Space Zone - Panel: Women in the Space Sector: Experiences, Challenges, and Opportunities
Space Zone Theatre

Space Zone - Panel: Women in the Space Sector: Experiences, Challenges, and Opportunities

Wednesday, Jul 24, 2024
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM | Europe/London

Press Conference

English
About
title

Representation of women in the Space sector is low, with approximately 11% of all people that have been to space being women and representation of women in the world's space workforce sitting at around 20%. Given space is playing such a significant role in shaping our future this under representation is far from ideal. In this panel we will hear from The UK Space Agency Women’s Network from women at different stages of their career and with varied skillsets. The panellists will share their experiences and discuss why numbers of women in the sector are so low, why it matters and what can be done to fix it.

Moderator:  

Annelies Look - Deputy CEO of UKSA

Speakers: 

Group Captain Karen Moran - Deputy Head JFSC Plans, UK Space Command

Anisha Patel - Key Account Manager for Civil Space at Airbus Defence & Space

Simonetta Cheli - Director of Earth Observation, ESA

Simonetta Cheli is the Director of Earth Observation Programmes at the European Space Agency
(ESA) and Head of the ESA-ESRIN establishment in Frascati, Rome. She has worked at ESA for over
three decades, both at ESA Headquarters in Paris and at ESRIN.
She is a member of the ESA management team and the ESA Executive Board and is accountable for
formulating the ESA strategy for the Earth Observation (EO) sector, managing the development of EO
satellites, in-orbit Mission operations, ground segment data distribution and archiving, science
applications and projects. Future planning involves crafting proposals for new EO programmes while
adhering to the Agency’s industrial policy.

Nafeesa Dajda - Director of National Capability at Satellite Applications Catapult