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Samantha Rolfe

Lecturer in Astrobiology and Principal Technical Officer at Bayfordbury Observatory, University of Hertfordshire
I am a Principle Technical Officer and Lecturer in Astrobiology at the University of Hertfordshire. During the months of October to March I am often teaching our undergraduate students practical astronomy when they come to the University of Hertfordshire Observatory at Bayfordbury. They learn how to use the telescopes to observe and study various objects including asteroids, exoplanets, galaxies star clusters and planetary nebulae. My lecture series in Astrobiology consists of teaching how physics and astrophysics can be applied to the search for life in our Solar System and beyond.

At Bayfordbury Observatory, I am constructing a teaching radio interferometer, comprising of three 3m dishes on a 115m baseline to provide a stepping stone between the theory of radio astronomy and the multi-million pound world class facilities that our students may end up working on if they choose a career in radio astronomy.

I studied for an MPhys in Physics with Astrophysics at the University of Leicester followed by a Planetary Science and Astrobiology PhD at the Open University. My PhD involved studying biological molecules with a Raman spectrometer that had been exposed to laboratory simulations of the martian surface environment. I have applied this experience to a project at the University of Hertfordshire where I am researching the detectability of bioaerosols (particles in the atmosphere of biological origin, such as pollens, bacteria, etc.) with the LIDAR remote sensing station (LiSsI), which has an agriculture application such as crop protection.

I regularly do outreach and public engagement too, including writing articles, giving public talks and media interviews, and taking the University of Hertfordshire’s mobile planetaria to schools to inspire the next generation of scientists.

Could invisible aliens really exist among us? An astrobiologist explains

Jan 14, 2020 00:46 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Life is pretty easy to recognise. It moves, it grows, it eats, it excretes, it reproduces. Simple. In biology, researchers often use the acronym MRSGREN to describe it. It stands for movement, respiration, sensitivity,...

Economy

S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges

SP Global Ratings has reaffirmed Brazils BB/B long- and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings, maintaining a stable outlook. The agency also kept the countrys transfer and convertibility assessment...

Gold Prices Rise Above $4,000 as Inflation Data and Weaker Dollar Boost Demand

Gold prices recovered on Thursday after falling to their lowest levels since November 2025, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar following the release of the latest U.S. inflation data. While easing concerns over aggressive...

Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes

Wall Street closed mixed on Thursday after a volatile trading session driven by contrasting performances from major technology companies. Investors reacted positively to Micron Technologys strong earnings and AI-driven...

Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher

Global oil prices climbed on Thursday after Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly attacked a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, reigniting concerns over Middle East tensions and...

Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman

Global oil prices recovered on Thursday after falling to levels seen before the Iran conflict, as renewed security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz revived market uncertainty. Reports of an attack on a commercial vessel...

Politics

US Approves $250 Million Fighter Jet Training Sale to Australia

The United States has approved a potential $250 million military sale to Australia, reinforcing the long-standing defense partnership between the two allies. The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that it had...

Johns Hopkins University Lays Off 110 Employees as Federal Research Funding Declines

Johns Hopkins University has announced the layoff of 110 employees following significant reductions in federal research funding, highlighting the growing financial challenges facing one of the United States leading...

Republican Lawmaker Introduces AI Incident Reporting Bill to Strengthen U.S. AI Safety

The United States could soon see new artificial intelligence regulations after Republican Representative Nathaniel Moran of Texas introduced the proposed AI Incident Reporting Act, a bill designed to improve transparency...

Iran Strait of Hormuz Tensions Rise After Ship Attack Delays IMO Escort Mission

A reported attack on a cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz has prompted the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) to temporarily suspend its ship escort mission, raising fresh concerns over the fragile...

US Supreme Court Strikes Down Hawaii Gun Carry Law on Private Property

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a Hawaii law restricting licensed handgun owners from carrying firearms on private property open to the public without the owners explicit permission violates the Second Amendment. The...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

OpenAI May Delay IPO to 2027 Amid $1 Trillion Valuation Goal

OpenAI is reportedly considering postponing its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) until 2027 as it pursues an ambitious $1 trillion valuation. According to a report by The New York Times, company executives...

Kioxia Targets U.S. Listing as AI Chip Boom Accelerates

Japan-based Kioxia Holdings Corp. (TYO:285A) is preparing to launch U.S. depositary shares in the spring of 2027, a strategic move aimed at expanding its global investor base and taking advantage of growing enthusiasm for...

Doncasters Raises $919 Million in NYSE IPO as Aerospace Growth Accelerates

Doncasters has successfully raised $919.3 million through its U.S. initial public offering (IPO), marking a significant milestone in the aerospace components manufacturers long-term transformation. The historic British...

SK Hynix Targets $29.4 Billion Nasdaq Listing to Expand AI Chip Business

SK Hynix has announced plans to raise as much as $29.4 billion through a Nasdaq listing in the United States, positioning the deal as one of the largest global stock offerings in history. The South Korean memory chip...

Alibaba Shares Fall After Anthropic Alleges Massive AI Model Distillation Campaign

Alibaba Groups Hong Kong-listed shares dropped sharply on Thursday after reports revealed that U.S.-based artificial intelligence company Anthropic accused the Chinese tech giant of conducting a large-scale campaign to...