SGAC has partnered with the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and Secure World Foundation (SWF) to bring eight students or young professionals to attend the 6th Summit for Space Sustainability, in Tokyo, Japan, on July 11-12, 2024.
Congratulations Alex, Ashley, Daniel, David, Joseph, Muazzaz, Rachel, Ruth!
Alex McDougall-Page
Alex McDougall-Page is an emerging young professional in the field of space, currently pursuing an Integrated Master’s degree in Aero-Mechanical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. Taking a proactive approach to their education, Alex is dedicating a year to gaining industry experience as an intern at Airbus Defense and Space, where they contribute to the Quality Assurance department.
Alex‘s journey has been marked by a diverse range of initiatives and leadership roles. They have served as a mentor and tutor for outreach programs, facilitated ClimateFresk workshops, and founded Human Powered Flight Strathclyde (HPFStrath). Demonstrating a commitment to academic and organizational excellence, Alex is set to become the Engineering Faculty Representative at the University of Strathclyde next year and will also rejoin the management team at HPFStrath.
Previously, Alex gained valuable experience at AAC Clyde Space, a pioneering CubeSat company in Scotland, where they were involved in R&D and the testing of novel designs to enhance reliability. With a vision firmly set on the future, Alex aspires to various roles within the space industry, including Flight Director, Startup Founder, and even Astronaut. Their passion for space is driven by the belief that it holds the key to united humanity and offers solutions to Earth’s sustainability challenges. Alex is dedicated to the idea of humanity becoming an interplanetary species, believing that our future lies among the stars.
“I am thrilled and deeply honoured to be one of the UK members awarded the scholarship to attend the 6th Summit for Space Sustainability in Tokyo. This opportunity will allow me to immerse myself in the latest developments and discussions on critical topics such as active debris removal, space situational awareness, and the commercial space industry’s role in sustainability. The insights and connections I will gain at this summit are invaluable for my aspirations to contribute to an interplanetary future for humanity. This scholarship marks a significant milestone and serves as my breach into the global space community. I am eager to bring back and apply the knowledge and experiences from this summit to drive innovation and sustainable practices in the space industry.”
Ashley Sofocleous
Ashley Sofocleous is completing a postgraduate master’s degree in Space Science and Engineering at University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom, having previously obtained a master’s degree in Physics from the University of Nottingham. Ashley is also a chartered accountant, obtaining his ACA accreditation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), and subsequently worked in corporate finance at an accounting firm in London. He previously worked at the Satellite Applications Catapult via the Space Placements in INdustry (SPIN) scheme, managed by the UK Space Agency and supported by the Satellite Applications Catapult. Earlier this year, Ashley attended an Introduction to Space Law training course at ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility in ESA’s European Space Security and Education Centre (ESEC), Belgium, obtaining an appreciation for the pivotal role space law plays in the practical realisation of space missions. Following completion of his master’s degree in September, Ashley will begin employment in the space team of an economic consultancy in London, advising national governments, space agencies, private and third sector organisations on space policy, economic and market analysis.
“It is a huge privilege to be awarded a scholarship to attend the 6th Summit for Space Sustainability, in Tokyo, Japan. I am excited to deepen my understanding of the shared challenges we face and the opportunities for developing lasting solutions for space sustainability.”
Daniel Wischert
| Daniel Wischert holds a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Stuttgart. He works as a Systems Engineer and Team Leader in the European Space Agency’s Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) where he focuses on developing future space missions and new spacecraft concepts. As a Systems Engineer at ESA, Daniel supports a variety of missions ranging from very large spacecraft such as NewATHENA and very small ones such as YPSat and the Fly-Your-Satellite university CubeSats.
Daniel also supports ESA’s Clean Space office where he primarily manages the development of new technology and standards for space debris reduction. A key aspect of his work involves defining the Design for Removal (D4R) interfaces (for rendezvous and capture), to ease the removal of a target spacecraft, thereby supporting industry’s transition and compliance to the space debris mitigation standards. These activities directly connect to the themes of this year’s Summit for Space Sustainability. Since 2017 Daniel is an active member od SGAC and has organized numerous events such as E-SGW, SGC, SG[Germany] – and attended many many more. He is currently Co-Lead of SGAC’s Small Satellites Project Group (SSPG) mentoring roughly 350 students and young professionals. In his free time Daniel enjoys the outdoors, especially hiking and snowboarding and spending time with friends. |
“Being awarded this scholarship is an immense honor. It provides me with the opportunity to collaborate with global experts and further the cause of space sustainability, which is critical for all our future endeavors. I really look forward to participating at the summit in Tokyo.”
