There’s space for everyone in SA
Naida Rasheed is new to South Australia, having relocated from Sydney to join Southern Launch as a Launch Engineer.
Space has always been on Naida’s radar. Growing up, she and her father often spoke about space, the pinnacle being the purchase of a family telescope. Spending many evenings zooming in on the rings of Saturn and the craters of the Moon, Naida’s passion was ignited.
But was a career in space really possible in Australia?
“Early on, when I was figuring out how I might make a career in space work, all the dialogue was around moving overseas. It wasn’t until I flicked through booklets from the University of Sydney that I really understood that there was a chance to be involved in space here,” stated Ms. Rasheed.
Naida took the leap, studying Mechatronics and Space Engineering. While undertaking her degree, she also joined the Australian Youth Aerospace Association (AYAA), a not-for-profit organisation established to promote the aerospace industry in Australia.
Naida reflected, “It was really through that organisation that the thought of working in space in Australia began to take shape. It was so exciting to think of the possibility.”
But it wasn’t until the Australian Space Agency landed in Adelaide that Naida really saw her future crystallise.
“There’s a space ecosystem in South Australia that you just don’t get elsewhere,” said Naida.
And that was the catalyst for Naida’s move to South Australia.
As a Launch Engineer at Southern Launch, Naida is responsible for assessing flight safety for a range of different projects. This involves work such as testing simulations for flight trajectories to determine risks and potential impacts across a range of factors.
“A lot goes into a launch,” remarked Naida. “It’s not just the rocket itself you need to consider, but you also need to think about the weather, air traffic, potential landing areas and anything that might come up on the day.”
Being in the early stages of her career, the sky is literally the limit for Naida. In the future she sees herself expanding her knowledge of the space industry ecosystem, and hopefully one day managing her own projects or a team.
When asked whether she had any advice for anyone looking to break into a career in the space industry, Naida responded passionately.
“Often the narrative is that there aren’t jobs in space in Australia, and that’s just not true. With the Australian Space Agency and many other companies joining the space ecosystem in South Australia, there really is space for everyone!”
We couldn’t agree more.
