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Archive · Leicester · United Kingdom

National Space Centre

In research, National Space Centre stands highest in Physical Sciences (#6,376 of 17,446 worldwide), Physics and Astronomy (#1,875 of 2,917 worldwide) and Astronomy and Astrophysics (#715 of 954 worldwide), over all time.

spacecentre.co.ukROR OpenAlex
World rank, all time
#14,690
of 34,923
Rank in United Kingdom
#726
of 1,844
Research works
409
▲ 183% vs 2018-21
Citations
2k
4.9 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
6.7%
all institutions 10.0%
vs its own fields
1.05×
1.00× is exactly expected
Open access
5%
world 40%
International
5%
world 18%
National Space Centre

What is National Space Centre known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, over all time, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorks
Physical SciencesDomain #6,376 of 17,446 9.4%285
Physics and AstronomyField #1,875 of 2,917 8.9%161
Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield #715 of 954 8.8%123

Each strip is that field's whole ranked pool, with the notch where National Space Centre sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no average mark, because the average differs by field (from about 6% in Dentistry to 21% in Economics).

Which fields of science does National Space Centre work in?

In all years, 70% of research at National Space Centre is in Physical Sciences, 22% in Social Sciences. Its largest fields are Physics and Astronomy (39%), Arts and Humanities (17%), Engineering (14%). It does 1.7× the world's share of Physical Sciences.

Physical Sciences: 285 fractional works · 69.6% of its workPhysics and Astronomy: 161 fractional works · 39.2% of its workAstronomy and Astrophysics: 123 fractional works · 30.1% of its workInstrumentation: 23 fractional works · 5.5% of its workAtomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics: 9 fractional works · 2.3% of its workNuclear and High Energy Physics: 2 fractional works · 0.5% of its workStatistical and Nonlinear Physics: 2 fractional works · 0.5% of its workRadiation: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEngineering: 57 fractional works · 13.9% of its workComputational Mechanics: 23 fractional works · 5.7% of its workAerospace Engineering: 23 fractional works · 5.5% of its workElectrical and Electronic Engineering: 3 fractional works · 0.8% of its workBiomedical Engineering: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workOcean Engineering: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workMechanical Engineering: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 3 fractional works · 0.8% of its workEnvironmental Science: 24 fractional works · 5.9% of its workEnvironmental Engineering: 9 fractional works · 2.3% of its workEcology: 5 fractional works · 1.2% of its workGlobal and Planetary Change: 3 fractional works · 0.9% of its workWater Science and Technology: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workManagement, Monitoring, Policy and Law: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workNature and Landscape Conservation: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workPollution: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workEarth and Planetary Sciences: 22 fractional works · 5.3% of its workOceanography: 8 fractional works · 1.9% of its workAtmospheric Science: 6 fractional works · 1.4% of its workGeophysics: 4 fractional works · 0.9% of its workEarth-Surface Processes: 2 fractional works · 0.5% of its workPaleontology: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workGeology: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workComputer Science: 8 fractional works · 1.9% of its workArtificial Intelligence: 5 fractional works · 1.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 3 fractional works · 0.7% of its workMathematics: 5 fractional works · 1.2% of its workTheoretical Computer Science: 3 fractional works · 0.7% of its workGeometry and Topology: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEnergy: 4 fractional works · 1.0% of its workRenewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment: 4 fractional works · 0.9% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workMaterials Science: 3 fractional works · 0.7% of its workMaterials Chemistry: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSurfaces, Coatings and Films: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workChemistry: 2 fractional works · 0.5% of its workOrganic Chemistry: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workPhysical and Theoretical Chemistry: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.0% of its workSocial Sciences: 90 fractional works · 21.9% of its workArts and Humanities: 69 fractional works · 16.9% of its workHistory: 46 fractional works · 11.2% of its workArcheology: 10 fractional works · 2.6% of its workHistory and Philosophy of Science: 8 fractional works · 1.9% of its workLiterature and Literary Theory: 3 fractional works · 0.7% of its workLanguage and Linguistics: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSocial Sciences: 13 fractional works · 3.2% of its workSociology and Political Science: 4 fractional works · 0.9% of its workAnthropology: 3 fractional works · 0.8% of its workDemography: 2 fractional works · 0.5% of its workPolitical Science and International Relations: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workUrban Studies: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workGeography, Planning and Development: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 4 fractional works · 1.0% of its workEconomics and Econometrics: 3 fractional works · 0.7% of its workGeneral Economics, Econometrics and Finance: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workPsychology: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSocial Psychology: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workDecision Sciences: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workStatistics, Probability and Uncertainty: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workLife Sciences: 19 fractional works · 4.5% of its workNeuroscience: 6 fractional works · 1.4% of its workNeurology: 5 fractional works · 1.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 5 fractional works · 1.3% of its workMolecular Biology: 2 fractional works · 0.6% of its workGenetics: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workClinical Biochemistry: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workAgricultural and Biological Sciences: 5 fractional works · 1.2% of its workPlant Science: 3 fractional works · 0.7% of its workForestry: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 2 fractional works · 0.6% of its workPharmacology: 2 fractional works · 0.5% of its workSmaller subfields together: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workImmunology and Microbiology: 0 fractional works · 0.1% of its workHealth Sciences: 16 fractional works · 3.9% of its workMedicine: 15 fractional works · 3.7% of its workNeurology: 3 fractional works · 0.7% of its workRheumatology: 2 fractional works · 0.5% of its workDermatology: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workPhysiology: 2 fractional works · 0.4% of its workPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine: 1 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSurgery: 1 fractional works · 0.3% of its workOncology: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workOphthalmology: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 3 fractional works · 0.6% of its workNursing: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workLeadership and Management: 1 fractional works · 0.2% of its workALL ITS WORKNational SpaceCentre409fractional works, all years
Life Sciences5%Physical Sciences70%Health Sciences4%Social Sciences22%

