In 1979, with a PhD in radio engineering from the University of Surrey, Professor Sir Martin Sweeting pioneered rapid-response, low-cost and highly capable small satellites utilizing modern consumer (COTS) electronics to change the economics of space. In 1985, he founded a University spin-off company (SSTL) that has designed, built, launched and operated in orbit over 70 nano, micro and mini-satellites for customers worldwide providing missions for communications, Earth observation, space science and the demonstration of active space debris removal techniques. SSTL has also contributed to more traditional space programs by building 34 navigation payloads for the European Galileo constellation and instruments for JWST and EarthCARE. SSTL has grown to ~400 staff with over $1bn in UK export earnings from some 25 international customers.  Sir Martin was knighted by HM the Late Queen in 2006 and is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Physics. He has received numerous awards, including the Royal Institute of Navigation Gold Medal and the von Karman Wings Award from CalTech/JPL. He has been identified as one of the UK’s 20 most influential engineers. He has become regarded internationally as the ‘father of small satellites’ that led to ‘NewSpace’.