Xiaochen Zhang – YGT for Preparation Activities for Planetary Surface Exploration
Tell us about your work experience in ESA so far. What does your role entail?
I am a planetary geologist, and the keyword of my job is “analogue”. An analogue to me means an object Earth that resembles an extra-terrestrial object.
I have two teams, which is a bit unique. I am based at ECSAT in the UK, where I work for the Sample Analogue Curation Facility (SACF). We curate and analyse some geologic analogue samples, such as rocks and simulated lunar/Martian regolith (“soil”) that are being used to study their counterparts on another planetary body.
At the same time, I am also part of the CAVES & PANGAEA team. I am remotely helping with the development of the PANGAEA Mineralogical Database, which is a very useful library of geologic analogue samples related to the training sessions.
These are just some of my main tasks in the past six months. Many more are coming up soon and I can’t wait to see how I can contribute to them!
What has motived you to study these subjects?
As a child, my favourite places to visit were the natural history museum and the planetarium in my hometown. Although it took me many years to eventually join the planetary science field, I think these childhood memories have essentially acted as the strongest motivation.
My undergraduate degree was in Earth sciences, and I got to learn about lunar science during my first master’s degree. This was the first time I learned about the geologic similarities between our Earth and our neighbours in the solar system, and how we can use materials on Earth to study what happened on another planetary body. I am particularly interested in learning how we can use extra-terrestrial resources when humanity eventually achieves long-term presence on another planetary surface. It may sound too ambitious or unrealistic for now, but this is what inspires innovation can could also help us learning how to better utilize resources on Earth too.
What is the most exciting part of your job?
I often work on many small tasks, and I think they all constantly drive me to expand my knowledge in space exploration and laboratory management, improve and develop new skills, and grow my network.
Among these outcomes, I think the most important one is the cross-disciplinary communication. Although I am a geologist, I am constantly communicating with people in other fields, such as engineers and computer scientists who also need to work with analogues. I have learned many interesting project ideas that made me understand my own field in a different way. At the same time, collaborating with people in different fields can also encourage finding creative solutions to solve problems.
Space exploration is the result of people from different fields (and often different countries) working together, and I am very grateful that I get to practice and encourage interdisciplinary collaborations as a YGT at ESA.
What advice would you give to girls interested in pursuing a career or studies in STEM?
I think many spacecraft names can be used to describe STEM and working in STEM: it’s about Discovery, Endeavour, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance, Ingenuity and many more. If you think these are exactly what you are looking for, then follow your dreams! Don’t hesitate to reach out for mentors if you need some help with making decisions.
However, if your goal is to work in the space sector, remember there are many options other than STEM as well. Occupations such as lawyers, policy makers, artists, historians, educators, entrepreneurs, and many more are equally important.
Whichever subject you wish to pursue, don’t limit to the knowledge in your own field – communicate with others, and you might find many more innovative ideas together!
How do you imagine the future of space exploration?
Peaceful, sustainable, and opens to everyone.
Many people, including myself, dream to travel to space one day as a civilian for an out-of-the-world experience for various purposes, such as a low-orbit flight or a vacation on Mars. As a geologist, I would like to visit the Moon one day and study the science right there and watch how lunar bases can be built from local materials.
But no matter what we do, we must use our best effort to protect extra-terrestrial environments, including minimizing orbital space debris, using eco-friendly technologies and carefully manage our resources. Space technologies has been helping with improving our lives on Earth too, and I hope this continues to be the case wherever our adventures take us in the universe!