Under Pressure • Samantha Graham

(Propulsion Engineer and Propellant Chemist, European Astrotech || UK)

“I’m working at a small company specializing in spacecraft propulsion. We test and prepare the spacecraft before launch — no matter the kind of satellite, it needs a propulsion system! So we’re always involved. It’s really cool because I get to be exposed to the entire mission, right from sorting out the test plans with the customer to designing, manufacturing, testing, and finally launching. We work on a variety of missions from science to military and GPS. We also get to travel to the launch sites, which are all abroad and close to the equator in places like South America, India, and French Guinea.

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Every time we test a satellite, there are so many unknowns we have to figure out, loads of interesting problems to solve, often under quite a bit of pressure. Things can explode, and disasters can happen if something goes wrong — that’s why we wear these enormous suits that look like proper astronaut suits. We’re always pushing the limits of what our technology can do — it’s a massive adventure.”