Charlie Ryan

Dr Charlie Ryan is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Southampton, specializing in low-cost micropropulsion systems for small spacecraft. He leads the Astronautics Group and has a primary research focus on electrospray thrusters, Hall-effect thrusters, and small chemical propulsion systems using hydrogen peroxide.

• PhD in electrospray voltage effects from Queen Mary University of London (2011)
• Postdoctoral work on MEMS electrospray thrusters for cubesats (2011-2013, European Commission FP7 'MicroThrust')
• Post Doctoral Research Fellow at University of Surrey’s Space Centre (2014-2015) developing low-cost Hall-effect thrusters

His recent research involves experimental characterization of ionic liquid ion sources, porous electrospray thrusters, and in-situ lunar propellants. Current projects include Protolaunch and SPRINT (Research England), Cryptalabs, and collaborations with SmallSpark. He has supervised 10 PhD students in propulsion technology and related fields.

Publications demonstrate expertise in:

• Electrospray thruster diagnostics
• Dual-species ion emission mechanisms
• Flight-ready microthruster development
• Alternative propellants for Hall thrusters
• Lunar regolith-derived propulsion
• Modular thruster design

Research funded by EPSRC, Royal Society, and Research England. His hardware has flown on space missions including the International Space Station.