living and working in space.

Glasgow will host the largest-ever Space-Comm Expo Scotland at the SEC, designed to showcase the UK space sector.

A number of companies in Scotland manufacture satellites, while the UK’s only licensed vertical-launch spaceport is located on Unst in the Shetland Islands.

SaxaVord Spaceport aims to host the UK’s first satellite launch from UK soil.

The Expo event will begin on December 3, with more than 2,300 delegates, 100 speakers and 80 exhibitors expected.

Mr Polk will take part in a panel discussion on “Human Frontiers in Space”, around creating sustained human habitats in space, on the moon and on Mars.

They will discuss “what it will take to live and work in space for the long term” including “the practicalities of constructing scalable habitats, ensuring human wellbeing in extreme environments and building sustainable supply chains”.

He will be joined by Dr Sian Proctor, the first female commercial spaceship pilot – who flew in SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission in 2021.

The “astronaut artist” also supports student art projects through her Space2Inspire scheme.

Others on the panel include Dr Natasha Nicholson of the industry body Space Scotland and Saleem Miyan of Max Space.

Colin Baldwin, chief executive of the trade association UKspace, said: “Space-Comm Expo Scotland offers a unique opportunity for companies to showcase the breadth of expertise across the sector, as well as for delegates to network with industry and government stakeholders.”

As well as satellite manufacturers, Scottish-based companies Orbex and Skyrora are building rockets with the goal of meeting a growing global demand for space launches.