Dr Hannah Sargeant

Bio

I am a researcher working in the field of lunar resources, with a particular interest in accessing and utilising water and oxygen on the Moon. I started out studying physics for my undergraduate degree at the University of Sheffield and graduated in 2013. I then completed my teacher training in 2014 at Loughborough University and worked as a physics/science teacher in the Midlands. I decided to return to University so I could obtain my masters degree and I enrolled in a course in Space Exploration Systems at the University of Leicester. Next, I moved on to the Open University where I completed my PhD in Planetary Science in 2020. My research was focussed on a technique to produce oxygen/water from lunar soils. The experiment I worked on will be trialled on the Moon with the ProSPA instrument being developed at the OU. During my PhD I worked as an intern at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston Texas as part of the 2018 Exploration Science Summer Intern program. Upon completion of my PhD I continued to work at the OU as a postdoctoral researcher with the LUVMI-X rover team where I worked on optimising the mass spectrometer design and protecting the instrument from the hazardous lunar dust. More recently, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Central Florida where I was involved in a number of space resources projects using the regolith simulants produced by Exolith. I now work at the University of Leicester as a Research Fellow in Aerospace Engineering. Here I am working with the Space Nuclear Power team and finding novel applications for nuclear power in generating resources in space.

For my research I have been awarded the Amelia Earhart Fellowship (2019) and listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 for Science and Healthcare in Europe (2020), and I am also a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. Alongside my research I have been involved in supervising undergraduate and graduate students conducting lunar resources related projects, and I have supported the delivery of undergraduate modules in planetary science. I was elected as a member of the STFC PEER Forum for 2 years where we investigated the experiences of Early Career Researchers with respect to outreach and engagement. In 2021/2022 I served on the LEAG (Lunar Exploration Analysis Group) Executive Committee, and contributed to the ISRU perspective of LEAG activities. I am also a trustee of the Breaking Ground Trust, an organisation looking to demonstrate sustainable methods of handling space resources.

Outside of the office I like to work with schools and external organisations to promote space science to children and the general public. I'm also a keen traveller and sports enthusiast! I have been involved in track and field athletics from a young age and I play and compete in ultimate frisbee.