Prof. Sir Martin Sweeting pioneered rapid-response, low-cost and highly capable small satellites utilizing modern consumer (COTS) electronics devices to change the economics of space. In 1985, he founded a spin-off University company (SSTL) which has designed, built, launched and operated in orbit 74 nano, micro and mini-satellites for communications & Earth observation – as well as 34 navigation payloads for the European Galileo constellation. SSTL has grown to ~400 staff and earned ~£1bn in export earnings for the UK. Sir Martin has been knighted by HM Queen, is a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and has received the prestigious von Karman Wings Award from CalTech/JPL in the USA. 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.