A North East student is aiming high by combining his knowledge of engineering and passion for astronomy to build a roof control system for telescope equipment for his final year university project.

John Race, 37, returned to full-time education at the University of Sunderland following 15 years working in the aviation industry, his most recent employment being with British Airways.

He is studying electronic and electrical engineering and found inspiration for his project after spending time volunteering at Grassholme Observatory, near Barnard Castle.

John said: “I realised that I could use my engineering skills to create a roof control system for an observatory.

“My design basically monitors weather whilst an observation session is underway. In adverse weather conditions, it will automatically pack the telescope away and shut the roof, protecting the equipment.”

The Northern Echo: University of Sunderland engineering student John Race at the 'C' sculpture on Roker seafront, commemorating the place where the Venerable Bede calculated the motion of the sun and the moon to help set the date of EasterUniversity of Sunderland engineering student John Race at the 'C' sculpture on Roker seafront, commemorating the place where the Venerable Bede calculated the motion of the sun and the moon to help set the date of Easter (Image: UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND)

Given the expected costs of a project of this magnitude, one of John’s lecturers advised he look to the university’s development office for support.

This led to John applying for The Dovre Alumni Excellence Scholarship – a scheme funded by a group of Norwegian engineering alumni.

The programme awards up to two annual scholarships of £1,000 per student for those on engineering courses.

With the aid of the scholarship, John was able to reduce hours at his part-time job and focus on exam revision whilst also purchasing the equipment to help build his project.

The Northern Echo: University of Sunderland engineering student John Race at the 'C' sculpture on Roker seafront, commemorating the place where the Venerable Bede calculated the motion of the sun and the moon to help set the date of EasterUniversity of Sunderland engineering student John Race at the 'C' sculpture on Roker seafront, commemorating the place where the Venerable Bede calculated the motion of the sun and the moon to help set the date of Easter (Image: UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND)

Following graduation, John looks to use the equipment to start a small business and is in communication with the university’s 'Digital Incubator' about his start-up plans.

Most read:

Unlock your community with The Northern Echo Get unlimited access to local news, enjoy our ad-free app, and read the digital edition of the printed paper. Subscribe today and stay informed effortlessly. Click here for subscription details.

He is looking to take his initiatives as far as possible, continuing to work on plans for a completely autonomous observatory.

“I’d like to create a completely automated method of controlling a remote observatory with a roll on, roll-off roof.

"It’s a huge project, but the idea is to design an unmanned observatory that you could log onto from anywhere in the world. But maybe I’ll save that for my PhD,” he said.