International Women in Engineering Day 2025

This year’s International Women in Engineering Day theme is #TogetherWeEngineer, and we take the opportunity to highlight two of our members who share their stories of the teamwork and collaboration required in their engineering roles.

Harriet Wilson – Designing satellites for Earth observation

“I have always loved designing and building things and since childhood I was fascinated with outer space, so I chose a career in aerospace engineering. I work at Airbus Defence and Space as part of their Earth Observation (EO) team designing satellite payloads. Since 2018 I have been working on a project with the European Space Agency (ESA) where we are designing a new satellite, called ROSE-L, to join the Copernicus Programme. The Copernicus Programme has a number of EO satellites, called Sentinels, which collect a huge variety of data that is made available free of charge to scientists, governments and international organisations. The ROSE-L satellite will work to map and measure soil moisture, flooding, forests and sea ice so we can better understand how our planet is changing.

“Designing a satellite like ROSE-L is a big challenge as we will need to pack a very large antenna (11 m x 3.6 m) down small enough to launch into space. It will need to deploy once it reaches orbit and then operate in a space environment for many years to keep providing such important scientific data. It takes a huge team of people from 15 countries with many different skill sets to make an Earth observation mission work, but it is very rewarding to know we are all doing our bit to help tackle climate change.”

Naomi Brown – Advocating for women in construction

”My name is Naomi Brown, and I’m a director at S Brown Paving Limited, a road surfacing company based in the East Midlands. I’ve been a member of the BWPA since 2024 and plan to begin my PPL(H) training at H-Heli’s at Tatenhill Airfield later this year.

“I am a committee member for Nottingham Women in Construction (NWIC), a network that organises several events each year to support and connect women working across the construction industry. Our most recent event took place at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground on 5 June 2025, where over 100 women attended a networking lunch. Attendees included engineers, surveyors, architects, tradespeople, and professionals from both the public and private sectors.

“These events are focused on building professional networks, sharing knowledge across disciplines, and highlighting opportunities for women at all levels of the industry. Each year, we also support a local charity. In 2025, our chosen charity is Juno Women’s Aid, which supports women and children affected by domestic abuse across Nottingham and the surrounding areas.

“Having entered construction through a non-traditional route, I’ve experienced firsthand how valuable peer networks and collaboration can be. As I begin my training in aviation, I hope to carry that same mindset with me to support greater visibility, connection, and opportunities for women.”