What is your name?  

Rosie Cane 

 Where do you work and what is your role/job title?  

UK Launch Services Ltd (UKLSL), Outreach Lead 

 Does your job allow you to have a lifestyle you are happy with?  

Yes, I’m able to work from home, travelling into the office when needed. I’m also able to pursue personal interests and hobbies outside of work which is great. 

Questions about your current Job 

How did you go about getting your current job?

I did an internship with UKLSL in the summer of 2020, which I found online through the UK Space Agency Space Placement in Industry Scheme, and was offered a full-time position following this.

Describe a typical day.
One of my main tasks is working towards the organisation of a university student rocket launch competition, including answering emails, meetings and applying for funding. This also involves getting to talk to universities across the UK who are developing rockets and satellite technologies and hearing about their fascinating designs. I also assist on numerous other exciting projects such as understanding the future of Hydrogen as a fuel in aviation and space activities. 

What’s the coolest part of your job?
Getting to talk people to help inspire them with space and Although – being involved with rocket launches is also a great bonus!

Are there any elements of your job that you dislike?

Project management of large tasks can be a very daunting job, but very worthwhile when the project is finished and you see how all of your hard work has achieved something very valuable.

Questions about education and training 

What subjects did you take in school/college and how have these influenced your career path?

I took A-level Physics, Maths, Chemistry and Geology at college. This led to furthering my enthusiasm about space and understanding more about our universe – and subsequently I went to university to study Astronomy and completed a PhD in Astrobiology from the University of Edinburgh. Whilst doing my PhD, I ran a lot of science education activities (which I really enjoy!) and led me wanting to pursue a career in outreach in the space sector.  

Questions about yourself 

What have been the most rewarding events in your career so far?
Organising and delivering a university CanSat competition in summer 2021 as part of a hard-working and enthusiastic team. Seeing how much the participants enjoyed and learned from the event was very rewarding. 

 What is your dream job?
Anything where I can talk to people about space!

Advice for people thinking of this job as a career choice 

What advice would you give to someone considering this job? Are there important personal characteristics, or good work experience they can undertake for example.

I would say having an interest in the space sector is key to my role, and being comfortable and confident talking to other people. These skills can be built by practising giving presentations about STEM subjects you’re interested in. 

I would also recommend reaching out to people working in jobs that you find interesting – for instance through this careers profile, and they’d be more than happy to speak to you more and answer your questions. 

Finally, perseverance is key! The A-levels I took were very hard subjects for me, and as such I attended university through a foundation degree course, but was determined to get into a career relating to space. Because I picked a subject to study that I was interested in, it was a lot easier for me to work towards this, and enjoy the journey! 

I hope that helps and best of luck with your careers!!