Only 15% of engineering degree applicants in the UK are girls and 9% of the UK engineering workforce are female. That’s right, it’s in the single digits! Having carried out physics and engineering degrees in the UK, this statistic pains me. Relatedly, physics is the 3rd most popular A-level for boys but only the 19th for girls. Half …
A stunning new animated video highlights Sally Ride‘s interview with icon Gloria Steinem in 1983, mere months after Sally became the first American Woman in Space. Her flight invigorated the imagination of thousands of young girls, showing them that it was possible to be an astronaut, or in Sally Ride’s own words and one of my …
![The HERA IX Crew [rocketsfromcassiopeia.com]](https://rocket-women.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/12593650_10100928446437722_3893988672667785669_o-1024x1024.jpg)
On the 30th anniversary of the loss of seven NASA Challenger space shuttle crew, NASA is both remembering their sacrifices and looking forward to the future. The HERA IX mission began on 25th January 2016, with four women entering NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) habitat, a three-story research laboratory containing an airlock, medical station, work area, flight deck, four …
All-Female Crew Simulate NASA Mission to Near-Earth Asteroid Read More »
I’m excited to share that Rocket Women and myself were featured in Fast Company’s recent article “Women In Space Seek More Women In Space“. The Fast Company piece details: Prominent women in STEM are ensuring their stories are part of the narrative about space careers—with the explicit goal of attracting more. Vinita Marwaha Madill, a …
![Emma Lehnhardt with NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot [L] and NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden [R]. accepting an award at NASA HQ Honors Awards ceremony on behalf of her team, who organized NASA's first FedStat meeting. FedStat is a new initiative to benchmark across all federal agencies and focus on mission performance.](https://rocket-women.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Agency-Honor-Awards-2015-FedStat1-cropped-1024x540.jpg)
Emma Lehnhardt discusses her impressive career at NASA, the future of the agency, her initial love for astrophysics before transitioning to space policy and being mindful of her supportive relationship. [Disclaimer: The following represents Emma’s personal opinion, not that of her employer NASA] Q) You work at NASA as an Operations Research Analyst, and previously worked …
![Fearless Women: NASA Astronauts From The 2013 Class. The Class With The Highest Proportion Of Women At 50% [Photo credit: Glamour magazine/Bjorn Iooss]](https://rocket-women.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/glamourastro.png)
The latest NASA astronaut class to be chosen had the highest percentage of female astronauts selected at 50%. This taking place in 2013, the year celebrating the 50th anniversary of the First Woman In Space, Valentina Tereshkova (& the 30th Anniversary of the First American Woman in Space, Sally Ride). Four out of the new eight astronauts are …
Glamour Magazine Features Fearless NASA Astronauts Read More »
With 2015 almost over, it’s time to look back at the inspiring women that took a leap and broke records this year worldwide. 1. Samantha Cristoforetti World Record Breaker For Longest Serving Female Astronaut In Space & First Italian Woman In Space When European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti landed in her Soyuz descent …
As a child I was an avid reader and read every space book I could get my hands on. At the age of 6, I remember reading that Helen Sharman was the UK’s first astronaut and had travelled to space a mere 2 years before, in 1991. That moment changed my life. Rather than astronauts being primarily American NASA Shuttle crew that …
Why The UK Needed A High Profile British Astronaut Read More »
In 24 hours Major Tim Peake will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on 15th December 2015, becoming the first European Space Agency (ESA) British astronaut. His 6-month mission Principia will inspire a new generation to reach for the stars and follow their dreams. However 24 years ago the first British astronaut, a female chemist called …
A Story Of A Spacesuit – Helen Sharman, First British Astronaut Read More »
In 6 years Sirisha Bandla has risen from a Co-Op (Intern) to positions including Associate Director of Washington DC based Commercial Spaceflight Federation and her present Government Affairs role at Virgin Galactic. With a background in Aerospace Engineering and an MBA from George Washington University, her passion for space and outreach is paramount. I interviewed her recently to talk about …
Meet A Rocket Woman: Sirisha Bandla, Virgin Galactic Read More »
