Looking Ahead: The Future for Women in Aerospace
Reflections on Belonging, Bias, and Building a More Inclusive Future in Aerospace
My dream has always been to travel to the stars. I received a telescope for my fifth birthday and quickly decided that I wanted to be an astronaut. When I was nine, I figured out from some amusement park ride that I get really motion sick, so I changed my aspirations to aerospace engineering and have worked towards that dream ever since. I still wanted to shoot for the stars, just from behind the scenes instead. Being a young girl, and now a woman in aerospace engineering has often felt like a lonely road. And as much encouragement as I had, I know many others didn’t have the same opportunities to pursue engineering or even considered it as an option.
In 2022, women and gender minorities made up around 13.6% of the aerospace workforce, according to Data USA. And while progress has been made to increase gender diversity, the technical core of these fields remains male-dominated, especially in robotics, systems, and controls. The field also suffers from a leaky pipeline: many women leave due to a lack of mentorship, limited advancement opportunities, or environments that make them feel like they don’t belong.
Still, I remain hopeful. By building comradery among the women already in the field, extending outreach to inspire the next generation, and encouraging male colleagues to be informed and engaged allies, I believe we can shift the culture. Together, we can open doors not just for a few but for a future where gender is no longer a barrier in aerospace.
Becoming the Role Model I Needed
Aerospace engineering was my entire personality growing up. I spent my childhood reading every space book in the library, watching launches again and again on YouTube, attending space and robotics camps every summer, dressing as an astronaut every Halloween, etc. I believed that getting into a strong college would help me pursue my dream, so I cried every time I got a grade below a 95. I was told my aspirations were unique, but that sense of uniqueness sometimes made me feel isolated too. I didn’t know who to ask for help because I assumed no one could truly relate.
That feeling only deepened when I arrived at college. I found myself surrounded by brilliant peers, but with very few women who shared my passion for space robotics research and wanted to pursue higher education. In the four years of my undergraduate program, I never had a single female professor. I sought mentorship where I could, but I never had a female mentor with my career goals.
Still, I found champions along the way. An undergraduate advisor who planned my path to a PhD. Friends who celebrated my wins. Research that encouraged me to keep learning more. Those moments of support and discovery were what kept me going — and kept me in STEM.
Today, I’m a PhD. student studying reliable control for uncertain, dynamic environments. And while I’m proud of where I am, I often reflect on how much easier the journey could have been with more visible role models. That absence has driven me to become a role model, mentoring younger students and showing up in the ways I once needed.
What I Wish I Knew — And What I Want Others to Know
This article is not just for young women and gender minorities dreaming of aerospace careers. It’s also for the men who want to support them and for educators and leaders who hold the keys to institutional change. Regardless of who you are, you have a role in shaping a more inclusive future. This is what I wish I had known when I was first starting as a young woman in aerospace — and what I hope others carry with them moving forward…
To Women in Aerospace: You Belong Here
The first time I truly felt a sense of belonging in aerospace was through the Women of AeroAstro (WOAA), an international initiative affiliated with AIAA that supports marginalized genders in the field. I founded my undergrad chapter to build connections beyond my university and, as co-president, collaborated with national chapters to share opportunities and expand outreach across majors. In grad school, I served as our chapter’s Professional Development Chair and was just elected as president, organizing industry tours and inviting gender-marginalized professionals to speak. Our chapter also connects members on campus through fun social events and engages in K-12 outreach to inspire the next generation.
My advice to women who have any sort of interest in aerospace:
Find your people: Look for communities like WOAA, Society of Women Engineers, or local STEM clubs. Your company or department may have support groups for women and gender minorities (or if not, you can start one!). We may be few and far between, but we all want to find and support each other.
Ask thoughtful questions and pay attention to the environment: When considering a lab or company, don’t hesitate to observe and ask — do they actively support inclusion? Are they open to conversations about equity and gender representation?
Define your values: Do you value having a female advisor? Or senior female role models? What does support for you as a female in the field look like? And don’t be afraid to name these values as a priority for you.
