
Maggie Aderin-Pocock
space scientist
As a toddler, Maggie Aderin-Pocock saw Neil Armstrong take his "giant leap" + had her heart set on doing the same. That dream was sidetracked by a diagnosis of dyslexia at age 8 and an education split between 13 schools. Science courses rebooted her inquisitiveness as a teen. Going on to train as an engineer, Maggie's professional path ultimately orbited back towards her early love of space ~ with satellites + telescopes.
The aspiring astronaut hasn't made it to the Moon {yet}. But, her out-of-this-world career has allowed her to reach "the heart of stars" through physics + share their wonders as a standout science communicator. In 2004, she founded a company to give inner-city kids "tours of the universe." Today, she continues to shine in classrooms and on tv specials. Maggie's message? We're all scientists.
Tours of Universe | bringing the wonders of space to inner-city students
encouraging {especially disadvantaged} kids' "desire to aspire"
championing diversity in STEM | taking on the stereotypes of all scientists being "mad" or grey-haired white men
shining as a tv personality | hosting BBC science documentaries + programs
advocating for the commercialization + democratization of space
~ she wants to retire on Mars ~
being a working mom | unapologetically takes her young daughter along to presentations
2004 | founded her own company Science Innovation Ltd to promote STEM education for all
2009 | dubbed an MBE {Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire} in recognition of her public service for science innovation, policy + education
2014 | joined the long-running BBC astronomy program The Sky at Night as a presenter
from | to
a Camden kid who felt written-off | a leading space scientist + science communicator who reaches out to other under-considered kids
born on
March 9, 1968
born in
London, England
~ grew up on a council estate in Camden ~
birth name
Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin
daughter of
Nigerian emigrants who divorced when she was 4
nickname | also known as
the face of space
citizen of
The United Kingdom
educated at
La Sainte Union convent school
~ Camden, London ~
Imperial College London
~ BS in physics | 1990 ~
~ PhD in mechanical engineering | 1994 ~
loved studying
math
physics
chemistry
biology
mechanical engineering
influenced by
her father
~ He dreamed of studying medicine but had to take jobs in food service + business to support the family. ~
Marie Curie
The Clangers + Star Trek
married to
Martin Pocock
~ a fellow scientist who also has dyslexia ~
mother of
1 daughter | Lauren
in her spare time
loves baking, movies, traveling, aquariums
image credits
Jessica Bernard | TEDxBrixton | all rights reserved
eden | BBC 2 | all rights reserved
collapse bio bits"I took my first steps as Neil Armstrong took his giant leap."
Do we really need the moon? | february 2011
"I've ... worked on telescopes on mountains where the stars make my heart sing."
Career Advice | may 2011
"Science is a wonder. It's like poetry and music and yet people don't see it that way."
A woman on a mission, proving science isn't just for rich, white men | march 2012
"You don't need a big brain the size of a planet, or mad hair. You need a passion to understand things."
A woman on a mission, proving science isn't just for rich, white men | march 2012
"In space, race doesn't matter, nationality doesn't matter. In space, you see the world as a globe and you don't see the boundaries."
The Sky at Night presenter Maggie Aderin-Pocock | january 2014
"We home in on our differences...but when we look at the size of our universe, what are we arguing about? My motto is ‘make space, not war.’"
Institute of Physics | june 2014
"As a child growing up, I wanted to reach the stars, but by making this instrument, I was doing the next best thing. I could look into the hearts of stars."
Maggie Aderin-Pocock | june 2014
"Dreams don't show up on government surveys or school league tables, but they are the fuel that makes us want to get up and get on."
Maggie Aderin-Pocock | june 2014
for further reading about Maggie Aderin-Pocock:
curated with care by Meghan Brawley
Apollo 11 moon landing
Maggie had an early love affair with the Moon. As she puts it, she "grew up in the Age of Apollo" and was taking her first steps as Neil Armstrong was taking his "giant leap."
NASA
Public domain
Gemini Observatory
After working on defense projects ~ such as a missile-defense system + a metal detector for scoping out landmines ~ Maggie was able to return to her childhood passion by working on space instruments. Including a spectrograph for this massive telescope in Chile!
Gemini Observatory | National Science Foundation
© all rights reserved
the power of the moon up close
Maggie narrated the BBC documentary Do we really need the moon? in 2011. Here, the space scientist gets a firsthand taste of the Moon's magnetic pull at this Scottish Loch where extreme tides create white water.
BBC Two
© all rights reserved
BBC's classic astronomy program
Maggie scored a dream gig as a presenter on BBC's The Sky at Night in February 2014. The young space scientist grew up watching the program, which was hosted for decades by the legendary Sir Patrick Moore.
BBC Four
© all rights reserved