I won a space contest in Metro aged 12 – I’m now an award-winning engineer 17 years later

Reading Metro newspaper really can change your life.

We might sound biased, but now there is proof – just ask Jennifer Barry.

She was a schoolgirl when she won a Metro competition in 2008 to spend a week at a space camp in Turkey.

And now, 17 years later, she’s an award-winning space engineer who has addressed the United Nations and is tackling the biggest issues of the cosmos.

Jennifer, now 29, was on her daily commute to school in west London in May 2008 when she picked up a copy of the Metro.

The Year 7 pupil spotted a call to action for young space lovers, asking them for ideas for the future of the skies.

The competition – a collaboration between Metro, British National Space Centre, Space Camp Turkey and private astronaut Richard Garriott – wanted youngsters to come up with their best plan for a private space venture.

It didn’t take long for Jennifer to submit her vision, which was planning for a future home for mankind in case the Earth became uninhabitable due to pollution.

She was on holiday when her dad read the email that she was one of the six winners.

‘My dad thought I’d won a book or something,’ Jennifer told Metro, ‘but it turned out I’d won a trip to space camp instead.’

In October 2008, Metro became the first newspaper in space when Garriott took a special edition of the paper up to the International Space Station.

That copy featured details of the winning entries in the competition, including Jennifer’s, with Garriott then carrying out these experiments for 10 days before returning to earth.

Nine months later, Jennifer jetted off to Izmir in Turkey, where she got to experience space in a way spend years wishing they could.

She recalled: ‘It was fascinating. We learnt about space missions, tried an astronaut simulator and got to experience what it would be like walking on the moon.

‘One of the big things I took away from it was all the careers that go into making a space mission.

‘It was such a cool experience at that age. It helped keep my passion for science alive throughout my teen years and throughout the rest of my career.’

The impact of that trip, as well as a VIP day at the National Space Centre with Richard Garriott that she also won, kicked off a journey that has led her to work on the kinds of missions she used to dream about.

She said: ‘I decided that what I was most passionate about was all those unanswered questions that make up space.’

Jennifer went on to study physics and astronomy at Southampton University and graduated with a masters in 2018.

She then ‘fell into engineering’ and became a leading advocate for space sustainability, which is keeping space clean and safe for future generations.

Working for the UK Space Agency, she spoke at the UN’s Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

She also contributed to the European Space Agency’s Zero Debris initiative, which tackles the growing challenge of space debris and aims to ensure a safer, more sustainable future in orbit.

Jennifer was awarded the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Young Woman Engineer of the Year in December.

She said: ‘I was pretty overwhelmed. It was a real honour. You never expect to be nominated for it.

‘I want to use this opportunity to amplify underrepresented voices, challenge stereotypes, and show that engineering is for everyone.

‘Part of that change is inspiring the next generation.’

The award-winner has also carried out 500 hours of outreach work with young people to encourage them to get into STEM.

She says competitions like the one Metro ran 17 years ago are crucial for inspiring kids – in particular those underrepresented in the field – that a career in space and engineering is for them.

Metro‘s Editor-in-Chief Deborah Arthurs said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled for Jenny and touched that Metro has had such a positive impact on her life.

‘We pride ourselves on representing and inspiring future generations so it’s fantastic to see something that began as a childhood competition evolve into a career shaping the future of space.

‘We played a small part in Jenny’s journey, but know we will see her success encourage the next generation of readers, particularly young women, to achieve greatness in industries traditionally dominated by men.’

Jennifer added: ‘Giving kids the opportunity to do more than studying in class means they have a chance to really imagine what they could do when they’re older.

‘A lot of the time people still have quite an outdated view of what engineering is.

‘Going to something like space camp Turkey or something similar makes you really understand that engineering is so much more.

‘Particularly for young girls and people that are underrepresented in engineering, it gives them the chance to imagine what someone like them could do in the future.’

Jennifer has now joined Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) in a new role as Senior Systems Engineer.

There, she will continue her pioneering space work and help to design and then test and build a new satellite, with the goal of launching by 2028.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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