22nd June 2011

BRIDPORT: Bridport grandfather wins top NASA prize...again!

A GARDEN shed boffin could see his invention blasted into space after scooping a top science prize from NASA - for the second consecutive year.

Bridport grandad Ian Gallon utilised an invention he perfected more than 20 years ago to win the $7,500 prize to design a high power radar antenna which could be used to map the Earth.

The U3A member is not sure when his invention will be used but says he just enjoyed the challenge of the InnoCentive run competition.

Mr Gallon said: “I’d be very satisfied if they put it in space. It would be rather nice if it goes up into space. It will be an achievement and it is always pleasant to achieve something.

“If you enjoy a crossword puzzle you like completing them. I enjoy solving these puzzles.”

The 73-year-old says he has been fascinated with science for the past 67 years, but only started winning prizes last year with his design to capture and store energy from lightening.

He said: “The first time I won was last year, which again was for NASA.

“This time I invented a large disc covered with lots of small antenna aerials and they are all quite small and what happens is a beam goes out like a search light and then you can switch direction of the beam which is how all radars work.

“It could be used to go around the Earth and atmosphere and build up a picture of the ground terrain such as forest or deserts. But I have no idea when it will go up.

“I actually developed a theory of a single, small antenna as something to do some years ago and always thought I must do something with it.

“So when I was thinking about the competition I thought, yes, that will do.

“It is out of the box thinking and being aware of a range of sciences all the time and although I don’t study it I know roughly what the Haden Collider is and knew I needed equipment like that.”

The competition was an open invitation through a business called InnoCentive who act as middleman to organisations like NASA.

The self-confessed part-time inventor said: “The competitions are good because if I had these ideas I could not sell them. I would not know where to go and they would say ‘who are you’.

“So for example if NASA has a problem which may be a bit new and they want some new thinking on it they allocate a certain amount of money to a prize to solve the problem.”

Before the Southampton University graduate retired he was a scientist for 30 years for the government working as a nuclear physicist, radiation physicist and with electro magnetics.

Mr Gallon was also the chairman of three inter-governmental exchange committees during his career.

Now as the director of Transition Bridport he is busy using his skills to develop a rainwater scheme, which the group are trying to simplify for ‘Do It Yourselfers’ to utilise rainwater more than just putting it on the garden.

PICTURE: Double NASA award winner Ian Gallon with his antenna invention he utilised to create a potential space probe.