Norah Patten facts for kids
Norah Patten is an Irish engineer who loves science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). She comes from Ballina, County Mayo. Norah was chosen for a special mission with Virgin Galactic that could make her the first Irish person to travel into space! This mission, called Delta, is planned for 2026 or 2027.
Early Life and Learning
Norah Patten was born in Ballina, County Mayo. She went to St. Mary's Secondary School. Her interest in space began when she was 11 years old. She visited NASA's Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland, Ohio.
For her junior certificate art project, she even designed rockets! As a teenager, she visited NASA many times. She decided to study aeronautical engineering at the University of Limerick.
During her studies, Norah worked at Boeing, a big airplane company. She continued her education at the University of Limerick. In 2011, she earned a doctorate in aerodynamics, which is the study of how air moves around objects. She also worked at Bell Labs during this time.
Norah took part in the European Space Agency's Alpbach Summer School in 2008. She also completed the Space Studies Program at the International Space University in 2010.
Her Career Journey
Norah Patten worked as a teacher and project manager at the University of Limerick. In 2012, she joined the Irish Composites Centre. There, she managed how they shared information and reached out to people.
Norah started and led a project called "The Only Way is Up." This project sent Ireland's first student experiment to the International Space Station in 2014. This was done through a special agreement with a company called NanoRacks.
In 2015, she received an award called the International Astronautical Federation Emerging Space Leaders Grant. She also spoke on a panel for the "Next Generation Plenary." Norah was chosen many times to lead departments and projects at the International Space University. In 2016, she was elected to be a member of the volunteer global faculty there.
Norah was the first Irish person to join Project PoSSUM. Through this project, she has done special training. This includes high-G flights, which prepare you for strong forces. She also did hypoxia training, which teaches you about low oxygen. She practiced aviation egress, which is how to get out of an aircraft quickly. She also tested and evaluated spacesuits.
Sharing Her Knowledge
Norah Patten is a big supporter of STEM education. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths. She has appeared on TV shows like Virgin Media One and Ireland AM. She has also been on many radio programs, including Today FM.
Norah has given many important speeches. She has also worked with Irish companies to help promote STEM ideas. In 2018, she was featured in Image magazine. She was one of Limerick's "Top 40 under 40" in their "Changemakers" series.
Norah created "Planet Zebunar," a STEM product for children. She describes it as being for everyone, not just boys or girls. It offers an exciting experience using both offline and online tools. This includes augmented reality, which mixes digital images with the real world.
