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The Department of Physics recently hosted a special lecture and reception to celebrate Professor Dougherty and her appointment as Astronomer Royal.

On Wednesday 29th October, over 150 staff and ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ gathered to mark the occasion and hear , Professor of Space Physics in Imperial's Department of Physics, reflect on her remarkable 35-year career at Imperial. The event highlighted her pioneering contributions to planetary science, with a focus on two major space missions: Cassini and JUICE.

Professor Dougherty began by sharing her work on the Cassini mission to Saturn and its moons, where she led the development of the spacecraft’s magnetometer instruments. Her research played a key role in the discovery of water vapour plumes on Saturn’s moon Enceladus. This finding, combined with the evidence of internal heat and organic material, positioned the moon as a potential habitat for life.

As Professor Dougherty explained, “If you are looking for places in our solar system and beyond that have the potential for life to form, there are three ingredients that you look for… liquid water, a heat source and organic material. So, this little moon Enceladus was now on the list of places where potentially life might be able to form.”  

The lecture continued with insights into her current work as Principal Investigator for the J-MAG magnetometer instrument on the European Space Agency’s JUICE mission, launched in 2023. Built at Imperial during the COVID-19 lockdown, the instrument is designed to detect magnetic field vibrations that could reveal the presence of subsurface oceans on Jupiter’s moons. Scheduled to arrive in Jupiter's system in 2031, JUICE will carry out a detailed exploration of its largest moons - Europa, Ganymede and Callisto - to determine whether any of these worlds could support life. 

Professor Dougherty described the technical challenges faced ahead of launch, including building the instrument under pandemic restrictions. She noted it was one of the most difficult tasks the team had faced, yet despite the disruption they experienced only a short delay. “It’s a testament to the JUICE project and how good [it] was that we were able to only be delayed by three months” she said.

The lecture concluded with a return to the Cassini mission, as Professor Dougherty described its deliberate descent into Saturn’s atmosphere, a planned end designed to prevent contaminating potentially life-supporting moons like Enceladus and Titan. The spacecraft’s ‘grand finale’ provided important data about Saturn’s atmosphere and rings, marking a poignant close to a landmark mission.

Professor Dougherty’s appointment as Astronomer Royal marks a significant milestone in the scientific community. Her research continues to shape our understanding of the solar system, while her ongoing work at Imperial continues to inspire the next generation of space scientists.