Profile
Bethany Clarke
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About Me:
I live in the North East of England, just outside Middlesbrough, with my husband. I’m a PhD Student who loves space, and I’m Scout and love spending my time hiking in the hills. I love running, reading, and playing board games!
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I’ve lived in the North East since late 2023. I grew up in Farnham, Surrey and then moved to Bath in the south-west of England to go to university. After I graduated, I moved to Bristol and lived there for 4 years, so I’ve lived at completely opposite ends of the country!
I’ve been in the Scouts since 2017, and have travelled around the world on Scout trips including to the USA and the Netherlands. I live near the North York Moors, so I try to get out hiking as often as I can.
I’m also a part of Billingham Running Club, and like to run 10km races. I do it to keep fit, but I also think its been great for my mental health, which is really important to me.
I’m a huge space geek, which is why I started my PhD in satellite communications! I have lots of space Lego in my office, including the Curiosity Rover and ISS, and can often be found wearing space-themed clothes! I also have a space blog (shecodesthecosmos.co.uk) and Instagram (@shecodesthecosmos) where I write about space and my work and show people what my job is like.
I also love spending time with my friends playing Board Games. Some of my favourites include Terraforming Mars, Wingspan and Takenoko. I also like to read, and my favourite book series is The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. I really like murder mysteries!
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My pronouns are:
she/her
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My Work:
I am a PhD Student working in the Applied Space Technology Laboratory at the University of Strathclyde. I am researching technologies to help keep satellites safe in orbit by helping them communicate with each other better.
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My research is concerned with keeping space sustainable for use in the future. The space industry is evolving from exclusive access by a few countries to widespread participation and data sharing. This shift, part of the NewSpace era, aims to make space more accessible to all. Despite the growing number of spacecraft and the expansion of space-based services, our management methods haven’t kept pace, posing risks to space safety and sustainability.
My project seeks to establish a community-led, decentralised approach to space operations using distributed ledger technology, promoting fair and secure decision-making. This Decentralised Autonomous Community in Space (DACS) will focus on improving the safety and efficiency of spacecraft manoeuvres in space through coordinated movements and machine-to-machine communications. The goal is to revolutionise the design and operation of space systems, ensuring a sustainable future for space exploration and use.
I chose this PhD because I think it will enable me to have a positive, tangible impact on our society and help keep space accessible to all. I am very passionate about ensuring humanity doesn’t lose access to space because of unsustainable actions, and I’m excited about being able to use my skills from working in the technology sector to help do that. Given that I took a different route into academia, it was important to me that a PhD built on the skill set that I’ve spent my entire career growing, but also pushed me towards my ultimate goal of working in the space sector. I’m fortunate that in past roles I have worked on satellite constellation projects, and it will be great to get back into that field but in a new way.
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My Typical Day:
I tend to start my day at 9:30am. Sometimes I work from home, and other times I am working at the Applied Space technology Lab in Glasgow. I spend a lot of my day reading research papers, coding, and writing notes. I also have meetings with the other researchers in my group to catch up and share interesting knowledge that we’ve learned. I’ll have a lunch break at around 1pm and then continue working until 5:30pm.
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Being a PhD student means spending a lot of time learning about the work other people have done in your field, and then trying to create new knowledge that adds to your field. It also means working with people across the world to do research together! The idea of creating new knowledge is really exciting.
I don’t have fixed working hours as a student, so I can be very flexible with my time if I have an appointment during the day. I’m quite a night owl, so sometimes I might start later because I prefer to work in the evenings.
When I’m in the Lab, my team normally go and get lunch together. I really like the social side of what I do.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
If I won the prize money, I would use it to invest in electronics equipment like Raspberry Pi computers or Lego robot building sets, that I could then use to explain my research to more people. I’d also love to get a 3D printer to make models of satellites that I could use during outreach talks.
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Education:
I went to Rowledge Primary School from Reception to Year 4, and then moved to South Farnham Primary School for Year 4 to Year 6.
I went to Weydon Secondary School for my GCSEs, and then studied at the Sixth Form College Farnborough for my A-Levels.
I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Bath. After graduating, I completed a Level 4 Software Development Apprenticeship with the British Computing Society.
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Qualifications:
GCSEs (2013):
- 11 A*s (grade 9) including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths, History, Spanish and Media Studies
- A in AS Level Use of Maths
A-Levels (2015):
- Maths – A*
- Physics – A
- Further Maths – B
- Extended Project Qualification – A*
- Philosophy (AS Level) – A
- Critical Thinking (AS Level) – B
Degree (2019):
- BSc Physics with Astrophysics – First Class
Apprenticeship (2021):
- Level 4 Software Development Apprenticeship: Distinction
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Work History:
I had my first job when I was a teenager. I worked part-time in a pub as a waitress whilst doing my GCSEs. I then got a new part-time job during college working as a receptionist at my local leisure centre.
I completed two internships with Lloyds Banking Group when I was at university, because I received a scholarship from them. I spent 10 weeks over the summer of 2016 working in their Digital team in Leeds. I then spent 10 weeks in the summer of 2017 working in their Financial Inclusion team in Bristol.
During my degree, I also completed a professional placement at PwC as an auditor. I did that for 11 months from 2017-18.
My first graduate role was as a software engineer at Capgemini Engineering, where I worked in the High Integrity Software Expertise Centre. I was responsible for testing software that kept people safe, such as emergency brakes on trains or satellite communications in remote locations. I worked as an apprentice for 18 months, and then worked full time for another two years. I worked here from 2019-2023.
In 2023 I moved to ROSEN, an oil and gas pipeline inspection company in Newcastle. I was a DevOps specialist there, working to support engineers developing technology that ensures the safety of pipelines across the world. I worked here for 14 months, until April 2024 which is when I started my PhD.
My career before my PhD has always been focused on software engineering, and helping to make technology that keeps people and the planet safe.
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Current Job:
PhD Student at the Applied Space Technology Laboratory
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Employer:
Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
space-loving engineer
What did you want to be after you left school?
Astronaut
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Yes, I got a couple of detentions for not listening in Computing. That's very funny now that I work with software every day!
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
I would work at a planetarium, running the stargazing shows!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Fall Out Boy
What's your favourite food?
Smoked Salmon
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
That I had a pet Otter, that I could speak another language fluently, and that I could ice skate.
Tell us a joke.
I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down!
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