Cosmic girls: UN nurtures next generation of space professionals

Now 18, she's involved in aerospace projects with other young women through the Shakthi SAT initiative and she's keen to explore the intersection between computer engineering and science, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous robotics and embedded systems that control satellites, drones and rockets.

"I'm learning things I once only dreamed of, and we're going to launch our own satellite. How cool is that!" she told UN News.

But, prospects at home in Nepal, an impoverished nation with a nascent space industry, are very limited.

"Our parents usually don't want us to pursue 'risky' careers," she said.

'My interest is to make humans multiplanetary'

As a little girl growing up in Hasselt, Belgium, Kaat DeGros thought becoming an astronaut in the highly competitive, male-dominated space field would never happen.

Today, at 15, she's already designed her own sustainable research base on Mars, hailed by the Oxford Academy of Excellence.

"My interest is to make humans multiplanetary," she said.

Demystifying space careers

A new partnership between the Space4Women project of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Cosmic Girls Foundation is bringing together young women and girls like Ms. Maharjan and Ms. DeGros from across the globe to explore how they can shape the future of space and thrive in diverse roles, from space economics and law to engineering, policy and innovation.

Over 30 girls participated in a global webinar in late July on "demystifying space careers: not just astronauts", the first in a series of collaborations to unite UNOOSA's global reach and Cosmic Girls' grassroots network.

Two women leaders, a space economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and legal officer at the Kenya Space Agency, shared practical advice on how to enter the sector regardless of background and fielded questions on academic and professional paths, networking, accessing resources and dealing with rejection.

Building a space ecosystem

The girls left with several messages: be your own cheerleader, seek out mentors and allies, stay disciplined but follow your passion and join space communities.

"We are building an ecosystem that equips girls worldwide with STEM skills, astronaut training and the mindset to innovate for humanity's future among the stars," said Mindy Howard, founder and chief executive officer of the Netherlands- and US-based Cosmic Girls Foundation.

The partnership will influence policymakers to adopt a new vision of the space sector where men and women are equal partners, said UNOOSA programme officer Anne-Claire Grossias.

"It's a very human-focused project. Through this connection we can move forward toward gender equality," she explained.

Landmark study: Space sector still gender blind

Despite progress in recent years, women are still significantly under-represented in the field, especially in leadership roles. Only 11 per cent of astronauts have been women, and they represent just 30 per cent of the workforce in public space sector organizations, according to the Space4Women project's 2024 landmark study on gender equality.

Ensuring a meaningful role for women not only fuels productivity and profit; it leads to greater global collaboration, consensus-building and lasting peace, the study found.

The idea for the survey was conceived at the 2023 Space4Women Expert Meeting. The meeting united global experts to prepare the UN's first gender mainstreaming toolkit to help space organizations dismantle gender bias and discriminatory practices and create environments where women can succeed alongside male colleagues in space science, technology, innovation and exploration.

Fostering the female astronaut pipeline

Since its inception in 2017, the Space4Women project has worked with committed space sector professionals to mentor over 270 girls from 68 countries.

Ms. Howard, a mentor since 2020, has brought together nearly 1,000 girls from 139 countries through her Cosmic Girls educational and networking forum. With programme partners in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania, the Cosmic Girls Foundation has launched the first global competition to train six girls, one from each continent, with the rocket science knowledge, life skills and mental preparedness to become astronauts. The grand prize for one will be a trip to space.

"The competition is such a dream come true," said Ms. DeGros. "It gave me hope that I will succeed as an astronaut and astrophysicist."

Building confidence in a safe environment

Supporting girls from an early age in a welcoming, nurturing environment is crucial to help them gradually test the waters and bring much-needed feminine traits and collaborative approaches for problem-solving to the field, said Ms. Howard.

"Girls are often told by their parents they are not good enough, not smart enough. This is a safe environment for them to hone their skills, which will help them later on," she said.

Already they are feeling confident.

"This feels like something extraordinary - a real step towards a future I once thought was out of reach," said Ms. Maharjan.

"I think there will be equality in space exploration in not so long of a time," added Ms. DeGros.