Alex Davies

Job: Systems Engineer at RAL Space.

What do you do?: I make sure satellites keep working, even when they are far away in space. In my lab, I use vibration to check it does not shake apart during launch, I check it can survive hot and cold temperatures, work without any air, and more! If the satellite survives my tests, then it is allowed to launch and go up into space.

Hobbies: Surfing, rock climbing, knitting.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Shy, ambitious, fun.

How did you get to where you are now? It’s been a long journey! I moved jobs a lot before I found this job. I worked in consultancy, printing, and nuclear before I decided to apply for a space job. And one day, I might move again. I have a degree in a STEM subject, so it is very easy to move between jobs!

What inspired you to choose your job? When I was a child, I got some space books for Christmas, with pictures of galaxies swirling around each other, lit up like fireworks in the black of the Universe. For about 10 years I did other jobs, and when I wanted a new job I remembered those images in my old books, and it inspired me to apply for what I do now.

What is the best thing about what you do? I love learning! I am thankful to be in a job where I am still learning! I have a mentor, who is an expert at what they do, who teaches me. And I mentor to someone else, too, so I can pass my knowledge along to them.

Is your job hard or dangerous or fun? All jobs start off hard – the trick is learning how to do it! I didn’t train to be a Systems Engineer, so I am still learning. Every day I learn something new. I am very thankful to the people who take time to teach me.

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? A camera to take lots of photos of my trip!

Anna Nash

Job: Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) Engineer at Astroscale.

What do you do? I work as part of a team focused on developing a spacecraft, called ELSA-M, that will capture and get rid of broken-down satellites that are crowding our low Earth orbits. I plan and carry out the assembly and testing of our spacecraft, both mechanically and electrically.

Hobbies: Rock climbing, playing guitar, singing and writing songs, cooking.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Methodical, curious, easy-going.

How did you get to where you are now? I always loved science at school and liked finding out how things worked. I studied physics at university and after graduating I went to work at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory. I started working in the cleanrooms and setting up tests for different projects, in particular for the ExoMars Panoramic Camera (PanCam).

I wanted to learn more about spacecraft as a whole, so I studied a master’s degree in astronautics and space engineering. I learnt about the big problem of space debris and heard about the exciting things that Astroscale was trying to do to make the situation better. I got a job here and started working after finishing my studies. I’ve been here nearly two years now and am still learning lots and developing my skills.

What is the best thing about what you do? I love all the variety in the job I do, and I get to talk to lots of different teams. Some days I meet with lots of people and discuss our plans, other days I spend all day in the lab helping to build or test something. No two days feel the same!

Is your job hard or dangerous or fun? My job can be all these things. I solve all different kinds of problems, which is hard especially if you have to figure out what the problem is before you can start to solve it. I work with high-voltage electricity, heavy machinery, and hazardous chemicals, so need to make sure we do all these things in a way to keep people (and spacecraft) safe.

The best thing about my job is seeing what you’ve been planning and working on become a reality. You get to look at something that works after all the testing and troubleshooting and think “I helped to make that and it’s going to space!”.

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? I would bring my Bible; I believe its words are true and they are very precious to me.

Jamie Lloyd

Job: Electrical and Avionics Group Manager at Astroscale.

What do you do? I help design and build the satellites that remove junk from space. I pick the right electrical building blocks such as computers, power supplies, and radios that are needed for the satellite to think, speak, and operate and how these parts can talk to each other for the satellite to work.

Hobbies: I enjoy painting miniature models, riding my motorbike and playing with my kids. I also enjoy reading sci-fi books and I’m a massive Star Wars fan.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Practical, thoughtful, laid-back.

How did you get to where you are now? I have always loved space, as a kid (and as an adult!). Before university I managed to gain a year work experience for a company making the power systems for jet planes. This led me to study electrical engineering with space science at university. I hugely enjoyed both the practical engineering of the electronics as well as the more theoretical study of the space environment, it just blew my mind how big the universe was and how interesting each planet is.

