Table of Contents
Happy International Women's Day 2025 to all of our female-identifying readers! According to the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress it will take until 2158 to reach full gender parity. As such, IWD2025's theme is:
"Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres."
To celebrate, our team has gone and found, translated, and compiled various celebratory posts from worldwide space agencies.
European Space Agency
Europe’s human spaceflight ambitions are reaching new heights, and ESA’s Astronaut Reserve is a key part of this journey. Selected in 2022, these talented individuals are undergoing Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) to ensure they are ready for future missions.
Among these remarkable women from across Europe are Meganne Christian, a materials scientist from the UK, Anthea Comellini, an aerospace engineer from Italy, and Carmen Possnig, a medical doctor from Austria, who recently completed their first ART training block at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany.
Their diverse scientific backgrounds reflect the wide-ranging expertise needed for human spaceflight, whether as part of ESA’s astronaut class, mission planners, or scientists shaping the future of space exploration. Beyond their work with ESA, they are also driving innovation, advancing research, and strengthening the broader space sector. Women play key roles across ESA and beyond, contributing as leaders and experts in these areas.
Meganne, Anthea and Carmen recently completed their first ART training block at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. In this image, they are pictured inside a mockup of the Columbus module, Europe’s permanent laboratory on the International Space Station.
The training covered key areas such as human behaviour and performance to develop teamwork and decision-making skills in high-pressure environments. They also received physical fitness training, scuba certification in ESA’s Neutral Buoyancy Facility, and media training to effectively communicate the importance of space exploration to the public.
In addition to technical and operational skills, they explored fundamental science, including biology experiments conducted on the International Space Station. Their training also includes insights into space policy, mission operations, and the latest advancements in space technology.
While members of the Astronaut Reserve are not yet assigned to specific missions, their training ensures that they are prepared for potential future opportunities through commercial spaceflight.
Original ESA text here.
China Manned Space Agency
Via taikonaut Wang Haoze onboard the Tiangong Space Station
Hello everyone, I'm Wang Haoze, an astronaut of the Shenzhou-19 mission currently carrying out a six-month mission aboard the China Space Station. We're now halfway through our time in orbit, and our space life remains busy yet fulfilling.
In my leisure moments, I often gaze through the observation window at Earth, the breathtaking beauty of the blue planet suspended in the vast cosmos never fails to move me. At such times, I always remember that small but tenacious girl back on Earth who firmly believed education could change her destiny. The girl who refused to bow to repeated hardships, who courageously embarked on her own journey to reach for the stars. She was me in the past, and she represents every woman who dares to dream and perseveres in pursuit of her aspirations.
As International Women's Day approaches, I send my blessings from space to all my female compatriots: May you become the bright moon that illuminates the night, the twinkling stars that adorn the sky, or your own radiant sun that shines with unique brilliance. In this season of spring's warmth and vibrant scenery, let's continue striving together. Happy Women's Day!
Orignal video here. Translation by Brie Archambault, of Cosmic Nxws.
Canadian Space Agency
This International Women’s Day, let's celebrate women's achievements as well as one stellar woman: Dr. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman and the first neurologist in space.
✨ She is an astronaut, neurologist, physician, science researcher, photographer, author, and public speaker.
✨ She launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on Mission STS-42. During the 8-day mission, she conducted over 40 scientific experiments in the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) to study the effects of microgravity on the human body and its ability to recover.
Original CSA post here. Additionally, the CSA reposted the following infographic.
NASA
NASA has not released a celebratory post due to the present hostile administration in the United States, however history cannot be erased. As such, we are sharing the agency's article from 2023's International Women's Day.
On this International Women’s Day, March 8, 2023, NASA celebrates the women responsible for helping return humanity to the Moon, including the first woman and first person of color under NASA’s Artemis missions. Artemis launch director – and NASA’s first woman launch director – Charlie Blackwell-Thompson leads her launch team, which is composed of about 30% women, into a new era of space exploration.
Since the early days at NASA, starting with the Mercury Program, women have helped pave the way for some of the agency’s greatest achievements, and their roles continue to grow today. When Apollo 11 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA’s JoAnn Morgan was the only woman engineer working in Firing Room 1 of Kennedy’s Launch Control Center. The number of women holding positions within Artemis has grown exponentially across the agency and NASA remains dedicated to maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Through Artemis, NASA will establish long-term lunar science and exploration capabilities on the Moon and inspire the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation.
