Zoe Ashford is a PhD student at Cranfield University, specialising in propulsion for hypersonic flight, having recently completed her Master’s degree in Astronautics and Space Engineering at Cranfield.
Why did she find the Plastron training useful?
“A lot of us on the Master’s course were very hands on with rocketry – we accessed the Plastron training via the Mach-22 Rocketry Competition. Two of my colleagues even built and fired a liquid rocket motor as part of their Master’s research project. However, academic engineering courses are not always the greatest at giving practical experience. There is a difference between academic rigour and industry expectations. To be successful in this industry you need both, and this course gave us a real insight into the required industry standards for the design and test of rocket propulsion systems.
The value of the Plastron course was that it gave an understanding of what we will need to fully comply with industrial practices, especially with regard to testing. There is a mindset difference here: in academia you must test and test until you get things right; in industry you must test and test until you can’t get things wrong! You simply must know that it is going to work.
The course also helped with our studies: safety elements, flow testing, leak tests. In engineering there are some things that students are not taught as part of their degrees, for example, the design of the propellant delivery pipework for a rocket.
This course would be helpful for anyone looking to design and build their own rocket motors and pursue a career in the industry. It adds professional value and will enhance your CV. The space industry in the UK currently struggles to provide training and opportunities for graduates with little to no experience, in contrast to other industries such as automotive or aviation which try to recruit and train young people. My previous experience is in the submarine industry, which was made a priority of identifying skills gaps and training people to fill them. The Plastron training is just the start for the UK space industry.”