Space Archaeologist Q&A

​How can we understand the future of space without uncovering the traces of our past?

On March 4, 2025, the Women’s Aerospace Network (WAN) is excited to announce that, for the first time, our ‘Day in the Life’ series will be a live event—featuring a special Q&A with Jessica Pearson, a leading space archaeologist, as the keynote speaker.

Jessica’s work focuses on the importance of heritage protection in space exploration, drawing on heritage management practices from Earth to guide how we identify and preserve significant objects and sites beyond our planet. She highlights the critical need for due diligence before clearing objects in orbit or landing on celestial bodies, ensuring harm avoidance and respect for cultural significance.

“Space archaeology isn’t just about what we’ve left behind—it’s about understanding our legacy and what it means for the future of exploration.” – Jessica Pearson

Why This Event Matters:
With women making up less than 30% of the global aerospace workforce, this event is a timely opportunity to highlight the transformative contributions of trailblazers like Jessica Pearson and inspire the next generation of leaders. WAN’s mission to amplify diverse voices in aerospace aligns with the global push for inclusion in STEM fields and beyond, making this event a critical conversation.

This live event is designed to be an engaging, interactive experience. Jessica will begin with a 20-minute talk about her career journey, the skills it takes to become a space archaeologist, and what she studied to break into the field. This will be followed by a 40-minute live Q&A, giving attendees the chance to ask questions, gain practical advice, and learn directly from Jessica’s expertise.

What Attendees Will Gain:
-Insights into Jessica’s career and the emerging field of space archaeology.
-A deeper understanding of the skills and educational paths that lead to a career in space archaeology.
-An opportunity to connect with Jessica in a live Q&A session.