Professor Colin McInnes wins £50,000 Leverhulme award

Professor Colin McInnes of the University's Department of Aerospace Engineering has been awarded a Philip Leverhulme Prize. The £50,000 award represents unprecedented recognition of Professor McInnes' research into solar sail technology used in space science missions.

The solar sail technology developed by Professor McInnes uses the pressure of the sun's rays as a form of propulsion in space that does not require fuel. Professor McInnes works closely with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) on space science missions which are enabled by solar sail propulsion.

Professor McInnes said: "I am delighted to receive this prestigious prize and look forward to using the award to further my research activities."

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First published: 31 January 2001