Dr Norah Patten is set to become the first Irish astronaut to go to space after she was selected for a research mission on board Virgin Galactic's new Delta vehicle.
"Sometimes impossible dreams can come true," she said. Dr Patten, originally from Ballina, Co Mayo, now lives in Dublin and works for Realtra Space Systems Engineering in Coolock.
She is one of a team of three being sent by the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) to advance scientific knowledge on supporting life in space and it follows on from a similar mission the institute engaged in during 2023.
The commercial space flight will last for about 120 minutes and is sub-orbital, ie, it will travel to and from space without going around the Earth.
Dr Norah Patten pictured beside British astronaut Tim Peake's re-entry vehicle.
Commenting about the space flight, Dr Patten said: "I'm so grateful. I'm so thankful. And I'm just so proud to have this moment. Its very hard to put into words the excitement and pride and all the emotions I feel now that this spaceflight has been secured."
She told RTÉ News that the research team would be utilising every minute of the spaceflight to conduct pivotal research. "The research spaceflight is a one-day suborbital spaceflight and from take-off to landing it's less than two hours.
"But we'll be using every single moment of that to try and maximise the research outputs.
"I will be flying as a payload specialist, and I'll be testing a variety of experiments in space.
"This is a progression of the institute's inaugural spaceflight, which took place with Virgin Galactic in 2023 testing fluids research and other biomedical research.
"So, our flight will advance the research findings from that first flight, and we'll also be taking new biomedical and physical sciences experiments on board."
'Sights set on space'
Dr Patten wrote that she's had her "sights set on space" ever since she was 11 years old when she visited Nasa's Glenn Research Center in Ohio.
"When I was 11 years of age, I visited Nasa in Cleveland, Ohio, and became obsessed with all things space! Since then, I have been on my own space quest and have navigated a career to bring me on a journey to the stars.
"I studied aeronautical engineering and gained my PhD from the University of Limerick, participated in the International Space University (ISU) Space Studies Program (SSP) in 2010, and joined the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences as a citizen scientist in 2017."
She says on her website that her "goal is to fly on a suborbital spaceflight and share my journey to inspire the next generation of engineers, astronauts, innovators and scientists".
Dr Patten announced that she has been named as a payload specialist alongside Dr Shawna Pandya (Canada), and Kellie Gerardi (US), for the IIAS space flight with Virgin Atlantic.
The IIAS said that the trio of bioastronautics researchers will be included in the crew for the IIAS-02 Mission, a "first-of-its-kind, multi-researcher dedicated scientific mission on Virgin Galactic’s new Delta vehicle".
Virgin Galactic's Unity spacecraft.
Dynamic, operational research environments
The international crew of IIAS-02 have years of experience working together as a team in dynamic, operational research environments, IIAS noted.
IIAS founder and executive director Dr Jason Reimuller said: “We are excited to continue to work with Virgin Galactic and its unique platform for human-tended microgravity research in our second spaceflight.
"In their tenures at IIAS, Kellie, Shawna, and Norah have consistently demonstrated the teamwork, excellence, and expertise needed to produce high-quality, cutting-edge research in operational environments.
"Our organisation is looking forward to working with Virgin Galactic to optimise the research potential of their Delta-class space vehicles while opening the doors for future IIAS scientist-astronauts."
Dr Patten also added: "I don't feel any nervousness. I feel a huge sense of pride. I feel a huge sense of responsibility to my research institute to maximise our research.
"But also as a national first, this is such an amazing opportunity to engage with people all over Ireland and to show them what's possible," she said.
In a statement the IIAS said Dr Patten’s experience was key to her selection for the mission.
"Norah Patten has consistently demonstrated the teamwork, excellence, and expertise needed to produce high-quality, cutting-edge research in operational environments.
Maximise the science and technology returns
"The IIAS team will collaborate closely with academic, government, and commercial partners to carefully plan the crew's space flight activities to maximise the science and technology returns gained from this mission."
Dr Patten, discussing her background, said: "Since participating in the International Space University (ISU) Space Studies Program in 2010, I have held various roles including Chair of the Space Management and Business Department; Chair of the Space Humanities Department; and Chair for a Team Project. I am now a Global Faculty Member with ISU.
"In 2017, I joined Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere) at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences. Through this program, I've participated in several citizen science campaigns including microgravity research flights, spacesuit testing and evaluation, spacecraft and aviation egress and others.
"In 2019, I released my children's book 'Shooting for the Stars' published by the O'Brien Press and illustrated by Jennifer Farley and won the An Post Children's book of the year, senior."
She also said that she has been "an active space and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) ambassador for many years and I have been able to use my platforms to create many opportunities, programs and projects for next generation.
Examples of publicising STEM
- In 2013, while I was working at the Irish Composites Centre, I initiated and managed 'The Only Way is Up' project. Through a partnership with Nanoroacks, this project launched the first secondary school experiment from Ireland to the International Space Station.
- In 2016, I participated in the New Frontiers Entrepreneurship Program. I worked in partnership with IADT to create 'Planet Zebunar', an augmented reality STEM pack for children. The pack launched in Ireland in 2017 and retailed online and in several stores around Ireland.
- In 2019, we established the 'PoSSUM13' to engage young females in space science. We came together as 13 PoSSUM candidates and offered teenagers an opportunity to develop an experiment for testing on a microgravity flight. It runs annually and continues today."