The award is made for 'significant or outstanding achievements in space research' and reflects Stardust's 'innovative and effective' approach to dealing with manufactured objects in space and the monitoring, deflection and manipulation of asteroids.
The award was collected on behalf of the Stardust team by Chiara Tardioli and Clemens Rumpf, Marie Curie Research Fellows on the Stardust Project, and was presented by the first Briton in space, Helen Sharman.
Peter McGinty, Stardust network manager, said: "This prestigious award is a fantastic achievement for Stardust, as well as for Strathclyde's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
"Space activity is essential to our understanding of the universe and our place in it. Managing and controlling the debris which is a by-product of this exploration will allow us to continue to make further progress in the research and ensure a safe future for our assets in orbit."
Stardust is a €4.1m project funded by the European Commission under the FP7 People/Marie Curie Actions grant scheme. The network gathers together researchers and leaders from 17 different institutions, including academia, industry, research think tanks and the European Space Agency.
