“If you can build it, we’ll launch it…”
That was the challenge posed by the UK Space Agency to Steve Greenland of Clyde Space Ltd and Strathclyde University. A week later they had a model built of the UK’s first ever national spacecraft, UKube-1, made from plasterboard, gloss photos and some late nights. On the 8 July 2014, Steve and team saw their cube satellite launched successfully into orbit.
As Steve says, “It’s the pioneer spirit that engineers have. To push the boundaries of what is possible you have to just focus on something that you believe in passionately. And go for it…”
Steve Greenland studied Avionics and Aerospace Systems Engineering at Cranfield University and the University of Tokyo. Returning to the UK he worked for Clyde Space Ltd and, through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), with Strathclyde University. As part of the Clyde Space team Steve worked to conceive, design and build the UK’s first cube satellite.
