She was rejected by NASA at 14, then unpacked a space toilet: Claire Parfitt’s unlikely journey from a teenage work-experience placement to leading Mars exploration studies at the European Space Agency

At 14, Claire Parfitt dreamed of working in space and applied to NASA, only to be rejected. She instead landed a work placement at Leicester’s National Space Centre, where she helped unpack a space toilet. More than two decades later, that unexpected first step has led her to the European Space Agency, where she now leads Mars exploration studies and helps shape future missions to the Red Planet.