Once I graduated, I joined a satellite company called Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd and I managed to work on all sorts of satellites from small earth observation ones up to very large GPS sats. I got to work with Nasa on a science mission as well which was hugely exciting. I then had an opportunity to join Astroscale where our focus is on helping clean up the rubbish we have left in space.

What is the best thing about what you do? Looking after the space environment (as we are trying to do here on earth) before it’s too late. Space and satellites are so important to our everyday life, so we need to keep space clean and clear for future generations.

Is your job hard or dangerous or fun? The role can be hard, and the electrical design needs to connect all the different parts together and ensure they can all communicate with no issues, however it’s also very fun especially when you start to get things working or find a solution to a difficult problem.

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? Either my phone, so I can facetime my family and take pictures, or a Star Wars movie (watching that in space would be amazing).

Jason Wang

Job: Assembly, Integration and Testing Engineer at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL).

What do you do? I’m a super-skilled builder who puts together different parts of satellites into one piece and makes sure they work perfectly before they’re used!

Hobbies: Basketball, badminton, climbing, travelling, and eating good food!

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Inquisitive, logical and hardworking.

How did you get to where you are now? I always liked being able to use my hands to create something and having been interested in planes and space, I thought studying spacecraft engineering at university was a natural step. It allowed me to study my passion and I had a great time learning more about my favourite subject!

What inspired you to choose your job? I always have had a strong interest in space and everything around it, so when I saw the opportunity to be able to help build satellites that ultimately end up in space, I couldn’t resist it. SSTL has been around for a long time so working here has helped me gain a ton of experience and allowed me to work on many different missions.

What is the best thing about what you do? It is a mind-boggling thought knowing that something I built with my hands has been launched to space! The projects that I work on also make a large impact on how we study the world and its environment.

What are the people you work with like? Everyone is friendly and are always happy to help. No one is ever hard to reach. We joke around together but also look out for each other when there are obstacles in our missions.

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? A wheel of cheese.

Jordan Grant

Job: Lead Manufacturing Engineer at Space Forge.

What do you do? I lead a team of engineers who are responsible for building the satellites that we send into space!

Hobbies: I love watching football and I also enjoy doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which is a form of martial art.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Driven, approachable, reliable.

How did you get to where you are now? What a good question! I started out as an apprentice for aerospace engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, where I learned a lot about the core engineering, maths, and physics. I really enjoying learning how things were made and getting to make things myself! I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to travel around the UK and Germany working in many different places with lots of different interesting people.

After 10 years I decided to try something different and thought about what I love... that was space! I thought, why not try and get a job in the space industry? I started as a manufacturing engineer for Space Forge in 2022 and have had SO much fun since!

What inspired you to choose your job? I love all things engineering and understanding how things work. I also love anything to do with space so to get the opportunity to combine these two was a dream come true!

What is the best thing about what you do? I get to work with some great people, on things we are all so passionate about. It’s such a good working environment and we are doing something that is just so cool!

Is your job hard or dangerous or fun? I think every job has aspects of each of those things. It is important to always think through what you are doing careful to make sure you are safe, that is the most important thing. Once you know what you are doing is safe, it can be hard, but you can break it down it to easier, bitesize chunks which also makes it incredibly fun!

What are the people you work with like? They are all amazing! It is such a cool place to work!

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? Good question with lots of possibilities! I love listening to audiobooks and music, so it would have to be something with lots of songs and audiobooks on!

Kelly Matthews

Job: Aerospace Engineer at ATG Innovation.

Hobbies: Sea swimming, snowboarding, camping and Lego.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Open-minded, friendly, determined.

How did you get to where you are now? I studied aerospace engineering in university and then joined Airbus UK’s graduate scheme, which allowed me work in lots of different areas like design, manufacturing and testing of aircraft while living in the UK, France and Australia. After that I moved back to Ireland to design tidal turbines to generate renewable energy before landing my dream job of designing spacecraft structures.

What inspired you to choose your job? I’ve always loved airplanes and everything about space since I was a kid. It was the idea of designing and building really cool machines, but I was also drawn to the sense of adventure and exploration related to air travel and especially space travel. I want to make parts for spacecraft that go to Mars one day!

