Andrea Boyd
Flight Controller · International Space Station
“As a kid I loved LEGOs, building things out of wood, taking apart things and putting them back together. Later on in primary school I was inspired watching Chief Engineer Torres on Star Trek Voyager. I learned the word ‘engineer’, saw her making everything electrical and mechanical work in space as a job and was determined to do that too. The International Space Station was being built and I knew that was the project I wanted to be a part of, at the European Space Agency to have the perfect mix of space, engineering, multiple languages and cultures.”
Andrea went on to earn her degree in Mechatronic Engineering at The University of Adelaide with additional study at Yeungnam University in South Korea for Robotics and Mechanical Engineering. “I chose Mechatronics because the degree combines mechanical, electrical and computer systems, which makes you both niche and versatile.”
Andrea is a Flight Controller Engineer for the International Space Station at the European Astronaut Centre in Germany. She works as Eurocom (European CAPCOM) on console as the voice conversing with the astronauts while they’re working on science in space. “Eurocoms are like an interface, and the final sanity check both ways so to speak, as they represent the crew on ground and all the scientists up in space. I’m proud that I’ve built my career as an international space station flight controller even though I did not come from a technical background and there is no space agency nor industry in my country.”
“As an engineer, I know there’s lots of solutions, so find the next one. Find a better one, try something different. Keep looking ahead. Nothing is above your ability if you make a goal, make a game plan and make it happen.”
