A BARRHEAD engineer’s project on a potential future mission to the Moon went so well that his team was asked to speak to the head of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Drew Gillespie, 22, was part of a group of University of Strathclyde researchers taking part in an international effort to one day get Europe to a full Moon base.

They were the only UK team out of more than a dozen from Europe and the USA to join a virtual field campaign called IGLUNA 2020.

The original gathering was to have taken place in Lucerne, Switzerland, but was scrapped due to the coronavirus.

Instead, it was held online and included presentations from experts in the space sector.

The top three teams got to present to ESA Director-General Jan Wörner and Johann Richard, of the Swiss Space Office, both of whom praised the team from Strathclyde.

Drew, who was team leader and systems engineer, said: “All round, the IGLUNA project was an incredibly exciting experience.

“I was ecstatic we managed to work through the challenges brought on by lockdown and produce a flawless project show, which we are all proud of.

“To be recognised as one of the top three teams was amazing – and the honour of presenting our project to ESA Director-General Jan Wörner was one I’ll never forget.”

The former Cross Arthurlie Primary and Barrhead High pupil added: “I don’t think we could’ve pulled it off without the support from our supervisors, the Swiss Space Center and our sponsor RS Components, as well as everyone who donated to our crowdfunding campaign.

“We want to say a massive thank-you to them all.”

In the presentation, Drew’s team explained their system-level view of getting power to modules for habitation during the Moon mission.

They told how sunlight can be reflected towards a solar power satellite, which then converts the energy into electricity and transmits it wirelessly through microwaves to the lunar surface.

Hydrogen fuel cells can then be used at the habitation modules, with battery cells the size of a wardrobe to ensure continuous energy, even if one system breaks down.

Ice at the Moon’s south pole could also be melted into water and then split into hydrogen and oxygen to provide a clean energy system.

To watch the presentation, visit https://youtu.be/wWzNeqLN21Q.