Space is the “initial” frontier for AM. One of the industrial segments where AM production made the most sense from the very start and where AM has helped enable the development and growth of a new, vibrant commercial space industry.

Today we get to speak with one of the companies driving this new age of space across many segments. The Satellite Applications Catapult is one of a network of UK technology and innovation companies that aim to drive economic growth through the commercialization of research. The company’s aim is to support the UK industry by accelerating the growth of satellite applications and contribute to capturing a 10% share of the global space market predicted by 2030.

Exploiting the innovation potential in the UK industrial and academic communities, SAC is a focal point where small and medium enterprises, large industries and end-users can work together with researchers, to challenge barriers, explore and develop new ideas, and bring these to commercial reality.

Our guest for this episode, Mike Curtis-Rouse is Head of Access for Space for the Satellite Application Catapult. In this role, Mike leads a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, technologists, and analysts with mission heritage in spacecraft, launch and operations combined with expertise from the automotive, manufacturing and the maritime sectors. The ambition is to ensure that the UK sits in the vanguard of this new era, being competitive in technologies including propulsion development and testing, In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM), devolved operation centers, space situational awareness, and solar energy from space.

He works with many launch vehicle companies across the world and is heavily involved in the UK’s launch and spaceport program. Prior to Catapult, Mike worked for Reaction Engines Ltd, the European Space Agency, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and CERN.