When I was a teenager I told my teacher I wanted to be an astronomer. As a girl from an economically deprived, and rural, part of Canada where traditional industries, like logging, ranching and mining, reigned, the teacher explained that there was no future in it, and told me to think about something else instead. Although I am fortunate enough to be working in the industry today, my path here took much than needed.
Career hurdles remain for many wanting to enter our industry, especially for minorities who can find that doors are shut because of where they come from. Gender, education, racial and religious prejudices have affected people’s space career chances in the past. Last month we all celebrated as Ed Dwight completed his lifelong mission to make it to space, on his Blue Origin New Glenn suborbital flight, at the age of 90! It has been noted that Dwight, a former US Air Force pilot, never made it past the astronaut candidate stage in the early 1960s because of the colour of his skin. His path took much longer than it should have.
As we enter Pride Month we should not just show our support for the LGBTQ+ community through corporate branding colour changes, but acknowledging that we have a responsibility as an industry to recognise that representation matters, as does diversity, and putting role models in front of young people from all walks of life is critical to removing hurdles and to smoothing the path into industry.
Good space = space for all, and that diversity will bring us the critical skills we need to get us all to the stars.
