Mayo engineer set to become Ireland's first space traveller
Ballina-born Dr. Norah Patten has expressed immense excitement over her forthcoming journey to space, making her the first Irish person to achieve this milestone.
Dr. Patten will be participating in a research mission aboard Virgin Galactic's commercial spacecraft, Delta, slated to commence operations in 2026. The mission, managed by the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), aims to advance knowledge in fluid dynamics and biomedical research in space.
Joining two other researchers, Dr. Patten's sub-orbital journey will take place within the first year of Delta's operation. The two-hour mission will be packed with scientific experiments conducted by the team.
"The response to the announcement has been incredible, and those who have followed my journey understand this is not a sudden achievement," Dr. Patten shared. "I've been working towards this since my childhood in the west of Ireland, and I'm thrilled to share this news and the upcoming experiences."
Dr. Patten's fascination with space was ignited at 11 during a family trip to the US, which included a visit to NASA in Cleveland. "That visit sparked my interest in space," she recalled. "My junior art project focused on rockets and astronauts.
Yesterday, I received a touching message from my former art teacher, Mr. McDonagh, who said he always believed this day would come."
Following her secondary education, Dr. Patten pursued aeronautical engineering at the University of Limerick, where she earned a PhD in aerodynamics in 2011. She further expanded her expertise with a certificate in sub-orbital spaceflight from the International Space University in France in 2017, subsequently joining IIAS later that year.
Looking ahead to the mission, Dr. Patten emphasised the extensive preparation involved. "We have already undertaken significant preparatory work," she said. "Before our space flight, we will conduct more microgravity research flights as a crew and meticulously plan the choreography of our tasks."
Fine Gael councillor Jarlath Munnelly congratulated Dr Norah Patten at the Mayo County Council AGM and wished her every success upon news of the exciting achievement.