She was told repeatedly as a child that she would never succeed in school. Teachers struggled to understand her dyslexia and, in some cases, mistook it for a lack of ability.

By the time she reached adulthood, Maggie Aderin-Pocock had attended 13 different schools across London. Few could have predicted that she would go on to design instruments used to study distant planets — and become one of Britain’s most recognisable faces in space science.

Born in London to Nigerian parents, Aderin-Pocock grew up fascinated by the night sky. While reading was difficult and often frustrating, her imagination was not. She would spend hours gazing out of her bedroom window, watching the stars and wondering how spacecraft were built and how they travelled through space.

Between the ages of four and 18, frequent moves meant repeated school changes. She was often the only Black pupil in her class and was growing up at a time when dyslexia was poorly understood. Several teachers advised her to lower her expectations, believing that her struggles with reading would prevent her from excelling academically — particularly in science.

Science, however, proved to be where her strengths lay. While traditional classroom learning posed challenges, she discovered that her mind excelled at visual and spatial thinking. She could picture systems in three dimensions, imagining how machines worked and how light and motion interacted.

“I see things in 3D in my head,” she has said. “I can rotate objects, take them apart and see how they work. Dyslexia made reading harder, but it made spatial thinking easier.”

That ability became the foundation of her career. She studied physics and went on to earn a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College London in 1994, specialising in space instrumentation — the technology that allows scientists to study planets, stars and atmospheres far beyond Earth.

Over more than two decades, Dr Aderin-Pocock worked on advanced optical instruments used in satellite missions monitoring Earth’s climate and atmosphere. She also contributed to projects linked to the Gemini Observatory in Chile, helping develop equipment that enables astronomers to analyse distant exoplanets — worlds orbiting stars far outside our solar system.

Her work focuses on making the invisible visible: using light to detect chemical compositions, temperatures and atmospheric conditions on planets that cannot be observed directly.

But it is her role beyond the laboratory that has brought her into millions of homes.

In 2014, Dr Aderin-Pocock became a co-presenter of the BBC’s The Sky at Night, the world’s longest-running astronomy television programme, first broadcast in 1957. She was the first woman to become a regular presenter in the show’s history, following in the footsteps of its long-time host, Sir Patrick Moore.

Her presenting style — energetic, accessible and deeply enthusiastic — helped broaden the programme’s appeal. She became known for explaining complex scientific ideas using visual imagery and everyday language, making astronomy feel less distant and more personal.

Alongside broadcasting, she has been a tireless advocate for science education. She regularly visits schools across the UK, particularly in underserved communities, encouraging children who may not see themselves reflected in traditional scientific careers.

She has spoken openly about dyslexia, telling students that learning differences do not equate to limited potential. “Your brain isn’t broken,” she often says. “It’s just wired differently.”

In 2009, she was awarded an MBE for services to science education, and in 2020 she received multiple honorary doctorates recognising her contribution to science communication and public engagement.

She also founded Science Innovation, an organisation dedicated to delivering hands-on science experiences to young people, with a particular focus on girls and students from minority backgrounds.

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock’s story challenges long-held assumptions about intelligence, education and success. Once doubted in classrooms, she now helps the public understand the universe — designing the tools that explore distant worlds and inspiring the next generation to look up.

The child who struggled to read is now helping humanity read the stars.