David Kasibante
Kasibante David Muyinza is a lawyer based in Uganda, a space policy analyst and enthusiast, a lover of all things computer, and an aspiring space-preneur. An avid mentor, Kasibante leads a group of space enthusiasts and young professionals under his initiative, Space4Tomorrow, with the zeal for realising the space potential of the country and region, for the peaceful and equitable use of space resources. He has worked with the Ugandan government and other stakeholders to realise the full potential of youth in space sciences, law and policy, through research and development in the space sector. He currently serves as the African Regional Coordinator at the Space Generation Advisory Council. He has researched and written widely on various aspects of the merger between space policy, peace and development. He has also delivered public lectures on various aspects of the peaceful uses of outer space and the use of space resources and technology for the promotion of peace at symposia in Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa and the United States, including at the World Bank, the UN Headquarters in New York and at Columbia University in New York. Kasibante looks up at the skies above in his free time and sees hope and no borders. And he hopes everyone gets to see that.
“This scholarship presents a very timely opportunity for me to widen my horizons in the area of space sustainability, to contribute to the ever-growing body of expertise to ensure that we have a space for generations to come. It is nothing short of exciting!”
Joseph Whiley
Joseph Whiley is a Master’s student at Cranfield University UK, specializing in Astronautics and Space Engineering, after recently achieving a BSc in Physics at Nottingham University. As an aspiring space propulsion engineer, Joseph is passionate about advancing accessibility to space for all of humanity, with a particular passion for working to improve sustainability in the sector. His dedication to this field, being driven by a vision of a future where space is open to everyone, can be seen by his involvement in projects such as the design of geostationary satellite megastructure – providing vital in-orbit services to client payloads and removing the barrier experienced by smaller companies who wish to reap the benefits of GEO. Joseph‘s current Master’s thesis, being to simulate the implementation of an expander fuel cycle into an aerospike engine design, shows his willingness to work passionately with industry partners on ideas which have the potential to reduce the cost of future space launches. Having been a child who was always was obsessed with space exploration and sci-fi stories, he hopes to one day play a role in writing humanities next chapter to be one amongst the stars.
“I am truly honoured to have been granted the SGAC scholarship to attend the 6th Summit for Space Sustainability in Tokyo. I believe this opportunity will further inspire me to work towards my dreams, provide me with invaluable knowledge from the conference talks, and help build my confidence by engaging with some of the most experienced people in the industry. I am very excited to attend the conference and have the opportunity to experience the beautiful culture of Japan.”
Muazzaz Mausoom
Muazzaz Mausoom is the Learning and Capacity Building Lead of the Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO), an NGO leading the charge in making Maldives a spacefaring nation. Having worked as a lecturer at Villa College’s then newly formed engineering department for two years, he entered the space sector by joining MSRO in 2023. He joined SGAC in 2024, and participated in the 10th Asia Pacific Space Generation Workshop, providing input for the working group focused on diversity in space. Muazzaz has an MEng in Aerospace Engineering – specialising in systems engineering – from the University of the West of England, Bristol. He currently plays a key role in building a community of citizen scientists and laying the foundations for a Maldivian space industry.
“I am honoured and thrilled have won the scholarship to participate in the 6th Summit for Space Sustainability in Tokyo. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the space industry through this conference. Opportunities such as this make me feel empowered as an SGAC member to strive towards a brighter tomorrow.”
Rachel Forster
Rachel Forster is an experienced business development lead and project engineer at Exotopic, a fast growing UK innovation consultancy. Coming from a small village outside of Newcastle, Rachel moved to Scotland to study for her degree in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow, before moving to London to start her career within space. Rachel leverages her knowledge and skillset to help companies bridge the difficult gap between science and business. She has supported over 50 space SMEs and research institutions to develop and commercialise their innovative technologies, helping to bring new space solutions to market and grow the UK space sector. She leads on multiple government funded programmes which have ranged from developing training programmes for investors to stimulate investment in space, to providing commercial strategy advice for start-ups creating green space solutions. Rachel has also been involved in outreach activities to encourage more girls to pursue a career in space. Through her work within the industry, Rachel has become increasingly aware of the critical challenges associated with space sustainability is eager to be more involved in the vital conversations around the topic.
Quote:
“I am incredibly grateful and excited to be awarded this scholarship from SGAC, SWF and the UK Space Agency. Bringing industry, academia and government together in events such as this is essential to address the challenges associated with space sustainability. I am honoured to be able to be present at the Summit and to be given the opportunity to learn from the great minds tackling these challenges.”
Ruth Jebet
Ruth Jebet is a highly skilled and ambitious computer science graduate from Moi University with a passion in creating user-friendly interfaces and bringing them to life. Beyond computers, Ruth is a passionate space enthusiast, having participated in Space Challenges Bootcamp and even winning the Africa Space Leader Award in 2023.
This curiosity extends to her active participation in hackathons and developer communities, including Space Generation Advisory Council and Google developer groups, always eager to learn and contribute. Ruth Jebet contributes to the 8th AF-SGW workshop’s organizing committee as a member of the delegate team. Ruth’s dedication to staying current with the latest technologies makes her a valuable asset to any team.
“I am deeply honored to receive the SGAC – UKSA – SWF Scholarship 2024 for the 6th Summit for Space Sustainability. The opportunities and connections I gained through SGAC have been invaluable to my space career. Thank you for being a significant part of my journey.”
