Craig Clark

electronics engineer, entrepreneur, founder of Clyde Space

Engineering Achievements

Craig Clark set up Clyde Space in 2005 originally to focus on supplying power solutions for small satellites, convinced there was a niche in the market. By 2017 Clyde Space had a 30-40 per cent share of the global CubeSat power market. It has supplied over 700 power systems for small satellites, making it the world's biggest supplier of this kind of power solution.

Clyde Space started to develop power systems for a new generation of satellite, the fore mentioned CubeSat - tiny modular satellites. Their product portfolio quickly expanded from there and the focus was on the development and sale of CubeSat and small satellite subsystems. One such subsystem is their Attitude, Determination, and Control System (ADCS) which was designed for the US Navy and at the time was one of the most technically challenging solutions made by the company. This solution provides the ability to accurately determine attitude and subsequently control satellites with high precision, a vital capability for these nanosatellites. Leveraging on Clyde Space's extensive custom mission heritage, they have developed a range of standard off-the-shelf platforms, incorporating all the latest in CubeSat technology in support of the next generation of high-performance constellations. These networks of satellites are enabling real-time global coverage and are be used for applications such as communications missions and earth observation.

His Life

1. 1973 Born in Central Scotland
2. 1989 Age: 16 Matriculated at the University of Glasgow
3. 1994 Age: 21 Graduated BEng (Hons), Power Engineering
4. 1995 Age: 22 Power Systems engineer, Surrey Satellite
5. 2001 Age: 28 Graduated MSc Satellite Engineering, University of Surrey
6. 2005 Age: 32 Founded Clyde Space Ltd, West of Scotland Science Park
7. 2012 Age: 39 Scottish regional winner, KTP Awards, highly commended UK finals, Member of UK Space Leadership Council, Chartered member of IET, Elected member of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
8. 2013 Age: 40 Awarded MBE for services to innovation and technology in June
9. 2014 Age: 41 Scotland's first satellite - UKube-1 - designed and built by Clyde Space, launched in Russia
10. 2016 Age: 43 Opened a US subsidiary, Clyde Space Inc.
11. 2017 Age: 44 Clyde Space wins Glasgow Business Award for Innovation
12. 2017 Age: 44 Clyde Space awarded Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation Category
13. 2017 Age: 44 Clyde Space awarded Sunday Times Award for Innovation
14. 2017 Age: 44 Inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame
15. 2017 Age: 44 Honorary Fellow of IESIS
16. 2020 Age: 47 Elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

His Legacy

In the last two years (2016-17) Glasgow has built more satellites than any other city in Europe. Craig Clark has galvanised the space engineering sector in Scotland.

More Information

Clyde Space Website
The father of Scotland's satellites BQ Live
Scottish space industry soaring high BBC News. 31 January 2017
Craig Clark awarded MBE Space Daily
Only way is up as sales leap at satellite maker Clyde Space The Herald, 28 October 2013

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