University of Leicester - A space traveller's tales

Jeff Hoffman, the 64-year-old former Nasa astronaut with five Space Shuttle missions and more than 20 million miles of space travel under his belt, is to help teach a new generation of physicists about human space flight and robotic missions. Mr Hoffman has been seconded to the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Leicester to be a guest lecturer. This represents the first time that a UK university has attracted an astronaut to take on a teaching role. Mr Hoffman's contributions mean that Leicester will be able to offer the UK's only degree course that has elements of it taught by a lecturer who has actually travelled in space.