Irene Di Giulio

Job: University Lecturer at King’s College London.

What do you do? My research is quite varied, it spans from human space exploration to human movement in health and disease. I study advantages and needs of astronauts with physical disabilities to make sure that they can be safe and healthy in space. I am fascinated by how gravity shapes human development and how people can adapt to it.

Hobbies: Sports, reading, dancing, going to the theatre.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Energetic, creative, passionate.

What inspired you to choose your job? I liked science and I wanted to learn about new ways to improve the world around me.

What is the best thing about what you do? The people I have met. I am lucky enough to have worked in different labs and I have met really fantastic people from all over the world. My students are great and when travelling for conferences or other activities I meet inspirational people.

What are the people you work with like? The people I work with are driven and extremely intelligent. There is quite a lot of collaboration, and the environment is really supportive.

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? I know that it would not work, but a proper shower!

Isha Parvaiz

Job: Physics Student at King’s College London, previous Intern at The European Space Agency (ESA).

What do you do? I’ve just finished doing an internship with the ESA. I was working on making a new way for astronauts to learn how to use a robotic arm! I used virtual reality, which is where you put on a headset, see images, and interact with your surroundings. It was all very fun, and I worked with amazing people, including astronauts, robots, engineers and much more!

Hobbies: Playing piano, reading books, hiking.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Outgoing, diligent, enthusiastic.

How did you get to where you are now? While studying physics at university, I became interested in joining the space society. From there I managed to get an internship with the very cool ESA, which is like Nasa, but for Europe. Now that my internship has ended, I am hoping to carry on studying and then join the space industry.

What is the best thing about what you do? During my internship, the best thing was meeting so many cool people all the time! I met astronauts and astronauts in training, along with people who have worked on brilliant projects and seen amazing things like rocket launches. I loved interacting with these people daily, getting to know more about them and hear their inspirational journeys.

What are the people who work with you like? The people in my internship team were all students like me, so we got on well! We liked hanging out together and helping each other – we worked well together. Our supervisor was great and extremely chill! He encouraged us to push the boundaries of our work at the ESA, and he supported us in a great way.

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? I would bring a photo of my family with me, with their signed notes on the back. It would remind me of them while I’m up there, and it’s a way to have a piece of them with me while I’m so far away from them.

Kirsty Lindsay

Job: Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences at Northumbria University.

What do you do? Living in space isn’t very good for you: so, I research how to keep astronauts healthy. I look at the forces and accelerations that astronauts experience when they exercise, as it is different to when they are on Earth.

Hobbies: Gaming (especially Pokémon and Legend of Zelda games!), crochet, spinning, having picnics with my little girl.

How did you get to where you are now? I started out fixing jet engines, and did a mechanical engineering apprenticeship but I hurt my leg, so I needed a new job. I decided to be a physiotherapist because of the biomechanics involved (and toys like stretchy bands and balls!). I was an NHS physio for a little while, but it wasn’t for me.

My sister suggested a master’s degree, which I thought was a great idea! So, I studied space physiology and health. After I finished, I was really lucky to get a job at the European Space Agency. When I came back to the UK, I wasn’t sure what to do again, but a PhD sounded fun, so I did that.

It took a little bit longer than expected due to having my daughter and Covid, but in my last year I was asked to start a physiotherapy clinic at Northumbria University and do some research about exercising in space. I stayed on at the university after I finished my PhD. Now I run a physio clinic and do space and health research, with one focus being on how to keep astronauts healthy on the Moon!

What is the best thing about what you do? I love doing experiments and finding out new things no one else knows yet, and I get really excited when I get to talk to people about my work because I never met a scientist as a child so I didn’t know it was a real job real people can do.

Is your job hard or dangerous or fun? Mostly fun, a little bit hard, totally worth it.

What are the people you work with like? I work with lots of different people – engineers, scientists, clinicians, lawyers, artists: one of the brilliant things about space research is so many people from different backgrounds work together.

If you were going to space, what is the one personal/luxury item you would bring? I’d bring a crochet kit: I’d float by the window and make things as the world goes by.