The brief

Pulsar Fusion is a UK aerospace company with serious ambition — building the rocket systems that could one day redefine space travel. Founded by Richard Dinan in 2011 and based in Bletchley, they had been working on their Sunbird rocket for over a decade. A nuclear fusion propulsion system capable of dramatically reducing mission times to Mars. After years of development, the Sunbird was finally ready for its public debut.

The challenge with aerospace PR is that the sector is constantly pitched ambitious projects by companies of varying credibility. Standing out meant doing two things at once: communicating the genuine technical significance of the Sunbird clearly enough for science and tech journalists to take it seriously, while making the story accessible and exciting enough for mainstream business and news press.

The approach

The hook was the Space-Comm EXPO in London — the UK’s leading space industry event — where Richard Dinan would speak publicly about the Sunbird for the first time. We built the launch strategy around that moment, developing a press release with images and video that gave journalists a clear visual sense of the intended final design, and pitching Richard for interviews and direct meetings at the event itself.

Target selection was critical. We identified space and tech journalists who had previously covered Pulsar and similar projects, supplemented by business writers with a technology focus who could carry the story to broader audiences. The release led with the Sunbird’s potential to redefine space travel — a clear, compelling hook — before providing the technical depth that serious aerospace journalists would need to take the story seriously.

Securing four one-to-one interviews with Richard gave us the kind of in-depth coverage that drives sustained media attention rather than a single news cycle.

The result

39 items of coverage from a single launch campaign, including international media across six continents. The Sunbird made it onto the global stage — not just the UK technology press, but international outlets covering aerospace innovation worldwide. For a British start-up competing with NASA-funded projects for media attention, that reach is a genuine achievement. Four major interviews with Richard Dinan positioned Pulsar Fusion’s founder as a credible, articulate voice in the global space industry conversation.