Kevin Govender
Early Life
Kevin grew up on a sugar-cane farm in South Africa. His mother was a primary school teacher and his father was a mechanic. Kevin volunteered for his community as part of a youth club and set up a science club at school. He saw how important it was to give people control of their own learning and to follow their interests. Kevin studied physics at university. He did not do any stargazing when he was young. There was a superstition that counting stars would give you warts!
Year born: c. 1981
Research Areas: Nuclear Physics, Astronomy, Sustainable Development
"I see every day how people who are moved by our place in the universe are inspired to move others"
Alice Bunn
Early Life
Alice grew up in Shrewsbury, UK. She specialised her studies in maths, physics, and chemistry at school. Alice took a gap year after school. She travelled and worked as an au pair in Italy. Alice then studied Metallurgy (the science and technology of metals) at the University of Leeds. She spent one year of her degree studying in Finland. Alice got a PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1998. A company sponsored her PhD, so it was quite hands-on.
Research Areas: Materials Science, Satellites
"That’s the exciting thing about these scientific missions – you don’t know what you’re going to find."
John Glenn
Early Life
John grew up in Ohio, USA. His father was a plumber and his mother a teacher. He loved flying from an early age. He first went in a plane when he was 8 years old. John liked to spend his time building model aeroplanes. He was an enterprising child, washing cars and selling rhubarb to earn money to buy a bicycle. He played sports in school, including American football, basketball, and tennis. John studied chemistry at Muskingum College, Ohio. He left college before completing his degree to join the Army.
Year born: 1921
Research Areas: Space Flight, Politics
"Space Flight, Politics"
MiMi Aung
Early Life
MiMi was born in the USA and moved to her parent’s home country of Myanmar when she was two and a half. She was inspired by her mother to study science, maths and engineering. Her mother was the first women in Mayanmar to get a PhD in mathematics. MiMi says her mother was very technical, practical and logical.
Year born: 1968
Research Areas: Deep Space Exploration
"It’s more than just flying on another planet. It will open doors to a whole new class of exploration."
Mary Jackson
Early Life
Mary grew up in Virginia, USA. She has a degree in maths and physical science from the Hampton Institute, a historically black university. Mary had several jobs after university, including teacher, secretary, bookkeeper and receptionist. She also took some time off to have a family.
Year born: 1921
Research Areas: Aerospace Engineering, Aerodynamics
Arthur Walker Jr.
Early Life
Arthur Walker Jr. was born in Ohio, USA and moved to New York when he was five years old. He was passionate about science from an early age, but his teacher tried to discourage him from following his passion. His parents stepped in and encouraged him to apply to University to study physics. Arthur completed a bachelor’s degree in Physics, and a master’s and PhD in Astrophysics. He served in the U.S. air force and his first assignment was in the weapons laboratory. Working on rockets sparked his interest in space-based research.
Year born: 1936
Research Areas: Solar Physics, Rockets
Tim Peake
Early Life
Tim was born and grew up in Chichester in the UK. His mum was a midwife and his dad a journalist. He went to air shows as a child which sparked his interest in flying. He left school at 18 to study at a military academy and join the British Army. Tim began flight training and became a helicopter pilot, going on to teach others to fly. During his time in the army he studied for a degree in Flight Dynamics from the University of Portsmouth.
Year born: 1972
Research Areas: Flight Dynamics, Aviation
Charles Bolden Jr.
Early Life
Charles was born in South Carolina, USA. His parents were teachers. He wanted to join the Navy and after school applied to the United States Naval Academy. The government rejected his application. Charles has said he was rejected because he is Black. Charles did not give up and wrote to President Johnson (in power at the time) for support. He was then accepted into the Naval Academy. Charles got a degree in Electrical Science from the United States Naval Academy in 1968, and trained as a fighter pilot. He flew in more than 100 combat missions.
Year born: 1946
Research Areas: Space Exploration, New Technology
"Our missions demand decades, even generational planning. But beyond technical milestones, the legacy we must pass on is inspiration."
Jocelyn Bell-Burnell
Early Life
Jocelyn was born in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. When she was young, the school she went to school would only let the boys study science. Jocelyn’s parents complained to the school and the rules were changed so that the girls could also study science. At the age of 11, Jocelyn failed an important exam. She had to pass the exam to have the chance to go on to study at university. So her parents sent her to a boarding school in York, England where she took the exam again and passed.
Year born: 1943
Research Areas: Radio-Astronomy, Pulsars
Edward Ching-Te Chao
Credit: ZZZ
Early Life
Edward was born in Suzhou, China. His father was a philosopher and leading theologist in 20th century China. In 1945, Edward moved to the USA to teach Chinese to American troops. He got a PhD in Geology from the University of Chicago in 1948. In 1949, he moved to Virginia, USA and started working for the US Geological Survey.
Year born: 1919
Research Areas: Meteorite impacts
"People don't believe, but you do your hard work. It takes time to gradually convince them. You always have to find new, better evidence."