The founder of Goonhilly Earth Station, Ian Jones, has been awarded an OBE for his services to space communications in the recent King’s Birthday Honours List.

After graduating from Leeds University, aged 20, Ian started working at the site near Helston in the 1980s as a communications design engineer, using equipment that he designed himself.

Ian’s company acquired the Goonhilly site from BT in 2013 and the highly-experienced innovator’s leadership has contributed to the sites worldwide status.

The site continues to be recognised as the ground station of choice for the major satellite operators based globally and has expanded to lend its services to lunar and deep space communications.