Leon Nel

Leon was born in Sutherland on 27 March 1961 and Matriculated from Sutherland High School in 1979. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Stellenbosch, completeing and honours degree in the same discipline at the University of Pretoria in 1987. After spending a year at Stanford University in the USA doing an MSc in Aero and Astronauticss, he worked at the Bureau of Systems Engineering in Stellenbosch, focussing on flight vehicle and autopilot design, simulation and testing.

From 1994 to 1995 he worked for Creative Engineering doing mechanical design and plant automation using PLC's and then took up a position with AMS in 1995 to work on high dynamic GPS systems for updating flight vehicle navigation systems. Leon joined the SALT Project Team at the beginning of 2000.