Roger is a British Chartered Electrical Engineer with 48 years’ experience in the Space and Defence industries. He is the inventor of the EmDrive propulsion technology and for the last 19 years has been director of a small R&D company, Satellite Propulsion Research Ltd (SPR).
After training in the power industry, an initial position in CAV Ltd provided early experience in R&D, mainly working on a novel gas turbine control system, and electrical machines. This was followed by a senior role in the Anglo-American defence company, Sperry Gyroscope. The company was a major sub-contractor on the UK strategic missile programme, and the early ideas for EmDrive were conceived during this period.
A large part of the work at Sperry was the development of electro-magnetic sensors for early smart weapons and surveillance systems. This involved experience right across the spectrum, from seismic and acoustic systems, through X Band radars, to active and passive millimetre wave seekers, and infra-red sensors. Roger led a trials team that carried out many years of close co-operation with the British Army.
In 1981 Roger moved into the Space Industry, taking up a position as a Principal Engineer with Marconi Space and Defence Systems Ltd. Initial work was on the development of the Skynet 4 and NATO IV payloads, including responsibility for the anti-jam processing channel, which formed a major part of the payload, and operated in UHF, SHF and EHF bands. The Skynet 4 programme included some significant co-operation with US Defence departments.
Becoming the Head of the Payload Engineering Department, Roger then became responsible for all the payload equipment developed at Marconi. This equipment was carried in many commercial and military satellites. A task particularly relevant to EmDrive was undertaken, when the local oscillator equipment on the EASA flagship programme OLYMPUS required a complete redesign of the cavity, late in the spacecraft test schedule.
Roger was also asked to lead an urgent operational requirement, to modify and launch the NATO 1VB satellite, for deployment during the Bosnian War. This included a short period operating from the USAF “Blue Cube” in Sunnyvale. Extensive project management experience was then gained as the Payload Project Manager on four Eutelsat, high power TV Broadcast Satellites.
Another major programme was the Galileo European navigation satellite system, for which Roger was Technical Manager, responsible for the early design and development of the signal structure and payload equipment. Co-ordination with the US GPS system was an essential part of this work, and required careful co-operation between the European and American programmes.
In 2001 Roger left to set up Satellite Propulsion Research Ltd, and carried out initial EmDrive Research with 5 years of UK government funding. Further industry funding enabled development of advanced thrusters, including a C-Band Flight Thruster, which was transferred to the US under a Technology Assistance Agreement, set up by the State Department. EmDrive development work and consultancy has continued under both government and industry contracts.
In 2008 Roger was elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Links