Organising Team

Josh Finn

Event Manager

Josh is a Systems Engineer at Dcubed working on innovative payloads to demonstrate in-space manufacturing for in-space applications. Prior to his current role he has experience across all aspects of the design lifecycle, from pre-phase A studies, to Assembly, Integration and Test of ESA Research satellites.

Outside of his role at Dcubed Josh is heavily involved with STEM groups and charities, such as UKSEDS and STEM UK. He first participated in SGAC during the European Space Generation Workshop in Cypress 2022 and found a great community to be part of. He looks forward to bringing together the second edition of SG[UK] with a fantastic team and building upon the success of the previous event!

Michael Skreta

NPoC

Michael is a Systems Engineer working at BAE Systems Space in the UK, helping to enable the company to become the UK’s next major Space prime. He also has strong experience in participating in and organising events for SGAC, and is driven by being able to create equal opportunities for all those hoping to enter the Space industry. Michael really looks forward to being part of the team pioneering the UK’s first ever local SGAC event.

Matthew Thomson

NPoC

Matthew is the Managing Partner at AstroTalent, a Search Firm that partners with NewSpace start-ups, scale-ups, and larger Space Primes, to appoint leaders and build out niche engineering teams.

To support the next generation of young Space professionals, Matthew set-up the UK community of the SGAC, which now has over 200 active members, where he currently serves as National Point of Contact.

Matthew, along with an exceptional team, organised SG[UK] 2024, the UK's first-ever local SGAC event, which had over 150 people in attendance, and has formed the baseline for SG[UK] 2025.

James Greer

Team Lead

James Greer works as a Spacecraft Platform Products Responsible Engineer at Airbus Defence and Space, and is recognised as an Innovation Ambassador within the Global Airbus Innovation Network. In addition to his roles as a Mechanical Analyst, Structural Design Engineer and Responsible Engineer – James has been deeply involved with innovation at Airbus since the beginning of his career. He has run several innovation projects whilst also acting as a coach, adviser and leader for innovation across the company. As the space industry continues to evolve and change, James continues to develop technologies and platforms that facilitate access to space.

Raphael Mena Morales

Raphael Mena Morales is a French systems engineer specializing in satellite telecommunications payloads and on-board processors. At MDA Space UK Ltd., he leads the design, implementation, and validation of next-generation communication payloads, focusing on LEO and D2D constellations. Previously, at Airbus Defence and Space, he developed future-proof on-board signal processors by integrating RF, digital, and photonics technologies for telecommunications, navigation, and space observatories. His earlier roles at SES Satellites and Airbus involved innovative solutions like automating test benches and network availability simulations.

With a strong academic background from ENSEEIHT and Polytechnique Montréal, Raphael’s expertise spans telecommunications, networking, and embedded systems. A dedicated SGAC member, he has led teams for SG[UK] and SGC events, coordinated logistics, and supported SGAC research projects. His work has been showcased at IAC conferences, including research on neuromorphic on-board processors and Uranus impactor missions. Combining technical excellence, leadership, and global experience, Raphael drives innovation and collaboration in the space sector​

Mirko Viviano

Mirko Viviano is a space engineer at Airbus Defence and Space, where he contributes to communication satellite projects and helps shape the future of space through Airbus’s innovative initiatives.

Before joining Airbus, Mirko worked as a Systems Engineer at MDA Space UK, focusing on mission-critical systems and lunar technologies. He also contributed to spacecraft mechanisms, payload instrumentation, and system-level design during his time at the European Space Agency (ESA).

A devoted member of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), Mirko is part of the engineering team for the MEON Mission, addressing the challenges of a human mission to Venus.

As the founder of Louno Space, Mirko leads a space programme designed to inspire future generations, with an impressive 40% participation rate by girls, fostering diversity and inclusivity in STEM. He has also dedicated over 100 hours as a STEM Ambassador, engaging with schools and communities to promote STEM education.

In recognition of his contributions to the space sector, Mirko was honoured with the Payload Pioneers 30 Under 30 Award in 2023.

