Sian Cleaver, a 36-year-old spacecraft engineer from Chelmsford, says the "Essex girl" stereotype never held her back from pursuing a career in space. She helped build components of the European Service Module for NASA's Artemis II while working for Airbus in Germany. Artemis II was delayed from February to an early-April window after a test issue and will carry four astronauts, including Christina Koch, on a 10-day lunar orbit. Cleaver urges more visible female role models in STEM and regularly speaks at schools to inspire girls.
‘Essex Girl’ Label Didn’t Hold Me Back, Says Airbus Spacecraft Engineer Working On Artemis II
"I don't think stereotypes like that have ever bothered me," says Sian Cleaver [Noel Christ/Airbus]
Sian Cleaver, 36, from Chelmsford, Essex, says the stereotype of the "Essex girl" never stopped her from pursuing a childhood ambition to work in space. Cleaver is a spacecraft engineer at Airbus in Germany and was part of the team that built elements of the European Service Module for NASA's Orion spacecraft on the Artemis II mission.
Until 2020 the Oxford English Dictionary included a pejorative entry defining an "Essex girl" as "unintelligent, promiscuous and materialistic". Cleaver says that label never limited her personally: she never felt compelled to follow particularly stereotypical "girlie" trends and has long been driven by a fascination with astronomy.
She traces her interest back to her school years at Chelmsford County High School and later studied physics at Durham University. Cleaver now speaks regularly at schools to broaden children's perceptions of who can work in engineering and space science.
Christina Koch (far left) is the only female crew member of Artemis II [NASA]
"I don't think stereotypes like that have ever bothered me. If you've got big ambitions and it feels like people are bogging you down, just go for it anyway," Cleaver said. "I always wanted to be an astronaut — that dream still inspires me."
Artemis II And Cleaver's Role
Artemis II, originally scheduled to launch in February, was delayed after a pre-test flight revealed a technical issue and is now targeting an early-April window. The mission will carry four astronauts, including Christina Koch, on a roughly 10-day flight that will orbit the Moon and bring them closer to the lunar surface than any humans have been since 1972.
Cleaver's team in Bremen produced the large solar arrays for the European Service Module, which will power the Orion spacecraft during the mission. She described the opportunity to contribute to a programme that may see the first woman land on the Moon as a privilege.
"Diversity brings different perspectives and a different way of working, and it's a real shame that it is not more visible," she said. "There's definitely not enough role models, particularly at higher levels."
Women In STEM
More than 9.4 million people work in STEM across the UK, yet women represent roughly 25% of that workforce, according to Women in Tech. Cleaver says she often feels she must push harder than some of her peers to progress — a frustration compounded by the sense of responsibility that comes from being a visible role model for younger women.
She added: "The fact that we are going back to the Moon — a whole generation hasn't lived through a Moon landing — and we are about to live that again. I do feel very privileged to be part of making history."
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