THE star of the Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes will be in Bolton next month to encourage others to aim high.

Dr Suzie Imber was the winner of the BBC series — where she was spun in centrifuge and visited a NASA research facility on the ocean floor in Florida, and experienced a microgravity flight — will give a free public talk.

The 33-year-old is an associate professor of Planetary Science at the University of Leicester and has held post at NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre.

She specialises in studying the environments of the planets in the solar system, particularly the Earth — Space Weather — and Mercury. She will talk about the upcoming European Space Agency BepiColombo mission to Mercury as well as discuss the threat to society posed by significant space weather events at the Earth.

Suzie is also a high altitude mountaineer, and will talk about her research discovering new mountains, as well as her recent expedition to the Andes.

Dr Imber was the winner of the BBC Astronauts: Do You Have What it Takes? series, where she was spun in a centrifuge, took her own blood, visited a NASA research facility on the ocean floor in Florida, and experienced a microgravity flight.

During her talk she will discuss the wide range of skills tested in the competition, and share what she learned from the experience.

The event is open to everyone and will take place in the Bolton School girls’ division Great Hall on Wednesday, April 18 beginning at 7.00pm.

Refreshments will be available beforehand from 6.30pm.

Parking will be available in the girls’ division quad, which will be clearly signposted on the night.

This event is part of an ongoing series Arts and Sciences Enrichment Lectures hosted by the girls' division. The final event of the year will be an Arts Festival held over two days in May 1 and May 2, featuring a visit from poet Simon Armitage.