Juliane Dahm

Juliane is a Market Analyst at the European Space Agency (ESA), based at the European Centre for Satellite Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) in the UK.

She holds a degree in Management and Technology from the Technical University of Munich and a Bachelor's in Business Administration from the Munich School of Management. At university, Juliane represented students on the council and organized AI and start-up events with TUM.ai. Passionate about collaboration, she aims to create opportunities for young professionals to connect and grow. Juliane is excited to contribute to SG[UK] 2025, fostering an environment where ideas can thrive and young voices are amplified.

Sarah Peltz

Sarah is a masters student at the university of Northumbria pursuing a degree in space law. Previously she obtained a masters in Public Policy and Governance and a bachelor in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology in Amsterdam.

Sarah’s interest lies predominantly in the governance of the space sector. Her previous experience is mostly surrounding the use of lunar resources and the law and governance surrounding that. She also has experience in policy making more broadly. She also has previous experience working in DEI.

Sarah has also held leadership roles in other international volunteer organisations in The Netherlands which focused on the UN and international relations.

Mohammad Askari

Mohammad is a recent MEng Aerospace Engineering with Private Pilot Instruction graduate from the University of Sheffield, specialising in Avionics and Systems Engineering. He is currently exploring opportunities in the space industry.

During his studies, he led multiple student engineering projects, designing aircraft, spacecraft, and other autonomous vehicles for national competitions. Alongside these, he managed a number of social media channels, creating resources to help engineering students optimise their careers, and was awarded the 2024 Highly Commended Engineering Student of the Year by Equal Engineers.

As an ambassador for the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Windsor Fellowship, Mohammad is committed to increasing student representation in STEM fields. He is also a crew member for Space Health Research, organisers of the UK’s first analogue astronaut mission, and is preparing for their next expedition in 2025.

Zaryab Afzal

Zaryab is a Senior Aerospace Engineer at Frazer Nash Consultancy/KBR in the UK. He holds an MEng Aero-Mechanical Eng. degree from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow and has attended SSP21 and ISP20 with the International Space University.

Zaryab's interest lies predominantly in space sustainability and launcher engines. He has worked on a sustainability manufacturing analysis of the Ariane 5 & 6 rocket engines during his time in Sweden. Zaryab has attended several SGAC events including attending the E-SGW in Bari, Italy and is now working in the program team for SG[UK].

Zaryab also has a considerable amount of experience in the aviation sector having worked on design and systems engineering of drones, electric aircraft and hydrogen aircraft.

Sam Ravi

Marketing Strategy Lead

Sam works on ExoMars at Airbus Defence and Space as an Ops/FDIR Engineer. Previously she interned in the Innovations team at Airbus, and the Accelerator team at Seraphim Space. She earned her degree in Aerospace Engineering from University of Leicester. She enjoys being involved and proactive in the space industry, be it research papers or innovation projects, new space-tech concepts, or simply networking and talking about interesting space things! She is especially keen on the UN SDG’s and was a part of the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) for 4 years working on several global SDG issues, and hopes to bring it across into the space sector and promote cross-industry problem solving and innovation. With NYAS, she was titled and awarded Distinguished Student top 50 globally, twice, from IET awarded Engineering Student of the Year in 2023, and in 2024 listed as 30 under 30 Emerging Space Leaders from IAF. Having grown up in 7 countries, she thrives on bringing diverse perspectives and bold thinkers together to drive innovation and solve complex challenges for a brighter tomorrow and also why she’s inspired to be a part of the SG[UK] organizing team once again as Marketing and Strategy Lead.

Chanud Sithipreedanant

Creative Lead

Chanud (CNSN) is a young professional and an undergraduate aerospace engineering student who specializes in both science and art as well as having a solid multidisciplinary background. He utilizes these skills to develop unique solutions and deliver STEAM-based projects across a wide range of mediums. From award-winning short films to NASA research competitions. He also runs a personal creative agency and research entity under the name nmagine creative laboratory (N-LAB) to work on even bigger projects.

