President of the Royal Astronomical Society, Professor Emma Bunce, has been named the winner of the European Geosciences Union David Bates Medal. The medal was established by the EGU Planetary & Solar System Sciences Division in recognition of the scientific achievements of Sir David Robert Bates. It is awarded to scientists for their exceptional contributions to planetary and solar system sciences.
Professor Bunce was one of 50 recipients of the Union's Medals and Awards for 2022. The recipients are honoured for their important contributions to the Earth, planetary and space sciences.
Professor Bunce's work focuses on the giant rotating magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn. She acted as the Deputy Lead Scientist for the Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter proposal to ESA under the L-Class mission competition, which was selected as the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission in 2012. The mission is due to launch in 2022 to arrive at Jupiter and Ganymede in 2030. Professor Bunce is also the Co-Investigator on the UK-led Cassini magnetometer team, and the Principal Investigator on the MIXS instrument on the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo Mercury Planet Orbiter.
Congratulations from all of us at the Royal Astronomical Society!