6 Questions With Sarah Cruddas, SATELLITE Guest Host

VIA SATELLITE: You have an exciting career from being a weather presenter to science correspondent, to space journalist, author, and TV personality. What sparked your love for space and made you want to pursue it as a career?

Cruddas: For me it is a cliché, but I have never known a time when space hasn’t been my passion. One of my first memories as a child is of looking up at the Moon. As a student studying Physics with Astrophysics I spent a summer traveling around South America and it opened my eyes up to the world and telling stories. After returning home and while still at University in the U.K., I started working part time at the BBC answering phones for a radio show. And the rest is as they say history. I combined my love of space, my grounding in science, and my passion for telling stories into the career I have today.

VIA SATELLITE: The space industry is evolving rapidly with commercial spaceflight, lunar missions, and satellite megaconstellations — what trends in space are you most interested in right now?

Cruddas: I am most excited to see how increased access to space – which we are seeing right now – is going to truly benefit life on Earth. So much of what people outside of the space industry think about space is linked to exploration and human missions. Those things are of course incredibly exciting, but they are truly only the tip of the iceberg. So much of space exploration is about Earth, about utilizing the vantage point of Earth orbit, to benefit life for all of use. Today, space isn’t just for the space industry, every company needs to be thinking about a space strategy. The impact of this is something I am excited to see develop over the next few years.

VIA SATELLITE: You have reported on space stories for some of the biggest networks and major outlooks. What has been one of your favorite stories to cover?

Cruddas: Without a doubt covering the final Space Shuttle launch and landing in July 2011 for the BBC. At the time I was based in the U.K., and this was my first big space story I got to cover. Although it was the end of an era, it was also the beginning of a new space era, and the evolution of the space industry that we see today. On a personal note, it marked the beginning of a trajectory for myself that would ultimately see me emigrating to America to follow my dreams of space.

VIA SATELLITE: Oftentimes, the space industry struggles to communicate the value of what we do to the general public. Why is it important to communicate the value of space technology and space expiration, and how do you think the industry can do a better job?

Cruddas: This is a great question. First of all, we need to make space relatable, often it seems so far removed from everyday life for so many people because unless you’re in the space industry ‘space’ doesn’t seem to impact you. Secondly, the industry needs to listen more to not only how people view space, but how investors and other leaders view the space sector. This is something I am actively working on with industry through my new venture Get Your Story Straight.

VIA SATELLITE: You have traveled all over the world. What has been your favorite destination for work, and what was your favorite designation for fun?

Cruddas: Favorite destination for work? So many to choose from, but central Africa is pretty special – Rwanda and Uganda in particular. Although I was there for non-space related news reporting, what I found fascinating was the love for space that so many locals I spoke to had. These people grew up under the stars and so many had a deep fascination for space exploration and the wonders of our universe as well as the potential benefits.

For fun, I love exploring the U.S., I am a proud immigrant and have lived here since 2021. My goal is to visit every state, I think I am up to 33 or 34 right now, so I still have a way to go!

VIA SATELLITE: And finally, as SATELLITE’s guest host this year, what are you most excited for about the show?

Cruddas: So many things. First up, this will be my first time attending SATELLITE, so I am excited to see many people I know in the industry as well as meeting new people.

Secondly, I feel very passionately about the theme of this years’ mission of ‘Driving Business: Inspiring Purpose,’ particularly the real-world applications of this such as environmental monitoring, disaster response, and communications. VS