What is the primary purpose of your role as a Verification and Test Engineer?
As a Verification and Test Engineer, my core responsibility is to ensure that devices fully comply with customer requirements and stringent space industry standards. Given the demanding nature of space missions, performance and reliability must be demonstrated through robust and traceable testing.
From a procedural perspective, this includes developing comprehensive test plans, detailed procedures and formal reports. We also support commissioning activities, establishing and refining test methodologies prior to the Test Readiness Review. Following approval at this milestone, procedures are formally baselined to guarantee that each flight model is tested in a consistent and controlled manner. This consistency ensures traceability, compliance with space standards and confidence in flight hardware performance.
What does the practical side of the role involve?
Operationally, the role is very hands on. It involves working within cleanroom environments, integrating and removing devices from camera systems, configuring burn-in modules and temperature cycling equipment, and conducting detailed electro-optical performance testing.
We also verify device integrity following environmental stresses such as vibration, shock and thermal cycling, ensuring there is no degradation in performance. The role requires analytical rigour, technical precision and close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.
It is a varied position that combines structured engineering processes with practical execution, which is something I particularly value.
Why is verification and testing such a critical stage in space programmes?
Verification and testing are fundamental to mission success. Devices must operate reliably in some of the harshest environments imaginable, so rigorous validation is essential.
How do you collaborate with other teams during the testing lifecycle?
Verifying requirements and testing is a highly collaborative process. While our team focuses primarily on electro-optical performance, devices are also transferred to environmental engineering teams for temperature cycling, vibration and shock testing.
After each environmental stage, the device returns to us for performance verification. Our responsibility is to confirm that no degradation or behavioural changes have occurred. This continuous feedback between teams ensures device robustness before flight qualification.
What happens if a device does not perform as expected during testing?
Unexpected results are an inherent part of engineering and often provide valuable learning opportunities. When this occurs, we carry out detailed investigations to determine whether the behaviour represents a defect, an integration issue or simply an intrinsic characteristic of the device.
This process frequently involves collaboration with other technical teams to compare historical data and share insights. The culture is very supportive and problem solving is approached collectively rather than in isolation.
What recent space missions have you been working on?
Most recently, I worked on devices for the International Mars Ice Mapper mission, which were delivered at the end of 2025. This project involved testing visible-IR detectors which can image both visible and infrared wavelengths. The detectors will differentiate between water ice and carbon dioxide ice on Mars, which will be crucial when identifying suitable landing sites for future human missions.
I have also contributed to characterisation testing for CHIME, a hyperspectral infrared mission. Contributing to missions with both scientific and long-term exploration impact has been particularly rewarding.
What do you find most rewarding about working in the space sector?
I have always known that I wanted to work in the space sector. It is innovative and constantly evolving.
Working in the space sector has given me the opportunity to travel internationally; completing internships in Europe, working in Japan and most recently I attended the International Space University's Space Summer Program in Houston. The global program brings together professionals from diverse disciplines including engineering, medicine and law to explore all aspects of space activity. It provided valuable insight into the broader ecosystem surrounding space exploration.
What I find most rewarding is knowing that our work can have an immediate impact on life on Earth, through our Earth sensing detectors, as well as our technology providing many years of discoveries through space exploration.
What advice would you offer to anyone considering a career in the global space sector?
My advice would be not to be deterred and to believe in yourself. Apply for opportunities even if they initially seem ambitious. If you do not try, you will never know what might have been possible.
The space sector benefits from diverse perspectives and talent, and perseverance is often key to progression.
