It was a very proud moment for all at SSTL to see Chairman and Founder Prof. Sir Martin Sweeting in fine oratorical form delivering the prestigious David W. Thompson Space Commerce Lecture at the Ascend Conference in Las Vegas organised by the AIAA. The conference – organised by the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics – is one of the premier US Space events and to be invited to deliver the esteemed lecture is a rare honour.