Chanud has been a part of SGAC since 2020 and served multiple positions from within Space Exploration Project Group (SEPG) to the main Public Relations & Communications Team. This time he is returning to launch the first edition of SG[UK] in 2024 by spearheading the creative and design aspect of the event.

David Reid

Website Goblin

David is a PhD student at the University of Bristol, studying the electric and magnetic fields generated by Martian dust devils. He previously studied Aerospace Engineering, graduating with First Class Honours in 2020. He participated in the inaugural online Space Studies Program run by the International Space University in 2020, and then participated in SSP22 in Portugal, where he was academically in the top 5. These opportunities have given him a broad knowledge of the space sector, with specialised knowledge in space science and engineering, as well as making connections with young professionals in the space sector from across the world.

David has previously worked as a Graduate Teacher, creating and supporting space-focused content within the academic programmes and has been nominated twice for Bristol Teaching Awards. He currently works as a Teaching Associate for Space Universities Network, focused on enhancing the quality of learning and teaching by providing support and resources to the UK higher education space science and engineering community to build a skilled workforce of graduates who can meet the challenges of future space exploration and exploitation.

Since 2023, David has volunteered as the UKSEDS Vice Competitions Team Lead, overseeing the delivery of five nationwide student competitions. In this role, he also helped to run UKSEDS’ 2024 National Student Space Conference in March 2024, and currently runs SpaceProjects.uk on behalf of UKSEDS and SUN.

Jon Parkinson-Swift

Delegates Lead

Jonathan is a former Quality and Environmental Engineer at the Hinkley Point C nuclear construction project, where he had been ensuring the quality of safety-critical components since 2022.

With a strong passion for climate action and space exploration, Jonathan actively participates in sustainability initiatives while staying connected to the space sector through event organization and conference paper contributions for space missions.

After playing a key role in the successful premier event, Jonathan is excited to return to the SG[UK] Organising Team. This year, he's part of the marketing team, dedicated to making the event the best it can be.

Eugene Rotherham

Team Lead

Eugene is a Business Development Associate at BryceTech, where he supports strategic projects for government, space agencies, and commercial clients in the UK and international space sectors. His passion for space is motivated by the benefit space technologies have on humanity in our everyday lives and is committed to fostering growth within the sector.

Eugene graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in Astrophysics from the University of Kent. Following a stint as a machine learning engineer intern at the space start-up Atheras Analytics, he completed the International Space University’s Space Studies Program in Houston, Texas, and later earned a Master's degree in Space Science and Engineering from University College London.

Alongside his academic and professional pursuits, Eugene has been actively involved with the SGAC Small Satellites group. He spent 2023 as a research team member, contributing to a paper on space debris mitigation for which he was awarded the SGAC-UK Space Agency Scholarship, enabling him to attend the Space Generation Congress and International Astronautical Congress in Baku, Azerbaijan. The following year, as a project lead, Eugene and his team successfully published and presented their research on satellite laser communications at the 2024 International Astronautical Congress in Milan.

Shifa Shaik

Shifa Shaikh is a seasoned aerospace professional and project manager with over 5 years of experience in the aviation and aerospace industries. Currently employed by Alten, she brings extensive expertise in aviation safety, design certification, and systems engineering. Shifa has contributed to a range of projects, including in-service products, new developments, and demonstrator programs. She is pursuing a nano degree in systems engineering, aiming to achieve INCOSE certification.

In addition to her professional career, Shifa actively volunteers as Vice Team Leader for SpaceCareers, where she supports initiatives that connect young professionals and students with opportunities in the space sector. Shifa is passionate about fostering collaboration and innovation, and thrives on organizing impactful events and creating engaging experiences for attendees.

Manisha Mahesh Kumar

Manisha is a recent Aeronautics and Astronautics graduate from the University of Southampton. She strives to be an active part of the aerospace community, as evidenced by her involvement with UKSEDS as their Events Lead and also as the Logistics Lead for the National Student Space Conference (NSSC). Her work on algorithm development for route optimization in space debris remediation missions showcases her passion for space sustainability. She discusses the project in-depth in relation to the Sustainability Development Goals (SDG9 & SDG11) on the university's sustainability podcast, Meliora.