Each ring splits the one inside it: the four domains of science, their fields, their subfields. Size is fractional works in all years. Every slice is a page; the interactive view zooms down to single topics and colours each by how much more of it this institution does than the world.

Its 4 domains and 23 fields, with their numbers
    1. Physics and Astronomy16139.2%
    2. Engineering5713.9%
    3. Environmental Science245.9%
    4. Earth and Planetary Sciences225.3%
    5. Computer Science81.9%
    6. Mathematics51.2%
    7. Energy41.0%
    8. Materials Science30.7%
    9. Chemistry20.5%
    1. Arts and Humanities6916.9%
    2. Social Sciences133.2%
    3. Economics, Econometrics and Finance41.0%
    4. Psychology20.4%
    5. Decision Sciences10.2%
    1. Neuroscience61.4%
    2. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology51.3%
    3. Agricultural and Biological Sciences51.2%
    4. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics20.6%
    5. Immunology and Microbiology00.1%
    1. Medicine153.7%
    2. Nursing10.2%
    3. Veterinary00.0%
    4. Health Professions00.0%
All of science, and how each field's share has moved since 1950: the Science domain explorer

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.34× its world share, 0 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.30× its world share, 0 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Computer Science: 1.88× its world share, 1 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 2.49× its world share, 0 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 2.64× its world share, 0 worksEnergyEngineering: 3.29× its world share, 3 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 1.26× its world share, 0 worksEnvironmental SciencePhysics and Astronomy: 6.51× its world share, 1 worksPhysics and AstronomyPsychology: 1.20× its world share, 0 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.16× its world share, 0 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 6.5×. Every wedge is a field page.

All 10 fields, with their numbers
  1. Physics and Astronomy6.51×1 works
  2. Engineering3.29×3 works
  3. Energy2.64×0 works
  4. Earth and Planetary Sciences2.49×0 works
  5. Computer Science1.88×1 works
  6. Environmental Science1.26×0 works
  7. Psychology1.20×0 works
  8. Agricultural and Biological Sciences0.34×0 works
  9. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology0.30×0 works
  10. Social Sciences0.16×0 works

Who are the top researchers at National Space Centre?

Ranked on the quality score, Joseph Leeming, Guy M. Hurst and Jeff Medkeff lead among researchers whose main affiliation is National Space Centre.

  1. 1 Joseph Leeming United Kingdom · #2,933,954 worldwide 5 citations · 22 works
  2. 2 Guy M. Hurst United Kingdom · #4,181,304 worldwide 28 citations · 95 works
  3. 3 Jeff Medkeff United Kingdom · #4,691,394 worldwide 0 citations · 21 works
  4. 4 P. G. Murdin United Kingdom · #7,326,200 worldwide 388 citations · 187 works
All ranked researchers at National Space Centre

What are the most cited papers from National Space Centre?

The most cited paper from National Space Centre is "Habitability on Early Mars and the Search for Biosignatures with the ExoMars Rover" (Jorge L. Vago et al., 2017), with 500 citations. Next come "Three-dimensional forest light interaction model using a Monte Carlo method" (357) and "Reflectance spectroscopy of fresh whole leaves for the estimation of chemical concentration" (288).

Most cited papers
#PaperReleasedCitations
1 Habitability on Early Mars and the Search for Biosignatures with the ExoMars Rover Jorge L. Vago et al. · Astrobiology Open access Jul 2017 500
2 Three-dimensional forest light interaction model using a Monte Carlo method Peter R. J. North · IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing Jul 1996 357
3 Reflectance spectroscopy of fresh whole leaves for the estimation of chemical concentration Paul J. Curran, Jennifer Dungan, Bruce A. Macler et al. · Remote Sensing of Environment Feb 1992 288
4 The effect of a red leaf pigment on the relationship between red edge and chlorophyll concentration Paul J. Curran, Jennifer Dungan, Bruce A. Macler et al. · Remote Sensing of Environment 1991 253
5 A study of the relationship between radar backscatter and regenerating tropical forest biomass for spaceborne SAR instruments Adrian John Luckman · Remote Sensing of Environment Apr 1997 248
All 60 most cited papers, with filters and sorting

Which keywords describe research at National Space Centre?

