Executive Chairman and Founder, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL)

Chairman & Distinguished Professor, Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey, UK

Director, National Hub on Future AI and Robotics for Space

Starting in 1979, Sir Martin pioneered rapid-response, low-cost yet highly capable small satellites utilizing modern consumer electronics to change the economics of space. This has since brought space within the reach of developing economies and businesses and laid the foundations of the present ‘Newspace’ industry worldwide. He is widely regarded internationally as the ‘father of small satellites’.

In 1985, he founded a University spin-off company (SSTL) which has since designed, built, launched and operated in orbit 70 nano, micro and mini-satellites – as well as 34 navigation payloads for the European Galileo constellation. Through collaborative satellite projects, SSTL has trained engineers from 22 countries in space techniques, including the nucleus of 6 new space agencies in developing countries, and created the international Disaster Monitoring Constellation, of small Earth observation satellites. SSTL has grown to around 400 staff with approaching £1Bn in export earnings for the UK.

As Chairman of the Surrey Space Centre and a distinguished professor at the University of Surrey, Sir Martin leads a team of circa 100 academic faculty and doctoral researchers investigating advanced small satellite concepts and techniques, acting as the research laboratory for SSTL – an exemplar of real academic-commercial synergy. He has supervised some 200 graduated PhD students and has over 350 publications.

Sir Martin is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Physics. He has received the prestigious von Karman Wings Award from CalTech/JPL in the USA.. Knighted by HM The Queen and in 2016 he was identified as one of the UK’s 20 most influential engineers and in 2017 listed as one of the 500 most influential people in the UK. Sir Martin has advised both the UK and overseas space agencies on space strategy.