Is your job hard or dangerous or fun? While I’m always super-busy and there is always something to be done, usually I’m having a lot of fun doing it so it feels more enjoyable than hard. When you see something you’ve designed and built become part of a rocket that’s going to launch into space, it’s all worth it!

What are the people you work with like? I’m continually amazed at how creative and driven they are and the inspiring ideas they come up with. We are a bunch of people from many different countries and backgrounds with a diverse range of personalities who can work together to produce incredible results.

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? My dog, Nugget!

Mona El Ghzal

Job: Mechanical Design and Analysis Engineer.

What do you do? Designing the instruments that go on spacecraft. I have worked on the development of optical instruments (like cameras) to go up into space, as well as a robotic arm!

Hobbies: Breakdancing.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Passionate, driven and peaceful.

How did you get to where you are now? Hard work and dedication. A lot of studying and reading up on topics that interested me! After my A-levels, I studied mechanical engineering at university, followed by a master’s degree in space technology.

What inspired you to choose your job? I have always had a strong curiosity to understand the universe around us. This led me to develop a strong interest in space. I believe that humanity should explore the space environment further to develop our understanding of beings and the cosmos.

What is the best thing about what you do? The work is very challenging and always requires you to think outside of the box! You also get to collaborate with other talented engineers, whom you can learn heaps from.

Is your job hard or dangerous or fun? A great mixture of hard and fun.

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? My headphones; I can’t live without my music.

Patrick Harkness

Job: Professor of Exploration Technology at the University of Glasgow.

What do you do? I work to build better scoops and tools for space rovers. The soil on other planets is not quite the same as we’re used to on Earth, so we need special tools to take samples. These samples then help us to better understand what the other planets are like, and if we could live there some day.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Cheerful, supportive, determined.

How did you get to where you are now? I think it is important to have a long-term objective and try to move a little closer to it every day. Some days you make more progress than others.

What inspired you to choose your job? I always wanted to be involved in space exploration, and I think I chose a career in academia because it provides a lot of opportunities to make that happen.

What is the best thing about what you do? I get to go to cool places to test our space exploration equipment, such as Antarctica, which is where my picture is taken. Parts of Antarctica are quite Mars-like, and if our hardware will work there, it has a good chance of working in space as well.

Is your job hard or dangerous or fun? When working with rockets, or in remote locations, there is the potential for risk. However, we think through the risks very carefully, and do everything possible to reduce and mitigate them. That means that the activity itself should be as safe as possible.

What are the people you work with like? I work with scientists and engineers, and I am lucky to know so many interesting people.

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? Mint ice cream.

Dr Peter Shaw

Job: Rocket Scientist aka Senior Lecturer in Space Technology at Kingston University.

What do you do? I am an award-winning, proud dyslexic rocket scientist, who teaches young adults how to design, build and test fire: rocket engines used to get vehicles into space, and space propulsion systems that spacecraft use to get around whilst in space. My vision is to help grow the UK space launch sector.

Hobbies: Climbing up cliffs, listening to rock music, playing with my kids and dressing up like a goblin and pretending to be in a medieval fantasy world.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Inquisitive, cheeky and daring.

How did you get to where you are now? I saw a poster in my classroom of a satellite that had been sent to space. From then on, I always wanted to work in the space sector. At university, I got fascinated with rockets, plasma and space propulsion.

What inspired you to choose your job? A mixture of watching sci-fi (Star Trek, Star Wars and so on) helped to inspire my imagination and a desire to help the next generation inspired me to become a university lecturer. I’ve always been good at explaining complex subjects and I think teaching others is my life calling.

What is the best thing about what you do? I get to build rocket engines and test fire them in my laboratory, learning how to make them work better. Ultimately, I want to build a space propulsion system to send humans to Jupiter, but I’m a long way off that yet.

Is your job hard or dangerous or fun? Yes to all three. It’s rocket science = hard! Things can go boom = dangerous! It’s fun because things go boom!

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? My family! But the question was an item, so I’d say a set of dice. I’d love to be the first person in space to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons!