Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, PhD, is a British space scientist and science educator. She completed her PhD in mechanical engineering in 1994. She has worked in both industry and academia on the design of optical instruments for space missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope. Committed to inspiring new generations of astronauts, engineers and scientists, she founded Science Innovation Ltd In 2004, a company focused on making science more accessible through educational media and outreach. Since 2013 Aderin-Pocock has been a presenter on the BBC program The Sky at Night. In 2020 Aderin-Pocock was awarded the William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Medal and Prize, becoming the first Black woman to win a gold medal in the Physics News awards. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to science education, and elevated to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2024.
