Celebrating Inmarsat’s ‘Women in Space’ during World Space Week

World Space Week 2021, from 4-10 October, is an annual event that recognises all that has been achieved within space science and technology, and the industry’s contribution to the betterment of humanity. Once again, World Space Week will provide a platform for over 4,000 events, taking place in 82 countries across the globe, offering fascinating industry insights, education sessions and the opportunity for the global space ecosystem to further collaborate.

Taking the theme ”Women in Space”, this year’s World Space Week highlights the incredible impact women have had on the global space community, and how space is better when everyone is involved.

To celebrate World Space Week, we would like you to meet some of the women behind the build of our two next-generation Inmarsat-6 (I-6) satellites, the largest and most advanced commercial communication satellites ever launched. We look at the exciting and complex elements of the I-6 programme they have been part of, find out more about their career journeys, how they ended up working in the dynamic space industry and how they feel about keeping the world connected through the work they do at Inmarsat.

The I-6 satellites

The I-6s are Inmarsat’s first ever hybrid L- and Ka-band satellites. The first, I-6 F1, will be launched at the end of the year with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan.

The satellites’ dual payloads will offer increased capacity for our customers where it is needed most and new technological advances for Inmarsat ELERA’s transformational L-band services that support the future of the connected society – from Industrial Internet of Things (IoT), UAVs, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), autonomous transport, to ocean-monitoring and greener energy solutions.

In addition, the I-6s will provide additional capacity for our award-winning high-speed Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band network that supports the data needs of governments, airlines and shipping around the world, especially in congested hotspots.

The I-6s not only underpin ELERA they also play a key role in the geostationary earth orbit (GEO) element of Inmarsat ORCHESTRA, the first-of-its-kind GEO, lower earth orbit (LEO) and 5G mesh network.

Sarah Pickett

Sarah Pickett is a Spacecraft Analyst in Inmarsat ‘s Satellite Operations Division. This means that she will be responsible for the Satellite Operations Engineering work package for I-6, one of several vital work packages that make up the Satellite Operations Project. “The project, as the name suggests, is dedicated to the operation of the Inmarsat-6 fleet and we are currently working very hard to prepare every element of our operations, to make them ready for the day we take control of the two satellites,” Sarah explains.

Managing the health and performance of Inmarsat spacecraft in orbit, the Spacecraft Analysts team plans and coordinates spacecraft operations and responds to any unexpected situations, should they come about. Sarah will be operating the I-6 satellites when they are launched, so her team is currently organising and validating procedures and tools, interfacing with the manufacturer and liaising with the other members of the project team in order to ensure all operational products and processes are ready to go.

“The Inmarsat-6 satellites are dual payload (Ka-band and L-band), meaning that they are also the largest and most powerful spacecraft we have ever launched at Inmarsat. It’s exhilarating to work with spacecraft that truly push the boundaries of technology,” Sarah shares. “Spacecraft operations is an incredible sector to work in,” she continues, “we must be forward-thinking and work to prevent problems before they arise, and we must also be quick to respond in an emergency situation, with well-trained abilities to handle any eventuality.”

Sarah has worked on numerous spacecraft launches, engaging with various manufacturers to do so, and says that in many ways the Inmarsat-6 spacecraft feels like an accumulation of many previous spacecraft built into a singular design. “As it’s built by Airbus Defence and Space, there are elements similar to the Inmarsat-4 spacecraft and also elements that are similar to Alphasat,” she expands. “Yet with a Ka-band payload, Inmarsat-6 sometimes shows a likeness to our Inmarsat-5s – and all these similarities somehow led to a design that feels extremely unique.”

“All these parallels allow us to leverage the many years of experience we have had operating our existing fleet of spacecraft, allowing us to design processes and systems that best fit our newest members of the fleet,” she adds.

“The I-6 project is fast-moving, as is and life in Satellite Operations, which is without a doubt what makes it so interesting,” reveals Sarah. “From previous work I did with our product teams on our L-band network, I have seen how it can improve the lives and well-being of crew members onboard Inmarsat-equipped vessels at sea, and also provide critical life-saving services – and that makes me proud to do what I do. Being able to use my love for technology to contribute to such a significant goal is something I find highly rewarding,” she says.

Growing up fascinated by engineering and her father’s ability to fix almost anything, Sarah studied Aerospace Engineering at university and went on to gain an MSc in Space Engineering before joining Inmarsat’s graduate scheme at the start of her career. She wraps up saying, “I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by inspirational role models at work on a daily basis and it feels fitting that this year’s World Space Week is dedicated to “Women in Space” because the women I’ve had the chance to work with during the Inmarsat-6 project are well worth celebrating,” she concludes.

Alessandra Rossetti

Alessandra Rossetti is Senior Operations Engineer in the Inmarsat Satellite Control Centre (SCC), which is a role that sees her planning, monitoring and troubleshooting operations for Inmarsat’s fleet of satellites in real time. She is also heavily involved in thinking through the procedures and tools required for the spacecraft’s intended activities, so that these can be catered for by the manufacturer.

