ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish system engineer who was involved in the launch of a European rocket told Rudaw that as a woman in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, she wishes to inspire other Kurdish girls to fight stereotypes and break societal barriers. The European Space Agency’s Ariane 6 blasted off on its first flight last week. The vehicle is intended to restore Europe’s independent access to space through releasing a clutch of satellites into orbit. Josef Aschbacher, head of the European Space Agency, hailed the launch as a “historic day” for the continent. Tawin Piran is a system engineer on the upper liquid propulsion module for the vehicle. Born in Bonn, Germany, in 1994 to Kurdish immigrant parents, she has been fascinated by the mysteries of space from a young age and wishes to inspire like-minded individuals to continue pursuing their dreams. Rudaw: The Ariane-6 rocket was launched into space this week. The Europeans watched with great interest. Can you tell us about the importance of this project? Tawin Piran: Ariane 6 is the successor of the Ariane 5 rocket, which was one of the most reliable launchers for the commercial market. With the introduction of the Ariane 6 rocket we managed to ensure Europe‘s autonomous access to space. Of course it’s not only important for Europe, but in general for everyone. Heavy-lift launchers like Ariane 6 allow us to put satellites into space for a lot of different use-cases, e.g. GPS, internet, communication, weather forecast or earth observation to name a few. What is your role as a Kurdish female engineer in the project? I work as a system engineer on the upper liquid propulsion module, which is basically the upper stage of the rocket. After the first part of the launch, the first stage will separate from the second. From there, the second stage will make sure that the payload (e.g. satellite) will reach its target orbit. I have the responsibility for different subsystems and I have to make sure that each of these systems will function in the different environments during the mission. During the mission the launcher is exposed to different very extreme environments: high and low temperatures, vibration, friction, pressure, shock loads and so on. This makes it particularly challenging for the subsystems to maintain functional. Ariane-6 looks quite similar to Ariane-5. Are there any significant differences between Ariane-6 and its predecessor, especially in the upper stage and its propulsion capabilities? Ariane 6 follows a more modular approach. Depending on the needs, the four-booster or the two-booster configuration can be chosen. This provides more flexibility towards the market needs. In addition, especially the upper stage is a new development. The upper stage of Ariane 6 can be re-ignited several times. This will allow us to re-enter the upper stage after the mission to burn up in the atmosphere, so there will be no additional space debris left. What we know is that you have turned down approaches from several large companies. You wanted to work on the field of space. What is your motivation? I was always very fascinated by space. There is very little that we know about space. And my wish is that humanity starts exploring the universe more for scientific purposes, we have so much to learn. Of course, especially launch vehicles are very interesting to me since these extreme environments I mentioned earlier make it especially challenging. Every Kurd is happy to hear about your efforts. Have you ever thought about participating in a project on behalf of Kurdistan? Yes, I would totally love to do that. If there would be a Kurdish project in the space sector, I would be honored to contribute to that. Of course it has not been easy for you to get to this stage. What do you have to say about that? Even nowadays, there are still a lot of stereotypes when it comes to woman in STEM. Coming from a family with an immigration background doesn’t really help either. What I can say is that hard work really pays off. It’s important to focus on your dream and goals and if you truly believe in them, nothing will stop you. Thankfully the space industry is very international, but to get there included a lot of studying and internships/trainee jobs. It was worth it though. What are your ideas and plans for the future? What do you want to do and achieve? I would like to gain more experience as a system engineer and to gain as much technical expertise as possible. Of course I also hope to be a good role model to other Kurdish girls out there and to show that engineering is possible for everyone, no matter the stereotypes of society.
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