William Formosa is a strategic leader shaping the future of space-enabled defence and national security.
As Head of Future Solutions at Babcock, he drives the development of next-generation capabilities that ensure resilience, interoperability, and mission assurance in an increasingly contested and congested space domain.
His work influences UK and allied space strategies, guiding investment, partnerships, and technology adoption to maintain operational advantage.
With a career spanning cutting-edge innovation, William has contributed to projects across the full spectrum of space technology—from Google’s Project Loon, pioneering high-altitude connectivity, to NASA’s deep space exploration programmes.
This breadth of experience enables him to bridge commercial innovation with defence imperatives, accelerating capability delivery and reducing time-to-mission.
William’s strategic priorities include hybrid multi-orbit architectures that integrate LEO, MEO, GEO, and HAPS for assured connectivity; Space Domain Awareness for decision advantage; and embedding resilience-by-design principles into space systems.
He champions secure satellite communications, AI-driven edge processing, and digital resilience to ensure that space assets remain robust against cyber and kinetic threats. His approach combines technical depth with strategic foresight, aligning emerging technologies with operational realities.
Recognised as a convenor across government, industry, and academia, William fosters collaboration to advance open standards, enable interoperability, and de-risk adoption of disruptive technologies.
He plays a pivotal role in shaping enterprise architectures and acquisition pathways that support coalition operations and sovereign capability development. His work underpins the UK’s ambition to lead in responsible space operations, sustainability, and innovation—ensuring freedom of action and deterrence in a rapidly evolving domain.
Focus Areas:
- Hybrid multi-orbit architectures for resilient connectivity
- Space Domain Awareness and AI-enabled decision advantage
- Secure PNT and satcom modernisation for coalition operations
- Edge AI for autonomy and latency-sensitive missions
- Sustainability and responsible space practices
From influencing strategic roadmaps to delivering mission-critical solutions, William Formosa is at the forefront of defining how space will enable future defence and security operations—ensuring the UK and its allies can operate, fight, and win in the space-enabled battlespace.