New Year Honours recognition for UK space sector

Above: Lizzie Kerr and Roy Gibson.
Courtesy UK Space Agency

Roy Gibson, the first Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA) has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) while Lizzie Kerr, former Director of the trade association UKspace, is named a Member of the British Empire (MBE).  

Roy, who celebrated his 100th birthday in July and has been a leader for multiple international space organisations during his 70-year career, is recognised for his services to space.  

Lizzie, who formerly worked at satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat and stepped down from UKspace in 2024, has provided support to a plethora of UK space related committees, working groups and various stakeholders. She is recognised for her services to the space industry.  

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: "I would like to congratulate Roy and Lizzie on behalf of everyone at the UK Space Agency, their recognition in the New Year Honours is fantastic news and thoroughly deserved.  

"Roy’s visionary leadership through the early years ensured ESA’s enduring success. He has continually championed space and driven forward the UK’s ambitions.  It has been a privilege to spend time with Roy, who is a role mode of expertise, humility and clarity of thought.   

"Lizzie has also been a fantastic advocate for the UK space sector, transforming UKspace and ensuring the voice of its members is heard. Lizzie supported the sector through some incredible challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, and her leadership has had a huge impact.”

The New Year Honours recognises the achievements of hundreds of people across the UK. There are also significant awards for Paul Fellows, Chair of the Cambridge Astronomical Association, who receives a BEM for services to astronomy; and Professor Martin Wooster, a satellite Earth observation expert at King’s College London, who is made an MBE for services to landscape fire research and wildfire monitoring.



Above: Roy Gibson.
Courtesy UK Space Agency

As Director General Roy Gibson played a pivotal role in establishing ESA’s work on space exploration, science and research, laying the groundwork for groundbreaking and Nobel-winning scientific discoveries and promoting international collaboration in space. He oversaw programmes including the Ariane launcher, the joint ESA-NASA space station, Spacelab, ESA’s astronaut programme, telecommunications and meteorological programmes.  

Roy was also the first Director General of the British National Space Centre, the UK Space Agency’s predecessor and was instrumental in its establishment.  

He worked at satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat and at EUMETSAT, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites. He then served as an aerospace consultant to the EU Commission and played a key role in setting up the European Environment Agency, further developing himself as a trusted expert.  

During his 70-year career, Roy’s influence, leadership and commitment to scientific enquiry has had a sustained and deeply positive impact on the UK and European space policy, the effects of which continue to facilitate discovery, science and exploration that continues to deepen our understanding of the universe.



Above: Lizzie Kerr.
Courtesy UKspace

After taking up her role as Director of UKspace in September 2018, Lizzie transformed the organisation and ensured it played an important role in helping shape Government policy, including on the National Space Strategy and regulation of UK launch capabilities.

She spent 17 years at Inmarsat including nine years as the Sales Director for Government Services based in Singapore.

Prior to this she served in the Royal Navy and subsequently, whilst at Inmarsat, served in the Reserve forces.   

During the Covid-19 pandemic Lizzie worked with the UK Space Agency to maintain an effective flow of information between the space sector and government and provided support for the sector.  

This included a portal for the space sector to provide a central source of relevant up-to-date information, advice and news that would support the national effort to fight the virus and help the government take actions to make the space sector resilient. As well as a weekly Covid-19 sector survey, which helped to inform both government ministers and policy officials.

UKspace Chair Doug Liddle said: "The UKspace team is delighted that Lizzie has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list. As the culmination of her career in space, Lizzie transformed UKspace in her tenure as UKspace Director into the authoritative independent trade association we needed to champion the sector."