How did your engineering career begin, and what led you to Teledyne Space Imaging?
My background is in electronics engineering. I completed a degree apprenticeship before spending around seven years working as an electronics engineer. About a year ago I moved into my current role as Systems Lead Engineer, which has allowed me to combine my technical background with systems engineering, project leadership and customer delivery.
It's been a great opportunity to broaden my experience while continuing to work on exciting space programmes.
You recently supported the Lightning Mapper programme and are now working on new projects. Can you tell us more about this?
The Lightning Mapper is an optical instrument for Lockheed Martin, which will help monitor lightning activity across the Americas aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) upcoming GeoXO (Geostationary Extended Observations) satellite constellation.
I'm currently supporting ESA’s ARRAKIHS, an F-class mission in the agency’s Cosmic Vision programme, where my focus is on delivering the specialist test equipment needed to support the mission.
Your role centres on testing technology before it reaches space. Why is this stage so important?
Once hardware is launched into space, you can't simply repair or replace it, so every system has to perform exactly as intended.
Our job is to recreate the conditions the sensors will experience in orbit, whether that's radiation or other environmental challenges, and prove they meet every requirement before they're delivered. That testing gives everyone confidence that the technology is ready for the mission ahead.
Can you take us through the journey of a typical project, from concept to delivery?
Every project starts with a detailed set of requirements before moving into the design phase. We then develop prototypes, carry out design reviews, procure components, complete extensive testing and finally conduct a full delivery review to demonstrate that every requirement has been met.
Once that's complete, the equipment is handed over to the verification and test engineers, who use it to qualify the flight hardware before it progresses towards launch.
What do you enjoy most about working in the space industry?
Knowing that the equipment we're building will help support scientific missions is incredibly rewarding. Many people immediately think about exploring deep space, but a lot of the work we do helps us better understand our own planet through Earth observation and scientific research.
Being part of projects that contribute to the greater good is something I find very motivating.
What do you find most rewarding about your role at Teledyne Space Imaging?
Successfully delivering a project through its major design reviews is always satisfying. There's a real sense of achievement when you've met every milestone, stayed on schedule and handed over equipment that will go on to support a future space mission.
It's the culmination of months of teamwork and engineering effort.
When you see a space mission successfully launch, knowing you've played a part in making it possible, what does that mean to you?
It's a real source of pride. You know how much engineering, testing and teamwork goes into preparing technology for space, so seeing a mission launch successfully makes all that hard work worthwhile. It's rewarding to know that the test equipment we've developed has helped prepare technology for missions that advance scientific discovery and improve our understanding of the world around us. That's one of the reasons I enjoy working at Teledyne Space Imaging.
Looking ahead, what developments are you most excited about at Teledyne Space Imaging?
We're seeing a steady stream of new programmes coming through, which means developing more advanced test equipment to support future sensors.
At the same time, Teledyne Space Imaging is evolving towards more product-based sensor platforms and delivering increasingly integrated electronics systems. It's an exciting time because our capabilities continue to expand alongside the growing demand for space technology.
Teledyne Space Imaging is part of a wider global organisation. What opportunities does that create for your team?
It allows us to collaborate much more closely with colleagues across the wider business. We're already delivering specialist test equipment for teams in France, so we're seeing increasing collaboration between other Teledyne Space locations.
Working together like this allows us to share expertise, strengthen our capabilities and deliver more complete solutions for future space programmes.
What advice would you give to someone hoping to become a Systems Lead Engineer at Teledyne Space Imaging?
I would recommend building a strong engineering foundation through either a degree or a degree apprenticeship. My own background is in electronics engineering, but systems engineering brings together many different disciplines, so there isn't just one route into the role.
It's also important to stay curious and be willing to keep learning. As you progress, you'll work with a wide range of engineering teams, understand how complex systems fit together and develop strong communication skills. Technical expertise is essential, but being able to collaborate with others and see the bigger picture is just as important.
