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Better Satellite World: Personalities of the Space & Satellite Industry

The United Kingdom’s robust and ambitious space sector has many personalities. In this podcast series, we introduce you to three whom the UK Chapter of SSPI is considering for its prestigious Personality of the Year Award in 2024. One of these three finalists will be named the 2024 Satellite Personality of the Year live at the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner in London on 2 December.

Each of the three finalists is a star who has made significant contribution to the UK and global satellite industry and whose career is a study of performance and excellence at the highest level.

Episode 1: Dr. David Parker FRAeS, Non-Executive Board Member of the UK Space Agency and Visiting Professor at the University of Southampton

Dr. David Parker has led a distinguished thirty-five-year career in the space sector, spanning industry, UK government and the European Space Agency (ESA). Until June 2023, he served as ESA’s Director of Space Exploration at ESTEC in the Netherlands, overseeing astronaut missions to the International Space Station, Europe’s involvement in Artemis and pioneering projects like training an astronaut with a physical disability.

Previously, he was the Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency (2013-2016), where he led Tim Peake’s ISS mission and negotiated ESA’s first UK center in Harwell. Starting in the UK space industry in 1990, he contributed to projects like XMM-Newton and ExoMars. Dr. Parker holds a degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a PhD from NASA Langley Research Center. He has received several accolades, including the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Geoffrey Pardoe award. He currently works part-time at ESA, serves on the UK Space Agency Board and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Southampton.

With Thanks to Our Corporate Partners

Join us on 2 December in London for the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner! Click here to learn more and purchase your tickets or table.

Episode 2: Antonio Franchi, Head of the 5G/6G NTN Programme Office at the European Space Agency (ESA)

Antonio Franchi works at the European Space Agency as the Head of the 5G/6G NTN Programme Office in the Connectivity and Secure Communications Directorate. Antonio has over 30 years of experience in the satellite telecommunications industry. Prior to ESA, Antonio worked for over 20 years with Inmarsat, a major global satellite operator, spearheading a new generation of satellite communications systems. Antonio received an MSc in Electronic Engineering from the University of Rome and an MBA from the London Business School. He is author of 30+ articles and papers published at international conferences and professional magazines, and he holds six international patents in the satcom field.