Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE is a space scientist who has spent her career making novel, bespoke instrumentation in both the industrial and academic environments. These have ranged from hand held land mine detectors to satellite sub-systems designed to monitor wind speeds in the earth’s atmosphere with the aim of improving short and long term climate predictions. In her spare time Maggie conducts “tours of the universe”, a scheme she set up to engage school kids in the wonders of space.
She holds a Science in Society Fellowship awarded in 2006 by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, as well as Honorary Doctorate from Staffordshire University for her contributions to the field of science education. Through this work, Maggie makes regular appearances on television and radio as a space and education expert and presenting science to a general audience.
To further share her love of science, Maggie has also set up her own company, Science Innovation Ltd., through which she conducts “Tours of the Universe” and other public engagement activities, showing school children and adults the wonders of space. To date she has given these talks to 150,000 people across the globe. She has just produced a film through her company called “Space in the UK”, which features Maggie on a simulated spaceship to Mars. This is being distributed free of charge through schools and science festivals across the country.
In 2006 she was one of six ‘Women of Outstanding Achievement’ winners with GetSET Women and in 2009 she was awarded a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to science and education.
She studied at Imperial College London where she obtained her degree in Physics and her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. Until recently Maggie worked at Astrium Ltd. where she led the optical instrumentation group. Here she managed a range of projects, making satellite sub-systems designed to monitor variables in the Earth’s atmosphere. These systems are made under the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Living Planet program and are designed to improve our current knowledge of climate change.
Maggie also has a Science in Society fellowship from the Science and Technology Facilities Council which enables her to engage the public with the science work that she loves.