Cranfield University student Zoë Ashford tells Tara Craig why space matters
Within hours of submitting her MSc thesis, Zoë Ashford sat down with AIR International to address everything from promoting the value of science to the public’s failure to appreciate engineering.
Q What first interested you in space?
As a kid, everyone finds space fascinating. It represents danger and the unknown. And I've always really loved science fiction – Star Trek, Star Wars, and the books of Iain M Banks and Alastair Reynolds. What really appealed to me is the combination of imagination and wondering how you could make something work. Because a lot of the things that sound very exciting are based on very basic principles – arocket engine is just expanding hot exhaust gases. My first degree is in Chemistry and I started out in the submarine industry as an engineer. At New Year 2019 a friend gave me a book that changed everything – Ignition! An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants by John D Clark. I read it and thought, “I should go and do that”.
Q Who are your space heroes?
I admire all the great pioneers and have a lot of time for Helen Sharman and Tim Peake, who works hard to promote STEM [science, technology,…
