Engineer Mishaal Ashemimry has become the first Saudi woman to be elected as the vice president of the International Astronautical Federation. She won against fourteen candidates from across the world.
IAF is the largest international space organization in the world.
She is the first aerospace engineer in the Gulf Cooperation Council and her new position places Saudi at an advantage in the industry. It will also make the Kingdom a global leader in the field. Ashemimry is now one of the 12 VPs of the federation which gives her the power to further the development of the space sector globally and consolidate the direction of the IAF, reported Arab News.
Ashemimry tweeted: "I am very proud and grateful to have been elected to the position of Vice President of the Federation, and I look forward to working with other IAF Vice Presidents and the IAF office to advance space efforts, awareness in the sector, and focus on the 3C, and ensuring the inclusiveness of the space sector globally."
She was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her family sent her to Saudi Arabia when she was in Grade 5 so that she could learn about her heritage. Ashemimry is the first Saudi woman to join NASA.
The 38-year-old has served as special advisor to the CEO of the Saudi Space Commission Mohammed Al-Tamimi. She consulted on developing a national space strategy, created and led space programs, and advised leadership on direction and execution. Before that, she was a space nuclear technology consultant at the aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman.
The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center funded her research during her stint at the Florida Institute of Technology. At 26-year-old, she ran her own aerospace company MISHAAL Aerospace which developed space rockets. In 2015, she won the Inspirational Woman of the Year Award at the Arab Women Awards. In 2018, King Salman recognised her for her scientific achievements.