Soha Al Qeshawi’s dream of working with spacecraft came true
when she joined NASA’s Space Shuttle programme immediately after graduating
from the University of Houston, where she studied engineering. The Palestinian,
who grew up in Gaza City, is currently working on NASA’s Orion spacecraft
programme, helping to design and engineer the vessel, which is intended to one
day transport astronauts into deep space.
“I get to simulate Orion missions almost every day, just as
if we’re flying in space,” she told Middle East Monitor last year. “Working
with bits and bytes all day is much cooler than you might think.”
As a senior software engineer, Al Qeshawi’s roles range from
testing the systems at launch, through flight, and back to Earth, to finding
and resolving issues and retesting to ensure safety.
Al Qeshawi has been hailed for her positive role for Arab
women across the world. Her advice to young girls, would be to, “always dream
big, and work really hard to make your dream come true. Mine did,” she said.
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