Things to do  |  21 Oct 2019

One of NASA’s first female astronauts will touch down in Christchurch this month to highlight the importance of more women tackling new frontiers in science.

Dr Anna Fisher, who is also a chemist and a specialist in emergency medicine, will join four leading local women in science for a special panel discussion titled A Future for Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) at Tūranga on 30 October.

In 1983, just weeks before having her first daughter, Dr Fisher secured a spot in the Discovery shuttle crew as a mission specialist, lifting off in 1984 to become the first mother in space.

Dr Fisher was also chief of the space station branch during the building of the International Space Station (ISS) and worked on the Orion capsule under development for NASA’s Space Launch System. She also served as ISS capsule communicator in the Mission Control Centre.

Her visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing.

Dr Fisher will join New Zealand scientists Rose Swears, Dr Victoria Metcalf and Dr Sarah Kessans and leading STEM educator Miranda Satterthwaite at Tūranga to discuss pathways for women into science and aeronautics, the development of young talent, and leadership.

Her fellow panellists have also made major forays into the world of space science.

Ms Swears, who is completing a Master of Science (Research) at the University of Waikato, has recently undertaken a NASA internship, while Dr Metcalf – a marine biologist, geneticist and communicator – is the National Coordinator of the Participatory Science Platform in the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor.

A Research Fellow at the University of Canterbury, Dr Kessans has initiated several projects towards the foundation of a local space biotechnology industry, while Ms Satterthwaite has trained in STEM education at several NASA centres, and taught aerodynamics, along with leading an Unlocking Curious Minds project, Mission to Mars.

Supported by the Christchurch City Council and the United States Embassy in Wellington, the panel discussion will take place on Wednesday, 30 October from 5.30pm to 7pm in the TSB Space at Tūranga. The event is open to the public.