Our Team

Our team dares to dream of truly next generation innovation in the small launcher market and has the vision, drive and knowledge required to bring this to fruition. We are highly motivated and forward thinking, developing solutions for the needs of the present and which can also help address the challenges of the future.

Leadership

Eddie Brown

CEO, Founder, Engineer

Eddie is the chief executive officer of Astron Systems, leading the company to success with his vision for the future of space launch. He has a first class masters degree in Aeronautics with Spacecraft Engineering (MEng) from Imperial College London, achieving the Dean's list in years one, two, and three, and also has a strong background in software engineering. Eddie has over 10 years of experience working on commercial software, including various mobile apps and a successful multiplayer game server. Inspired by space travel from a young age, Eddie also has a strong understanding of the engineering of rockets and rocket propulsion systems. Eddie formerly led the 'Upper Engine' division of Imperial College London Rocketry's propulsion team, focusing on the design, simulation and construction of the feed system and injector for a bespoke 1kN throttlable nitrous oxide hybrid rocket motor, and also helped setup Imperial's own student built and ran rocket engine test facility. He also acted as project coordinator for a large successful student launch vehicle design project, and also has worked on the analysis and adaptation of a rigid deployable aeroshell (heat-shield) concept for hypersonic entry to Titan's atmosphere.

Kieran Jones-Tett

COO, CFO, Founder, Engineer

Kieran has a first class masters degree in Aeronautics with Spacecraft Engineering from Imperial College London, achieving the Dean’s list in years three and four, and also formerly worked as the lead engineer on HET projects at URA Thrusters. At university Kieran undertook a plethora of different projects which have given him valuable insights into the whole aerospace industry. This includes a 3rd year group design project in which he, and a team of thirty students, worked on the design of a launch vehicle. He was part of the propulsion team and helped design the vehicle's engine, in particular he was responsible for the engine sizing and nozzle design. Kieran's master’s thesis focused on electric propulsion in which he carried out the preliminary design for a hall effect thruster that uses water vapour as a propellant, where through simulations it was found that comparable efficiencies to traditional Xenon thrusters are possible - making the thruster an attractive commercial proposition which several companies, including Airbus, have shown interest in. After university, Kieran continued working on innovative propulsion systems at URA Thrusters which included R&D and management of a variety of spacecraft propulsion projects including both chemical and electrical designs.

Rafal Sokolowski

CTO, Founder, Engineer

Rafal is the chief technical officer for Astron Systems, giving the technology at the core of the business the passion and rigour it deserves. He has a first class honours degree in MEng Aeronautics with Spacecraft Engineering from Imperial College London. Rafal is a versatile tinkerer with much experience in building things ever since his early days making oddities with the help of a lathe, a 3D printer, and a soldering iron, as well as his background in the family joinery business. This has also given him a creative approach to engineering and a clear understanding of how to bring a design into realty. Rafal was also formerly the Chief Engineer of the Propulsion Team of Imperial College London Rocketry, leading day to day activities to develop and produce the team’s fully field-testable and flight-worthy 1 kN thrust, 15 kNs impulse hybrid nitrous oxide-paraffin rocket engine, as well as designing and producing the elaborate field testing hardware needed to establish Imperial's own rocket engine test facility. Rafal has further worked in a team environment on rocket telemetry electronics and on aerothermal design of earth reentry vehicles. Following his studies, he has also worked on space structures and mechanisms in industry within Oxford Space Systems, building toward a well-balanced understanding of spacecraft design.

Advisors

Greg Autry, PhD

Business Advisor

Dr. Greg Autry is an American space policy expert, educator, entrepreneur and author. He is widely regarded as one of the leading experts globally on the commercial spaceflight industry. Greg is a Clinical Professor of Space Leadership, Policy and Business with the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and is a visiting professor at Imperial College London's Institute for Security Science and Technology. Greg is a firm believer in humankind's future in the solar system. He has researched the commercial space field since 2003, was former research lead of the AIAA Commercial Space Group, serves on the editorial board of the New Space Journal and Space Force Journal, and also has written for Forbes and SpaceNews. Greg also is the former chair of the FAA Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee Safety Working Group, previously served on the NASA Agency Review Team and as NASA's White House Liaison, and was formerly nominated to serve as the Chief Financial Officer at NASA.

Benjamin Lenoir, PhD

Technical and Business Advisor, Non-Executive Director

Benjamin's areas of expertise include Aerospace, Defense, Deep Tech and Additive Manufacturing. He is currently Project Manager at UP42 in Berlin. He formerly managed innovation activities at Thales as well as strategy consulting projects at Archery. He also has experience mentoring aerospace companies and is a current mentor for Starburst and Space Hubs Network. He has a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University and École Polytechnique, and completed a PhD in experimental physics at ONERA.

Gautier Brunet, MBA

Technical and Business Advisor

Gautier has a wealth of experience in the commercial space industry in both senior management and engineering roles. Gautier formerly was COO at ThrustMe and is the current Chief of Staff at Loft Orbital, giving him an excellent knowledge of the commercial small payload market and customer requirements and expectations. Gautier also previously worked as a Systems Engineer for the ESA, and as a Mechanical Engineer at Airbus where he worked on the Ariane 5 ECA and ME launch vehicles, and the Astrium Space Plane. He has a Masters in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT, and has an MBA from the Harvard Business School.