Claire Parfitt, rejected by NASA when she applied for work experience at age 14, now leads Mars exploration study teams for the European Space Agency. At 42 years old, she works at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands within the agency's Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration. Her work focuses on designing and planning future robotic and human missions to the red planet.
Her career in space began close to home after the initial refusal from NASA. She secured a work placement at the then future National Space Centre in Leicester, which was preparing to open its doors in 2001.
When Parfitt arrived in Leicester, the facility was still gathering objects for its grand opening. Among the items was a space toilet that she helped unpack, clean, and conserve. Parfitt told the BBC that she had never seen a space toilet before and that observing technology built specifically for spaceflight conditions was very interesting.
During the placement, she also helped unpack a spacesuit worn by Helen Sharman, who became the first British person in space in 1991. Another major influence was the center's director at the time, Alex Hall, a woman leading a space science institution. Parfitt recalled that seeing Hall in that leadership role helped her imagine her own career in the space industry.
Spacecraft engineering and ExoMars mission
The placement served as Parfitt's entry into the space sector. She went on to study physics and earned a doctorate in spacecraft power systems engineering. Before joining the European Space Agency, she worked in the British space industry as a systems engineer on projects including ExoMars and SMILE.
In 2019, Parfitt moved to the Netherlands to join the agency's European Space Research and Technology Centre, where she specialized in Mars exploration studies. She contributed to the ExoMars program's Rosalind Franklin rover, which is designed to search for signs of past or present life and analyze the Martian subsurface.
The rover features a drill capable of reaching up to two meters deep. That depth is critical because organic molecules are better preserved beneath the surface, shielded from the ionizing radiation that affects upper layers. Scheduled for launch in late 2028, the rover will study samples collected from both the surface and underground.
Parfitt also worked on SMILE, a mission examining how Earth's magnetosphere responds to solar wind. Beyond individual missions, the agency noted that she has taken part in nine studies at its Concurrent Design Facility, where multidisciplinary teams create concepts ranging from small satellites to human habitats for early Mars explorers.
Mars exploration planning and international cooperation
Parfitt now serves as Mars Exploration Study Team Lead within the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration. In 2025, she participated in studies for the LightShip concept, which aims to make access to Mars easier using lower-cost space platforms.
She is also involved with the International Mars Exploration Working Group, an international forum created to foster cooperation and coordination among different Mars exploration programs worldwide.
For Parfitt, planning the future of Mars exploration requires looking far beyond any single mission. She affirmed that the launch of Rosalind Franklin in 2028 will be extremely exciting, but noted that a long list of challenges will remain afterward, particularly as Europe prepares for future human exploration. She stressed that Europe must carefully plan the coming decades to preserve Mars while obtaining the best possible scientific data.
