The latest MARSBalloon mission has safely returned to Earth and Dr Claire Parfitt hopes that, for the schoolchildren who took part, this will launch their love for space.

Firestar, the fifth MARSBalloon flight, flew across the southwest of England on Friday 17 June, rising almost 31 kilometres into the Earth’s atmosphere.

On board were 80 student experiments from 42 schools across the UK, all testing the impact of Mars-like conditions on anything that humans might want to do or take to Mars in the future. At this altitude, conditions are very similar to those on the surface of Mars: temperatures drop to -50°C, pressure is 1/100th that of sea level and there are increased levels of radiation.

The MARSBalloon team – Claire, Andrew and Mike – was particularly impressed with the creativity and variety of experiments submitted, which have to individually fit in a Kinder Egg™ capsule. Firestar was loaded with a sheep's eye balls, UV florescent slime, photochromic paper, smoke matches, magnesium ribbon, toothpaste, enzymes, algae, live plants, sea monkey eggs, antibiotics and several electronic sensors.

The aim of MARSBalloon is to engage primary and secondary schoolchildren with the world of space science and help them discover the career opportunities in this fast-expanding industry. Claire is a Spacecraft Systems Engineer at Thales Alenia Space UK and says: “Space is a growing and exciting industry to be involved in and my job is so varied on a day-to-day basis, it’s impossible to get bored!”

Taking your career into space

Since completing her PhD three years ago, Claire has worked on the ExoMars Rover, which will be sent to Mars in early 2018 to explore the red planet, as well as being involved in a nuclear engine for interplanetary probes and a student mission to take photographs of the surface of the Moon.

While working at Thales Alenia Space UK, she has progressed to lead the nano-satellite development activities for the business.In an industry that is still predominantly male-dominated, what advice does Claire have for women with an interest in space? “The only person that can to stop you doing what you’re most passionate about is you, so go for it! There is a gender imbalance in engineering but I don’t notice it anymore.

One of the great things about the space industry is the community spirit; we work as a team to get something into space. Gender, age and background are irrelevant; I feel respected as an engineer. The space industry is definitely not a hostile environment for female engineers.” Dr Claire Parfitt, Spacecraft Systems Engineer, Thales Alenia Space UK

Early inspiration

Before joining Thales Alenia Space UK, Claire received a first class honours degree in Physics from the Open University and completed her PhD on next-generation spacecraft power systems at the University of Warwick.

Claire says: “I studied Physics at the Open University and the way of studying there really suited my style of learning; distance learning gave me the flexibility I was looking for. Physics, maths and science have always been my strong points academically, and space has always fascinated me, so spacecraft engineering was a natural career path for me. I even declared to my parents at the age of four that I wanted to be an astronaut!”

An early introduction to space made a lasting impression on Claire. “I remember being in primary school and my teacher was talking about the solar system. The subject fascinated me – the scale of the universe, of space – it really grabbed my attention.”

“I asked my teacher lots of questions but he didn’t have all the answers and I knew then I wanted to help find them.

I’ve always had an interest in the unknown which has followed through into my career – how will our equipment perform in the environment of space? What are the challenges on a particular mission?

"A space systems engineer doesn’t just think about building the object, we have to understand the unique environment it will be operating in and once it’s in space, you can’t just pop up to fix it! It has to work first time round and for a long time.”

Inspiring the next generation

Claire hopes that MARSBalloon, like learning about the solar system for the first time, is a catalyst for schoolchildren and that it will ignite a lifelong passion for space science, and hopefully be the beginning of a career. She says: “I enjoy being involved in MarsBalloon and seeing children inspired by science whilst testing the limits of their knowledge. They want to find out something that no one knows, for example how washing up liquid survives in space. It was that curiosity which led me into my particular career and I hope MARSBalloon will stir that same interest and excitement in the children who take part.”

Watch Firestar, the latest MARSBalloon mission’s flight video below and visit www.marsballoon.com for more information on this STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) project.