Fascinated by space and spurred on by her mother’s strong can-do attitude, as well as inspirational female maths and science teachers at school, Alessandra pursued a career in the space industry when she moved to London from Italy, gaining her MSc in Space Science.

She says the most exciting part of her role is seeing the systems she’s helped to create work seamlessly in the existing structures of the SCC, adapt to changes and cope with problems. “There’s an exciting and nerve-wracking moment after launch, when we receive the first telemetry from the spacecraft, and you see the first data being received and processed on the ground. It’s incredible to see proof that the spacecraft has survived launch and that months of effort have led to success”.

Alessandra believes that working on I-6 is going to be a new challenge because of its size and complexity. “Each generation of spacecraft is building on the previous one, so we can see the evolution of the software, subsystems and tools, but at the same time it requires more sophisticated handling and processing on the ground, which means we always need to find different ways of doing things,” she explains.

“There will be lots of cross team collaboration to understand the different requirements to enable everything to fit together,” says Alessandra. “And that’s vital, as keeping our systems and fleet of satellites healthy and operating is our number one requirement to ensure continuity of services that keep the world connected. It’s the first thing we always focus on in Satellite Operations and I-6 will be no different,” she concludes.

Annalisa Iacono

An Radio-frequency (RF) Antenna Engineer, Annalisa Iacono works on all activities related to the design, manufacture and testing of antennas on satellites – from procurement right through to In-Orbit Testing. Obviously, satellites require antennas to receive and transmit the signals to make satellite communication possible, and space antennas are rather unique because of the challenging environment they need to operate in. And there’s surviving the launch to factor in too.

Annalisa works to makes sure that each antenna’s design is sound and robust enough to endure a full life in space, performing as planned for the duration. It’s a challenging task because of the harsh conditions that space antennas face. “Antennas need to be at their best RF performance-wise, but also mechanically and thermally. I have to make sure that any potential issue is addressed during the design phase, so problems in space can be prevented,” explains Annalisa.

As there are generally challenges to deal with throughout the manufacturing process, as parts are assembled, Annalisa is there to find the best solution to whatever problem arises. “I like this element of my job best, as it is then when you really have your hands on the hardware and can correlate theory and practice,” she shares.

Although Annalisa has worked on several satellite projects throughout her career, she says that I-6 is unique because of its dual payload that works across very different frequency bands – L-band and Ka-band – making it the largest and most powerful existing spacecraft platform. “Additionally, we are making two of them and each one comes with its own manufacturing challenges,” she reveals.

“For instance, the L-band antenna reflector has a nine-metre diameter unfurlable reflector – picture it as a giant umbrella – and the beauty of it is its ability to deploy with initial stored energy and pulleys, yet still have a low level of total mass and stowed volume. This combination makes it an attractive solution for L-band missions,” she says.

After studying electronics engineering at university, Annalisa started working at the European Space agency where her passion for space antennas grew. She went on to gain her doctorate (PhD) on antenna for deep space application, before working for Airbus as an RF antenna engineer. “Knowing that my antennas are flying around in space is really empowering,” she admits.

Joining Inmarsat less than two years ago, Annalisa became part of the Space Segment team, and has worked on two very different and fascinating projects – I-6 and our next-generation GX7, 8 & 9 spacecraft. “Experiencing the operator side of things is giving me a whole new perspective and it is adding a new important piece to the puzzle,” she adds.

Kristiina Jokela

As a Product Assurance Manager, Kristiina Jokela ensures that materials, manufacturing processes and electronic components are qualified prior to being used in spacecraft. She provides valuable support and expertise to process non-conforming elements, working within a team of specialist engineers.

Kristiina conducts site visits to equipment manufacturers, where she inspects assembly lines to ensure the highest quality, often using her experience to help devise improvements in the manufacturing process to enhance the quality and robustness of each product. She says that her broad overview of the wide spectrum of technologies that make up a spacecraft, has come from visiting suppliers all over the world and working with the talented engineers in her team who inspire her.

When asked about her work on I-6, she exclaimed, “I-6 is immense! It’s incredibly large and complicated and I never imagined working on something so complex. I’m lucky to be part of a team of experts and together, we are working towards the very ambitious goal of launching the I-6 satellites.”

Kristiina studied Materials Chemistry in Finland at Tampere University of Technology and was charmed by the idea of working in Space by friends. Starting her career as a Chemical Propulsion trainee at the European Space Agency, she quickly went on to work as a Materials and Processes Engineer, then a Product Assurance Engineer and Product Assurance Team Leader.

She says that inspiration comes from many sources for her but largely from the many experts she works with, who keep her motivation high, help her understand what makes her tick and help her to really enjoy her job.