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Professor Hugh G Lewis BSc, MSc, PhD

Professor

Dr Hugh G Lewis is a Professor within Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton.

I gained a Masters degree in Control Systems from the University of Sheffield in 1993 and a PhD in Remote Sensing from the University of Southampton in 1998. Afterwards, I worked as a research assistant on the EU Framework 4 project FLIERS (Fuzzy Land Information from Environmental Remote Sensing), based in Electronics and Computer Science, before commencing a three-year contract at the end of 1999 as a researcher on an EPSRC funded project on the long-term evolution of the space debris environment. This work led to a decade-long working relationship with Dr Graham Swinerd, the development of the DAMAGE space debris model, my work for the UK Space Agency, numerous publications and an inspiring (and also challenging) journey into the realm of space debris and Near Earth Objects. For the last six years I have represented the UK Space Agency (previously the British National Space Centre) in Working Group 2 of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) and I now lead the Group's research on space debris modelling. In 2011 I was nominated as the United Kingdom's representative to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (STSC) Expert Group B (Space Debris, Space Operations and Tools to Support Collaborative Space Situational Awareness), supporting the activities of the UN COPUOS STSC Working Group on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities.

Research

Publications

Teaching

Contact

Research interests

My research falls into three main areas:

Space Debris
The Astronautics Research Group has been involved in work on space debris modelling since 1992. I started in this area in 1999, working with Dr Graham Swinerd. We have developed a number of models, including DAMAGE, a state-of-the-art evolutionary model, and FADE. Our space debris research has been supported by research studentships funded by the EPSRC, the former Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), QinetiQ, the European Union Framework 7 Programme and internally here at the University. I also represent the UK Space Agency on the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), the intergovernmental forum for discussing space debris issues.

Near Earth Objects
Due to their high relative speeds with respect to the Earth and large mass, NEOs can have extremely high kinetic energies, which on impact can be equivalent to the detonation of many nuclear weapons. Impact effects include atmospheric blast waves, thermal radiation, seismic shock and, for ocean impacts, tsunami. The impact of a NEO on the Earth represents a catastrophic, multi-hazard, natural disaster. Research efforts are targeting the technical roadblocks to the development of a science-based policy that addresses the NEO impact hazard. My focus has been on the development of risk assessment and decision-support tools. These include NEOSim, NEOImpactor and, more recently, NEOMiSS.

Remote Sensing
With the arrival of a new generation of Earth observation spacecraft with high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution, better technologies are required to process the large volume of data they provide. Research into these technologies is focusing on generalisable solutions that aim to reduce the errors and uncertainties in more traditional approaches. With Professor Peter Atkinson in Geography, we have developed an artificial neural network approach to resolve information at a finer spatial resolution than the sensor provides. This tool was built using a software framework for processing remotely sensed images, which I wrote whilst working on the EU Framework 4 project FLIERS. Other work addresses the need to understand changes arising from natural disasters or from pre-planned urban development, and reducing risk from natural hazards.

Other research areas
I also have interests in fractionated satellite concepts, cloud computing and human cognitive modelling using artificial neural networks. With Dr Sarah Stevenage in Psychology, we wrote the IACAPA person acquisition simulator, which is based on the Rochester Connectionist Simulator. I am currently working with Professor Simon Cox and Dr Kenji Takeda to develop a cloud computing solution for some of the operational aspects of space debris removal.

Research group

Astronautics

Research project(s)

ACCORD

Stardust

Fractionated satellites

A new way of implementing space systems.

CANOPUS: low cost access to space

CANOPUS is a proposed new concept of space launch operations designed to lift very light payloads over the Kármán line (the edge of space, at 100km above ground level) at a considerably lower cost than current systems, as well as offering the potential of near-immediate launch slot availability.

Technology for Improving Re-Entry Predictions of European Upper Stages through Dedicated Observations

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Articles

Book Chapters

Lewis, H. G., Swinerd, G. G., & Channer, S. E. (2004). Collision risk analysis for spaceborne interferometric SAR systems. In J. Bendisch (Ed.), Space Debris and Space Traffic Management 2004 (pp. 371-384). (Science and Technology Series; No. 110). American Astronautical Society.
Lewis, H. G., & Swinerd, G. G. (2003). Comparison of methods for predicting collision risk. In J. Bendisch (Ed.), Space debris and space traffic management 2003 (pp. 207-226). (Science and Technology Series; No. 109). American Astronautical Society.
Lewis, H. G., Swinerd, G. G., Martin, C. E., & Campbell, W. S. (2003). The stability of disposal orbits at super-synchronous altitudes. In J. Bendisch (Ed.), Space Debris and Space Traffic Management 2003 (pp. 1-9). (Science and Technology Series; No. 109). American Astronautical Society.
Tatem, A. J., Lewis, H. G., Atkinson, P. M., & Nixon, M. S. (2002). Super-resolution land cover mapping from remotely sensed imagery using a Hopfield neural network. In G. M. Foody, & P. M. Atkinson (Eds.), Uncertainty in Remote Sensing and GIS (pp. 77-98). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/0470035269.ch6
Lewis, H. G., Newland, F. T., Côté, S., & Tatnall, A. R. L. (1999). Cloud motion analysis. In P. M. Atkinson, & N. J. Tate (Eds.), Advances in Remote Sensing and GIS Analysis (pp. 39-59). Wiley.

Conferences

Journal Special Issue

Lewis, H., Radtke, J., Rossi, A., Beck, J., Oswald, M., Anderson, P., Bastida Virgili, B., & Krag, H. (2017). Sensitivity of the space debris environment to large constellations and small satellites. Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, 70, 105-117. [2017.70.105]. http://www.jbis.org.uk/paper.php?p=2017.70.105

Reports

Lewis, H. G. (2001). Modifications to SDS source code for medium-term risk analysis for satellite constellations. (Aeronautics and Astronautics Technical Report; No. AA-HGL-08022001). School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton.
Lewis, H. G., Brown, M., Tatnall, A. R. L., Nixon, M. S., & Manslow, J. F. (1998). Data analysis and empirical classification in FLIERS. (ISIS Technical Report). Department of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton.
Lewis, H. G., & Brown, M. (1998). FLIERS software framework and toolkit version 2.0: user guides. (ISIS Technical Report). Department of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton.
Lewis, H. G., & Brown, M. (1997). FLIERS project: classification software framework. (ISIS Technical Report). Department of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton.

Thesis

Lewis, H. G. (2005). PCAP module 2 in-depth study report: reflections on peer-assessment in astronautics group work.

Module title	Module code	Discipline	Role
Concurrent Design for Space Applications	SESA3024	Aerospace Engineering	Course leader
TT Pt I Induction Programme	SESG1010	Engineering Sciences	Course leader
Astronautics	SESA3005	Aerospace Engineering	Tutor
Computing	SESA2006	Aerospace Engineering	Tutor
Spacecraft Systems and Design	SESA3010	Aerospace Engineering	Tutor

Professor Hugh G Lewis
Southampton Boldrewood Innovation Campus
University of Southampton
Building 176
Burgess Road
Southampton
SO16 7QF

Room Number: 176/2041

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