By fractional works in all years, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Historical Figures, Surgery, Radio Astronomy, Spectroscopy, Blood Transfusion, Obstetrics, Cultural Impact and High-Resolution Imaging.

▲ more of its work than of the world's◆ about the world's share▼ less than the world's

Size is fractional works in all years in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Historical Figures76▲ 493×2 topics
  2. Surgery44▲ 33×3 topics
  3. Epidemiology42▲ 2.5×6 topics
  4. Radio Astronomy42▲ 279×2 topics
  5. Spectroscopy39▲ 30×5 topics
  6. Blood Transfusion38▲ 175×1 topic
  7. Obstetrics38▲ 520×1 topic
  8. Cultural Impact38▲ 130×2 topics
  9. High-Resolution Imaging38▲ 151×1 topic
  10. Transits of Venus38▲ 469×1 topic
  11. Astronomical Instrumentation23▲ 108×1 topic
  12. Spectrograph23▲ 108×1 topic
  13. Optical 3D Laser Measurement21▲ 266×1 topic
  14. Position-Sensitive Detector21▲ 266×1 topic
  15. Remote Sensing20▲ 4.4×24 topics
  16. Historical Astronomy16▲ 190×2 topics
  17. Climate Change14▲ 1.32×25 topics
  18. Solar System Abundances14▲ 41×1 topic
  19. Terrestrial Planets14▲ 41×1 topic
  20. Antikythera Mechanism12▲ 292×1 topic
  21. Astronomical Calculator12▲ 292×1 topic
  22. Solar Wind12▲ 21×2 topics
  23. Coronal Mass Ejections11▲ 38×1 topic
  24. Solar Dynamics Observatory11▲ 38×1 topic
  25. Space Policy10▲ 183×1 topic
  26. Space Tourism10▲ 183×1 topic
  27. Medical History8▲ 46×2 topics
  28. Hydrological Modeling8▲ 9.2×4 topics
  29. Biomass Estimation7▲ 15×3 topics
  30. Cultural Transmission7▲ 17×3 topics
  31. Mars7▲ 34×1 topic
  32. Martian Surface7▲ 34×1 topic
  33. Exoplanets6▲ 22×1 topic
  34. Stellar Astrophysics6▲ 22×1 topic
  35. CubeSat6▲ 62×1 topic
  36. small satellite6▲ 62×1 topic
  37. Supernovae6▲ 15×2 topics
  38. Relativity6▲ 28×2 topics
  39. Avicenna6▲ 65×2 topics
  40. Quantum Gravity6▲ 11×2 topics

Which research topics does National Space Centre publish most on?

By volume in 2022-now: Advanced Computational Techniques and Applications, Space Satellite Systems and Control, Spacecraft Dynamics and Control and Astro and Planetary Science.

Advanced Computational T…1Advanced Computational Techniques and Applications: 1 fractional worksSpace Satellite Systems and Control: 1 fractional worksSpacecraft Dynamics and Control: 1 fractional worksAstro and Planetary Science: 0 fractional worksSuicide and Self-Harm Studies: 0 fractional worksSpacecraft Design and Technology: 0 fractional worksRocket and propulsion systems research: 0 fractional worksSpacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies: 0 fractional worksSpace Exploration and Technology: 0 fractional worksSpace exploration and regulation: 0 fractional works
Artificial IntelligenceAerospace EngineeringAstronomy and AstrophysicsClinical Psychology

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Advanced Computational Techniques and Applications Artificial Intelligence 1 works
  2. 2 Space Satellite Systems and Control Aerospace Engineering 1 works
  3. 3 Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Aerospace Engineering 1 works
  4. 4 Astro and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics 0 works
  5. 5 Suicide and Self-Harm Studies Clinical Psychology 0 works
  6. 6 Spacecraft Design and Technology Aerospace Engineering 0 works
  7. 7 Rocket and propulsion systems research Aerospace Engineering 0 works
  8. 8 Spacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies Aerospace Engineering 0 works
  9. 9 Space Exploration and Technology Aerospace Engineering 0 works
  10. 10 Space exploration and regulation Astronomy and Astrophysics 0 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world's own shares: the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available4.6%not open95.4%

World: 40% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors5.3%domestic only94.7%

World: 18% is written across borders.

How has National Space Centre's research output changed?

Output in 2022-2025 was 183% higher than in 2018-2021.

still counting1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon: one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Its share of all research

Growing output can still be a shrinking share: all of science grows. This is National Space Centre as a percentage of every work published that year, 0.000014% in 2024.

still counting0.010%0.020%National Space Centre0.000065% in 20251990200020102020

Fractional works of National Space Centre over all fractional works that year. How the balance of science has shifted.

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