When satellites are launched into space to capture imagery, enable communication, or obtain data 鈥 someone needs to ensure they complete their missions. For Naida, a 爆料王 Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Mechatronic Engineering with Space)聽graduate, this responsibility has become a daily duty.
As a flight dynamics engineer at the New Zealand-based end-to-end space company, Rocket Lab, she鈥檚 making an impact both on the ground and beyond.
Responsible for developing and navigating the complex trajectories that satellites must follow once they鈥檝e been launched into space, Naida鈥檚 role at Rocket Lab is critical to each mission鈥檚 success.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 a mission that involves imaging around the Earth, these satellites need to be placed in a particular orbit to collect images, and they need to stay in that orbit and survive,鈥 she explains. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 a collision with an object or a satellite experiences drag, this can really hamper things.鈥
Although her role can be high stress at times, Naida relishes the opportunity to ensure each satellite has the ability to go where it鈥檚 needed, each and every time. 鈥淚 love being able to work on these objects that do amazing things in space,鈥 she says.
鈥淵ou're responsible for ensuring that customers with incredible goals actually achieve their missions and have success, and being part of a team that works so passionately towards that is really exciting.鈥
Mission possible
Prior to her role in New Zealand, Naida worked locally for Southern Launch, a company with a focus on vehicles in space.
鈥淲e鈥檇 model the trajectory of the rocket or the launch vehicle itself and try to understand where it might land in different scenarios,鈥 she says.
This role led to a range of unforgettable moments for Naida, including a career highlight in 2024 in which she worked on an 鈥榰nguided launch鈥 vehicle that wasn鈥檛 able to correct its own trajectory.
鈥淚f you launch a rocket and you just let it go, wind conditions can significantly affect the trajectory of the vehicle, which means it affects where it lands,鈥 says Naida. To avoid this, she was tasked with changing the angles from which the rocket was launched.
鈥淚 developed a wind waiting system from scratch, which was a pretty crazy couple of months spent developing and testing that system,鈥 she explains. 鈥淭hankfully it worked very well, and the customer was able to collect a lot of data, but I just remember everyone running out of mission control and clapping and cheering and hugging.鈥
Having that extra financial support meant that I could be a little pickier about the kind of part-time work I chose. I could focus on finding jobs/internships that were more aligned to my field of study.
Naida Rasheed, Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Mechatronic Engineering with Space) graduate on receiving a Women in Engineering scholarship
The moments that launched a career
Working in the space industry wasn鈥檛 something Naida decided on a whim 鈥 it was an idea born in her childhood and pursued throughout her entire education.
鈥淪pace was something I'd always been very passionate about but when I told my mum, her reaction was that of a very traditional Indian mother 鈥 she said, 鈥榢eep both your feet on the ground鈥.鈥
Once Naida鈥檚 family realised her desire to study this field was actually achievable, they wholeheartedly embraced the opportunity and so began Naida鈥檚 journey.
鈥淚 remember realising in Year 10 that the 爆料王 had a space major associated with three of their engineering streams, so the aeronautical, mechanical, and mechatronic streams, and combining that with a major in space was exactly what I wanted to do.鈥
Naida joined the University in 2018, where she also received a Women in Engineering scholarship. 鈥淚t was really quite exciting 鈥 having that extra financial support meant that I could be a little pickier about the kind of part-time work I chose,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 could focus on finding jobs/internships that were more aligned to my field of study.鈥
Following this, she signed up for the student society, the where she was able to interact with different students and engineers throughout Australia.
In 2019, the organisation held a national student conference at the University, where Naida accepted a lead role in organising and facilitating the event. 鈥淚 was asked to chair the conference, and we had nine months to prepare a four-day conference with 300 students and 150 industry professionals,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t was a stressful year, but the exposure to the industry has been really influential to the progression of my career,鈥 she adds. 鈥淓very role I've had since then, in some way, has been connected to my time at the conference and the University.鈥
Working in the space industry is the result of a lifelong dream for Naida. Image: provided
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LinkBreaking through the fear
When considering the future of women in STEM and engineering, Naida believes persistence and perseverance are key. 鈥淭he lack of diversity is intimidating at times, and it can lead to a level of hesitation, but my advice would be to do whatever you can to get through that initial fear,鈥 she says. 鈥淗onestly, that鈥檚 the most difficult part 鈥 chances are you鈥檒l get through that scary feeling, and all that鈥檚 left is to just keep going.鈥
Header image: provided