Nigel Bannister

Deputy Director

Univ. Leicester

Dr. Nigel Bannister is a space scientist and educator whose work bridges deep-space exploration, instrumentation development, and applied space technologies. His research spans space instrumentation, astrodynamics and mission analysis, observational astronomy, and technology transfer into terrestrial and commercial applications.

He serves as Co-Investigator on J-MAG, the magnetometer instrument selected for flight on the European Space Agency’s JUICE mission to Jupiter. In collaboration with teams at Imperial College London, the Technical University of Braunschweig, and the Austrian Academy of Sciences, he leads the radiation design of the instrument, ensuring its survivability within Jupiter’s extreme radiation environment.

He leads the Wolfson Deep Space Centre at Space Park Leicester and was appointed Deputy Director of Space Park Leicester in 2024, with responsibility for Skills and Education. He also leads the UK Space Engineering Apprenticeship Trailblazer group, shaping workforce standards for the UK space sector. An experienced lecturer and public communicator—featured in documentaries including 13 Factors that Saved Apollo 13 and The Saturn V Story—he holds a Ph.D. in UV Stellar Astrophysics and Flight Instrumentation Development from the University of Leicester.