“I was brought up in the village of Brewood in rural Staffordshire. In 1985 I’d just started the 6th form at Wolverhampton Grammar School, studying Maths, Physics and Chemistry at A level. I went on to study Chemical Engineering at Nottingham University and then completed a Masters in Radio Astronomy at Manchester University.
Before joining SSTL I spent 24 years working as a software engineer, development manager, consultant and occasional project manager across sectors including pharmaceuticals, games/multimedia, space (ESYS and QinetiQ), TV broadcasting and water engineering.
I joined SSTL in 2017 as a member of the Ground Software (GSW) team. I’ve been ground software lead for Lunar Pathfinder, co-lead for HydroGNSS, and ground segment lead for ELSA-d. I’ve also worked in the Mission Concepts team on the Future EO passive optical missions for small satellites ESA study.
The missions I’ve contributed to include Lunar Pathfinder, HydroGNSS, Amazonia-1B, ELSA-d, NovaSAR, HotSat, DoT-1, DMC3, and Tyche. And that’s certainly not the full list - most Ground Software engineers get involved in all current missions.
I’ve always wanted to work on space missions. It combines my lifelong fascination with space and my love of software engineering - and it makes for great conversation. Software might sound dull to some, but it’s a constant exercise in invention and problem-solving across every area of engineering.
The changes I’ve seen in the industry have been remarkable - from the rapid increase in satellite launches driven by reusable rockets pioneered by SpaceX, to the rise of ‘new space’ companies contracted by NASA for services like the Artemis programme. Here at SSTL, we’re now handling more concurrent missions than ever, with many focused on providing operational services rather than just proving concepts. It’s both challenging and exciting.”
Thank you, Brian, for everything you bring to the team - and for reminding us just how central software engineering is to every mission we fly.