Profile

At University I first studied Aerospace Engineer and then went on to do Astronautics and Space Engineering. I then worked for Airbus Defence and Space performing mission studies and technology development activities for the European Space Agency. One of the main areas I was involved in was active debris removal and designed a harpoon that is capable of capturing space debris. I now work for the UK Space Agency and lead the engineering team responsible for overseeing Launch.

In the UK we currently build satellite and operate satellites but these are currently launched from spaceports across the globe. To make it easier for these satellites to reach space the Government has set the target to enable commercial launch from the UK by the early 2020’s. I lead a team of engineers who oversee the launch activities at the UK Space Agency. My team is developing software to investigate the flight path of the launch vehicles, we are helping develop new rules to allow launch to proceed safely and we are helping companies develop their new technology.

The best thing about my job is that it is very varied and I get to meet a lot of interesting people. There are 3 main components to my role :

1. Leading research into how launch can proceed safely from the UK. Designing launch vehicles. Simulating their flight path to orbit. Understanding how these vehicles may break/fail.
2. Reviewing the license applications of operators who want to launch their satellites.
3. Representing the UK at international meetings such as the UN COPUOS STSC