We are very proud to announce that alumna, Harriet Brettle (DAHS 2010), has been chosen as one of the five IAF Young Space Leaders for 2023.

The IAF Young Space Leaders Recognition Programme is awarded to exceptional students and young professionals, who contribute to astronautics in their academic or early careers, reaching out to other young people and their communities to share knowledge and experiences, have been engaged with the international space community and contribute to IAF activities.

We spoke to Harriet, she said: “It's an incredibly exciting time to work in the space industry! I've been very lucky to have had some amazing experiences, from observing Jupiter from Hawaii, presenting to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, to sharing a stage with astronauts! There are so many career options within the space sector and Spacecareers.uk is a fantastic resource to discover what is out there. Don't be afraid to reach out to people and ask for help; the space industry is a friendly community!”

A passionate science communicator, Harriet graduated with a degree in Mathematics from the University of Warwick. She then worked at the Bank of England on medium term strategy and research. Deciding that a career in banking wasn’t for her, she decided to pursue her passion for space science, studying a master in Planetary Science at the California Institute of Technology in 2017/18.

Harriet is currently the Head of Market Analysis and Business Intelligence at the European Space Agency in the Telecoms & Integrated Applications (TIA) directorate. In this role, she is responsible for the analysis of markets relevant to satellite communications and space solutions. Prior to joining ESA, Harriet was Head of Business Analysis at Astroscale and was Chair of the Space Generation Advisory Council. Harriet is passionate about commercial sustainability and emerging market opportunities within the space ecosystem.