Colin Robert McInnes is a Scottish engineer known for his work in

solar sails Solar sails (also known as light sails and photon sails) are a method of spacecraft propulsion using radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on large mirrors. A number of spaceflight missions to test solar propulsion and navigation have been p ...

. He is currently one of the leading figures in the field, being the author (or co-author) of over 50 solar sail papers since 2001. He also wrote a book on the subject, ''Solar Sailing: Technology, Dynamics and Mission Applications'', which is commonly referenced in solar sail journal papers. McInnes obtained a BSc (Hons) in Physics and Astronomy and PhD in

Astrodynamics Orbital mechanics or astrodynamics is the application of ballistics and celestial mechanics to the practical problems concerning the motion of rockets and other spacecraft. The motion of these objects is usually calculated from Newton's laws of ...

from the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in 1988 and 1991 respectively, during which he independently invented (in parallel with

Robert Forward Robert Lull Forward (August 15, 1932 – September 21, 2002) was an American physicist and science fiction writer. His literary work was noted for its scientific credibility and use of ideas developed from his career as an aerospace engineer. He ...

) the concept variously known as the solar sail halo orbit, the

statite A statite (from the words ''static'' and ''satellite'') is a hypothetical type of artificial satellite that employs a solar sail to continuously modify its orbit in ways that gravity alone would not allow. Typically, a statite would use the solar sa ...

, the artificial Lagrange point and the non-Keplerian orbit. He was then appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in October 1991 and was subsequently Reader (1996) and Professor (1999). During this time he was a visiting researcher at the Central Design Bureau for Unique Instrumentation, Moscow, and the Institute for Space and Astronautical Science, Tokyo. He joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal char ...

in September 2004; in 2014 he moved back to the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. His research interests centre on trajectory and mission analysis for

solar sail Solar sails (also known as light sails and photon sails) are a method of spacecraft propulsion using radiation pressure exerted by sunlight on large mirrors. A number of spaceflight missions to test solar propulsion and navigation have been ...

s (about which he has written an authoritative textbook), autonomous spacecraft control and space robotics. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and was elected a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the

Royal Academy of Engineering The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering. The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senior ...

in July 2003. He is currently the James Watt Chair, and Professor of Engineering Science (Systems Power and Energy) at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. He was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(MBE) in the

2014 Birthday Honours The 2014 Birthday Honours were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part of ...

for services to space research, science, and technology.

References

Bibliography

*C. R. McInnes, ''Solar Sailing: Technology, Dynamics, and Mission Applications'', Springer-Praxis Publishing Ltd, Chichester, UK, 1999,

External links

Staff Profile - Prof Colin McInnes
University of Glasgow Living people Academics of the University of Strathclyde Scottish engineers Alumni of the University of Glasgow Academics of the University of Glasgow Fellows of the Institute of Physics Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Members of the Order of the British Empire 1968 births {{Scotland-engineer-stub