Vinita Marwaha Madill’s journey from an inquisitive child captivated by the cosmos to a pioneering space engineer and advocate for women in STEM is nothing short of stellar.
As the Founder of Rocket Women, she not only leads lunar exploration and astronaut health initiatives but also spearheads global efforts to inspire the next generation of women in science and engineering.
Her passion for space was ignited at the age of six when she saw a photo of Dr Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, clad in a Sokol spacesuit. “In that moment,” she recalls, “I realised that woman could be me. Maybe, I could be an astronaut too.” Visits to the National Space Centre and the Science Museum with her parents cemented her resolve to pursue a career in space. “I’m also lucky to have had adults, both parents and great teachers, around me at that age who cultivated that interest and encouraged me to study space”, she said.
But the journey wasn’t without challenges. Coming from a South Asian background, Vinita faced cultural pressures to choose a “safer” profession for women—like medicine or teaching. “Although my parents were supportive,” she explains, “there was some pressure to follow a traditional path.” Her experience as a dental nurse helped clarify her true passion lay elsewhere, though she would later find her medical background useful while working on astronaut health at ESA and Mission Control.
Vinita’s trailblazing path included designing spacesuits for the European Space Agency and guiding astronauts on the International Space Station at Germany’s version of Mission Control. But she also noticed a troubling pattern—at every step forward, fewer women accompanied her. Determined to change that, she founded Rocket Women in 2012.
The global platform celebrates the achievements of women in STEM, shares their stories, and helps fund scholarships through proceeds from its merchandise. “Representation matters,” Vinita says. “You can’t be what you can’t see.” With visibility of women, especially from underrepresented backgrounds, remaining low in space science and engineering, Rocket Women aims to change the narrative.
The numbers speak volumes. Women make up less than 16% of engineering professionals in the UK, and only around 30% of Canada’s space industry. “This isn’t just an issue of inequality,” Vinita stresses. “It affects the systems we create.” From AI to space suit design, diverse teams ensure better, more inclusive solutions. Through its growing global team, Rocket Women is not only building outreach programs but also working to shift cultural expectations, particularly within South Asian communities.
Vinita’s message to aspiring space professionals is clear: “prioritise your passion and persevere”. She cites the story of Zena Cardman, who became a NASA astronaut at 29 after applying “just to see what happens.” And she reminds young women that the space industry has room for everyone—not just engineers and scientists, but also communicators, designers, and policymakers.
“We need 100% of the talent to solve the world’s hardest problems,” she says. With leaders like Vinita Marwaha Madill at the helm, the future of women in STEM looks bright, inclusive, and limitless.
