SSPI

In a conversation with SSPI’s Robert Bell, we hear from Manwei Chan, Project Manager and team leader for the MIT team in the 18' SSPI-SEDS Competition: Designing the Robotic Space Tug.

Manwei’s team took 2nd place with their design of a pair of Full Service SpaceTugs with capable robotic arms, enabling to dock with a variety of LEO satellites and service even satellites with no service-enabling features or technology on board. Manwei is President of MIT SEDS, and runs the MIT Space Seminar.

In a conversation with SSPI's Robert Bell, Sir Martin Sweeting, Founder and Executive Chairman of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL), talks about his early years, the leadership lessons he learned, how he hires and what he has learned about leading a team bringing major innovations to market. Sir Martin launched SSTL in 1985 to exploit the commercial potential of Surrey's novel small satellites. SSTL has grown now with an annual turnover of £100M and exports exceeding £700M.

Eric is an Undergraduate Researcher at UC San Diego, working in both the Cognitive Science Laboratory and the Bioinspired Robotics and Design Lab. He is also the Founder and CEO of Craitor, a company that is developing portable, rugged, additive manufacturing solutions for use by soldiers in the field..

Dr. Douglas Clayton is the Senior VP, Talent Management and HR Learning & Development at SES, the world's leading provider of satellite services. Doug joined SES in 2001 and works primarily at SES's Princeton location. His role includes leading SES's global Learning and Development function and providing guidance to SES's HR team for the Americas. Doug is the chairperson of the SES US benefits committee, is a board member of SES Americom, and a board member of the Luxembourg – American Chamber of Commerce

Ragnarok Industries is one of the best new businesses in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Ragnarok has built a nanosat company, now operational and with a client base, that will deliver polar broadband service via its Hiemdallr satellite. Led by Luigi Ballarini, the young company is already embracing the SSPI spirit. His project is being watched closely by NYSA and the engineering community for its special design electrical propulsion (non-volatile and non-energetic) as it plans propulsion toward lunar orbit.

This is the SSPI Mentorship Roundtable Series sponsored by Airbus. This second of two episodes features Tim Deaver, Head of US Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space, and former SSPI Mentors of the Year Andrea Maleter, Former Technical Director of the Space and Communications Division at Futron Corporation and 2010 Mentor of the Year, and Clay Mowry, Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Customer Experience at Blue Origin and 2013 Mentor of the Year.

Mr. Steve Collar was appointed CEO of SES in April 2018. He had been the CEO of SES Networks since May 2017. Prior to SES Networks, Mr. Collar was CEO of O3b Networks and guided the company through the successful build and launch of its constellation of state-of-the-art satellites. In 2015, O3b Networks became the fastest growing satellite operator in history. In 2016, O3b was fully acquired by SES and now forms an integral part of SES Networks.

The Crisis Connectivity Charter is a mechanism created between the satellite industry and the wider humanitarian community, which is designed to make satellite-based communications more readily available to humanitarians and affected communities thanks to pre-defined and pre-set solutions allowing immediate response at times of disaster.

Catherine Mealing-Jones is passionate believer in drawing on people with different background and different talents, and she also learned early about the challenges that brings. In a Promise2Purpose podcast on the SSPI channel, she shares that excitement, her unusual career path and the lessons in leadership it has taught her.