
Professor Malcolm Macdonald
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Area of Expertise
- Space Mission Analysis & Design
- Space Technology
- Astrodynamics
- Swarm Engineering
- Network Systems
- Systems Engineering
- Technology Roadmapping and Analysis
- Technical Foresight & Horizon Scanning
- Advanced Concepts
- CubeSats
- Modelling & Simulation
Prize And Awards
- Galileo Masters EUSPA Space for FUN Challenge (2nd place)
- Recipient
- 8/11/2021
- 2nd place in Copernicus Masters 2020: BMVI Transport Challenge
- Recipient
- 8/12/2020
- Finalist in E&T Innovation Awards 2020
- Recipient
- 19/11/2020
Publications
- A delay-tolerant network approach to satellite pickup and delivery scheduling
- Lowe Christopher John, Clark Ruaridh Alexander, McGrath Ciara Nora, Macdonald Malcolm
- Ad Hoc Networks Vol 151 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adhoc.2023.103289
- Spacecraft and optics design considerations for a spaceborne lidar mission with spatially continuous global coverage
- Lowe Christopher John, McGrath Ciara Norah, Hancock Steven, Davenport Ian, Todd Stephen, Hansen Johannes, Woodhouse Iain, Norrie Callum, Macdonald Malcolm
- Acta Astronautica Vol 214, pp. 809-816 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.10.042
- Monitoring ship emissions using Sentinel-5P and AIS data
- Werkmeister Astrid A, Carrel Andrew, Porwal Netan, Clemente Carmine, Macdonald Malcolm
- Earth Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing/GIS Applications XIV (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2678424
- Observability analysis of cooperative orbit determination using inertial inter-spacecraft angle measurements
- Zhou Xingyu, Qin Tong, Macdonald Malcolm, Qiao Dong
- Acta Astronautica Vol 210, pp. 289-302 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.05.019
- Automatic geolocation and measuring of offshore energy infrastructure with multimodal satellite data
- Ma Ping, Macdonald Malcolm, Rouse Sally, Ren Jinchang
- IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering (2023)
- Tracking shifting estuaries with remote sensing techniques to aid lifeboat rescue services
- López Pardo Bélen, Clark Ruaridh, Gibbons Gwilym, Macdonald Malcolm, McGrath Ciara N
- SPIE Sensors+Imaging 2023, pp. 1-10 (2023)
Research Interests
The Applied Space Technology Laboratory is addressing global challenges by working at the boundaries between disciplines to deliver a step-change in the democratisation, exploration, and exploitation of space.
- Developing new space and adjacent sector technologies in response to global challenges and anticipated demands, accelerating the democratisation of the use of space, and the data and services it provides.
- Developing technologies and algorithms to process the exponentially increasing data available from space to help us better understand our Earth, and to make this knowledge available to all.
- Developing insights to network systems across the natural sciences to engineer vastly more connected, efficient, and sustainable space systems.
My research has an end-to-end focus on the development and application of systems by ensuring an understanding of the end application. Challenging conventional ideas and working at the interface between disciplines I seek to advance new concepts in the exploration and exploitation of space, for which I was awarded the Royal Society of Edinburgh Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane Medal. Specifically, my research develops concepts in, and applications of space technology, including solar sailing, nanosatellites, and constellations, by developing research into astrodynamics, networked systems, swarming, and distributed and collaborative systems.
Professional Activities
- Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, Coastal Waters, and Large Water Regions 2023
- Participant
- 4/9/2023
- Climate Finance Innovation: Connecting Financial Technology, Space Data and Resilient Timing
- Organiser
- 9/5/2023
- Space Meets FinTech (Joint FinTech Scotland / Space Scotland Event)
- Invited speaker
- 11/1/2023
- Alignments in functional connectivity networks
- Contributor
- 8/11/2022
- Integration of an LED/SPAD Optical Wireless Transceiver with CubeSat On-board Systems
- Contributor
- 28/9/2020
- The New Peers Review podcast episode 3
- Speaker
- 10/12/2019
Projects
- SAR consultancy to UCD
- Clemente, Carmine (Principal Investigator) Macdonald, Malcolm (Co-investigator) Werkmeister, Astrid (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 30-Jan-2025
- EO4SECURITY-MicroDoppler
- Clemente, Carmine (Principal Investigator) Macdonald, Malcolm (Co-investigator) Tubaldi, Enrico (Co-investigator)
- 07-Jan-2023 - 06-Jan-2024
- SAfe Passage through Shifting Sands
- Macdonald, Malcolm (Principal Investigator) Clemente, Carmine (Co-investigator) McKee, David (Co-investigator) Tachtatzis, Christos (Co-investigator) Clark, Ruaridh (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 16-Jan-2024
- An aUtonomous DistrIbuted Time signal in-Space
- Macdonald, Malcolm (Principal Investigator) Clark, Ruaridh (Research Co-investigator) Lowe, Christopher (Research Co-investigator) BOUIS, Agathe (Researcher)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 30-Jan-2025
- Matryoshka Orbital Networks
- Macdonald, Malcolm (Principal Investigator) Clark, Ruaridh (Research Co-investigator) Lowe, Christopher (Research Co-investigator) Gribben, Joshua (Researcher)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2025
- EPSRC IAA Bridging the Gap
- Owens, Steven Robert (Principal Investigator) McGrane, Scott (Co-investigator) Allan, Grant (Co-investigator) Macdonald, Malcolm (Co-investigator)
- EPSRC Impact Accelerator Account funded Bridging the Gap project, awarded jointly with Dr Steven Owens, Professor Malcolm MacDonald and Dr Grant Allan to investigate connecting environmental remote observation data with socioeconomic data to inventory opportunities for project creation and data access options
- 01-Jan-2022 - 01-Jan-2023
Contact
Professor
Malcolm
Macdonald
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Email: malcolm.macdonald.102@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 2042