Paul Williams

Paul Williams is a career space hardware Engineer/Technologist, with 40 years’ experience within the European industry, primarily in areas of Chemical Propulsion and Business Development, with additional expertise and practice in Technical Product Assurance, Safety, and Program Management disciplines.
Paul began his journey as an apprentice Mechanical Engineering Technician with GEC Gas Turbines, before joining British Aerospace as a Development Engineer in 1985. A family crisis led him into following a consultancy role, which gave him the opportunity to work inside all of the European Large System Integrators (Airbus, Thales and OHB) over a period of 25 years.
In 2017, Paul established Black Arrow Space Technologies, intended to be Europe’s sole commercial end-to-end spaceflight hardware and launch service provider, promoting the business development plans and the core investment strategies for this ambitious global vision for flexible integrated seaborne launch operations, focusing on aspects of UK expertise, notably in composites and materials engineering; proven operational and development excellence in the high-performance automotive sector; and the renowned precision and quality processes from aerospace, space and maritime industries.
To underline Black Arrow’s global vision for democratisation of space, high-value components, systems and know-how will be drawn from all corners of the globe, supporting further outreach and partnerships in international space economies, and providing services directly to non-launch nations.
The unique benefit that such an ecosystem brings to the fore includes, almost limitless flexibility of service, providing rapid access to space for any new space economy without leaving their home region or jurisdiction, maximising sovereignty and security of mission, and the ability to meet all mission trajectory and altitude requirements from the same location, often in the same campaign, and meet enhanced safety provisions, avoiding overflight of property, personnel and political borders.
The seaborne operation may be operated through a separate entity (Sea to Space) with third-party vehicle operators, or with Black Arrow vehicles especially suited to the job of operating from seaborne platforms. Flexibility is therefore inherent in operational variation as well as strategic application.
Paul has operated through his own consultancy, ISP International Space Propulsion since 2001, and in that time has initiated a number of innovative projects, including the design and manufacture of explosion-proof instrument ground service equipment for ESA, and a development program bringing a new demisable design of non-metallic propellant tanks to market for small satellites, to improve orbital safety and support early return of spent platforms.
A new study is now underway leading to the design of modular satellites that can survive re-entry using a patented heatshield to enable full re-entry without losing on-board data and without poisoning the upper atmosphere with destructive particles.
Paul has applied his mechanical engineering expertise and ability to research innovative and disruptive designs to improve space platform and vehicle design for greater security and orbital sustainability for the future.