 A Kingston graduate landed her dream job after she was snapped up by the European Space Agency.
Victoria Lowe, a 24-year-old Aerospace Engineering and Astronautics Masters graduate, has secured a one-year graduate trainee position at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
Victoria said: “I’d always been fascinated by the solar system and knew I wanted to be involved with space exploration in some way.”
While on the placement, Victoria will be working with a team that designs systems that keep satellites in orbit and reposition spacecrafts when they go off course. She also hopes to explore different aspects of propulsion as well as rocket launching and feels her time at Kingston has been a useful stepping stone.
Victoria said: “It really opened the door for me to pursue my space interests further and after that I was able to specialise in aeronautics.”
Victoria is not the first Kingston Aerospace graduate to encounter success – Alison Gibbings was selected for a special 10-week programme at the NASA Academy last summer, before moving to work on ExoMars, Europe’s mission to explore Mars.
Dr Chris Welch, from Kingston University’s Faculty of Engineering, said: "It is a testament to the University’s academic excellence in astronautics and space technology.”
Victoria hopes to be taken on full-time with one of the sub-contractors which work with the agency following her placement or could pursue further research in astronautics. She also hopes to go into space on day.
"I can’t imagine people who work in the space agency not wanting to go there themselves. I’d definitely like to get there one day, either as an astronaut or as a space tourist."
Picture credit: NASA, ESA and Jesús Maíz Apellániz
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