You can be the role model you didn’t have: Every time you speak up, mentor someone, or share your story, you make this field better. Look for ways to engage: give an alumni talk, volunteer at a STEM outreach event, speak on a panel, or even just offer advice to a student who reminds you of yourself.
Be confident in your expertise: Imposter syndrome shows up for many of us, especially in technical spaces where we’re underrepresented. But your perspective is valuable. You don’t need to have all the answers to speak up, contribute your opinions, or lead.
To Men in STEM: Allyship is an Action
In undergrad, I had many close male friends in my department, and the gender imbalance often sparked competition. I constantly felt the need to prove myself – which honestly isn’t constructive for me or my peers. It wasn’t that my friends believed women were less capable; rather, subtle biases would show up in group settings. They’d ask each other for validation before looping me in, troubleshoot without me, tend to overexplain concepts I already knew, or have me be a note-taker during meetings. The truth is, recognizing bias, especially in your friends, is hard. And calling it out, over and over, is exhausting.
So, if you want to be an ally, start here:
Pay attention: In group projects, who gets asked for input? Who gets interrupted? Encourage a more balanced discussion if you notice it skewing one way.
Listen, don’t defend: If someone points out a biased comment or action, take it seriously instead of explaining it away. Commit to being more mindful of your actions and comments.
Ask how we can be supported: Don’t wait for women to self-nominate for leadership roles. Encourage them directly and voice your support. Ask how you can best back them up in meetings, how they’d prefer feedback, or whether they feel included in key decisions. Support isn’t one-size-fits-all, so ask, listen, and follow through.
Speak up: Use your voice when you notice exclusion, even when it’s subtle.
Some of my closest male friends didn’t realize how their actions were affecting me until I told them. The truth is, they cared. They just needed someone to show them what support could look like.
To Professors, Managers, and Industry Professionals: Structural Change Starts With You
When I was applying to Ph.D. programs, I hadn’t fully considered how important it would be to find an advisor who recognized the support I needed as a woman in this field and who would foster those values within the lab. Once I realized that mattered to me, it changed how I evaluated programs and labs. I ultimately joined a lab where I feel supported not just professionally but personally, and that has made all the difference. It’s the kind of environment where I feel safe sharing my ideas, asking questions, and pushing my work further.
But change doesn’t happen by accident — it takes intentional effort. Here are a few tangible things professionals and leaders in the field can do to foster a more inclusive culture:
Representation matters: Hire, invite, and elevate women and gender-marginalized voices — not just for balance but for the broader range of ideas and perspectives they bring.
Fund and empower affinity groups: Support internal organizations like women’s groups with real resources. Several friends of mine have shared how impactful it is when companies sponsor mentorship programs, organize professional development events, or host social gatherings that create space for women to build community at work.
Invest in the next generation: Companies can host or sponsor K–12 STEM outreach days, company visits, camps, info sessions, and external women in STEM organizations.
Create formal mentorship pipelines: Support mentorship programs that pair junior women with senior leaders, where they can meet regularly to talk about life, careers, and navigating male-dominated spaces.
Audit team culture: Pay attention to how people talk at work and the atmosphere at social gatherings. Are your events mainly inclusive, or do they constantly default to “bro-y” activities that not everyone enjoys?
Normalize inclusion: Invite ongoing conversations about equity and representation and model what it looks like to truly listen.
The future of aerospace depends on diversity. When we bring in and empower voices from different backgrounds, we don’t just make the field fairer — we invite new perspectives and more creativity.
Final Thoughts
I don’t know where the next generation of aerospace engineers will come from. Maybe she’s a kid glued to the TV watching a rocket launch. Maybe he’s a mentor who learns to listen better. Maybe they’re a hiring manager who decides to shake up the status quo.
What I do know is that if we want to build a world that reflects the best of what aerospace stands for — curiosity, courage, exploration — then we need to build a field where everyone feels supported and included. And maybe that next aerospace engineer is a young girl with a telescope, daring to dream big because someone like you showed them it was possible.
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