{"id":513231,"date":"2026-03-09T15:59:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T15:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/513231\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T15:59:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T15:59:20","slug":"meet-the-israeli-woman-breaking-barriers-in-space-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/513231\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Israeli Woman Breaking Barriers in Space | News"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \u201cI\u2019m also the youngest to be selected. But the important thing is to highlight my achievements, not my gender,\u201d she told\u00a0JNS\u00a0in a recent interview ahead of International Women\u2019s Day on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Her achievements are impressive. A senior scientist and space researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Beersheva, she established and heads the United Nations\u2019 regional support office in Israel for space-based information supporting disaster management and emergency response (UN-SPIDER), represents Israel on the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and serves as vice chair of the Earth Observations Committee at the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).<\/p>\n

Maman also founded \u201cShe Space,\u201d a BGU educational project that encourages high school girls to become involved in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) studies. The project won the IAF\u2019s annual Excellence in 3G Diversity Award in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When she discusses the progress made by the teenage participants, she speaks with pride and passion. She encourages her students to dream big and look at the stars, but also to keep their feet firmly on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpace is not only about exploration. It is a strategic infrastructure that underpins national resilience, economic growth, security and scientific excellence,\u201d she said. \u201cLeading the ISA is a responsibility to shape a forward-looking space ecosystem by nurturing talent, enabling industry and advancing cutting-edge research.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toward new frontiers<\/p>\n

Maman is leading the ISA boldly toward new frontiers. Indeed, her entire worldview is built on a single philosophy: \u201cSpace is not just for exploration. It\u2019s a tool that can\u2014and absolutely should\u2014be used to focus on urgent, down-to-earth issues and to save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

For example, in February 2023, a massive earthquake struck Turkey. Tens of thousands of people were killed, and rescue missions were rushing to get there from around the world.<\/p>\n

At the same time, totally by chance, Maman happened to be at Ben-Gurion International Airport with some of her She Space students, and they ran into an Israeli rescue team from United Hatzalah that was on its way to the disaster zone. A member of the team jokingly asked, \u201cWhat can you do to help? Get me a satellite picture of the area?\u201d<\/p>\n

Maman immediately called ISI, a leading Israeli provider of space-based intelligence solutions, and the images she managed to get were the very first satellite photos in the world to reach the rescue teams on the ground. They helped find survivors in the rubble and get them out.<\/p>\n

However, she said, \u201cthe applications are not limited to disaster scenarios. For instance, the expansion of certain towns in the Negev is causing friction with wildlife. To alleviate the situation, they\u2019re using satellites to track environmental changes and combine that data with motion cameras on the ground and even an AI system that can analyze an animal\u2019s body language to see if it\u2019s stressed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe core information comes from satellites. It\u2019s space that is directly connected to the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creating \u2018real benefits for society\u2019<\/p>\n

Her role, she said, \u201cis to ensure that space technologies translate into real benefits for society, ranging from climate monitoring and disaster preparedness to education and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, \u201c50 percent of the data we could gain about climate change comes from satellites. People don\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a pilot program in the southern Israeli town of Omer, her student Maria teaches residents important tools for preparedness. \u201cFirst of all\u2013know your tech,\u201d Maman said. \u201cDo you even know if your smartphone has satellite capabilities? Most of us don\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRecent regional events highlight that space is an integral part of our national security infrastructure,\u201d Maman explained. \u201cSpace-based systems enable situational awareness, anticipation, and preparedness\u2013transforming information into actionable insight. In an age of multi-domain threats, national resilience depends not only on what surrounds us, but also on what operates above us.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Maman, \u201cthe current security reality makes it unmistakably clear that space is no longer a future domain; it is an operational one. Space-based capabilities support decision-making, early warning, and real-time situational understanding. In an era when threats transcend traditional boundaries, superiority is shaped not only at sea, in the air, or on land, but also by our ability to see, interpret, and act from space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maman is married with two children\u2014an 18-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter. \u201cIt\u2019s very demanding, but I prioritize, like with everything else,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the children were very young, they have been used to the activity. My career started a long time ago. Luckily for me, I have a very, very good relationship with my spouse, who is very supportive. We\u2019re very good partners. He has a PhD in physics, and he also works for BGU.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was also a wonderful opportunity for the kids to learn. When my children were very young, I often tried to turn some work trips into family trips when possible. Coming back to the hotel or apartment in the evening and not being alone made those intense travel periods much more meaningful. It was a real privilege for them as well, because growing up, they were exposed to many places, cultures, and experiences. In many ways, it became a win-win situation, and they gained a lot from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maman was also privileged to travel in her youth. Her parents, originally from Morocco, were\u00a0shlichim\u00a0(emissaries) for the Jewish Agency.\u00a0When she was a month old, the family moved to Brazil until she was five. They went back to Israel for four years and then moved to Toronto for four years before returning to Israel.<\/p>\n

\u2018I want students to dare to do something they have never done before\u2019<\/p>\n

Asked by JNS how the She Space program helps young women advance in the field, she replied: \u201cMainly, I provide them with the opportunity to gain experience. The program is designed for high school girls, and the reason is that when they enter university, it\u2019s often too late to switch majors. In high school, they\u2019re at a stage where we could influence their decision and remove many barriers and social prejudices.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added, \u201cIt\u2019s a very demanding program. I won\u2019t lie. It\u2019s very serious. A student in 10th grade does work at a master\u2019s level. But it\u2019s doable. Everything they need to learn, they will learn. We invest in them, but they must be very motivated to stay in the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want students who want to learn and who dare to do something they have never done before. We have had incredible results. This program has operated in 11 countries. We ran international programs, and the exciting part is that they present their results among other partners worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fun part,\u201d she continued, \u201cis that some of them traveled to places where, otherwise, they would never have gone. In fact, we were the first Israeli youth group to go to the United Arab Emirates after the Abraham Accords were signed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur girls won third place in a competition in South Korea against people with 10 years of experience in the industry. These are high school girls. I\u2019m so proud of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her daughter is not pursuing the field, Maman said; she plans to become a doctor. \u201cBut speaking of my daughter, the program started with her asking me, at the age of four and a half, why I don\u2019t have any female friends who are astronauts. She grew up having dinners and lunches with astronauts because of my job. I had never noticed that all she was seeing were men.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how the She Space program started. That\u2019s what sparked the program.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018We are going back to the moon\u2019<\/p>\n

Beresheet, Israel\u2019s first lunar spacecraft, launched by SpaceIL from Cape Canaveral, FL, on Feb. 22, 2019, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, crashed during its landing attempt on April 11, 2019, after a malfunction in its main engine caused it to lose control in the final moments before touchdown.<\/p>\n

A brand-new national innovation lab is getting a 60-million-shekel ($19.5 million) budget, Maman said. Its purpose is to supercharge startups that are researching the space sector.<\/p>\n

This is paving the way for Israel\u2019s next big ambition. \u201cWe are going back to the moon,\u201d Maman declared. \u201cNASA\u2019s Artemis Accords are not only about returning to the moon. They are about shaping how humanity explores space together, responsibly and cooperatively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israel is planning to send its first woman to space, an initiative led by Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Gila Gamliel.<\/p>\n

Why specifically a woman? \u201cPromoting any sector of society promotes society as a whole,\u201d Maman said. \u201cIt all comes down to one goal: to make life better for people on earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

“\/>
\n <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\"12f3fcbd-5641-4768-af39-f13562033c2c-1-2000x1125.jpg\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRecent regional events highlight that space is an integral part of our national security infrastructure,\u201d Dr. Shimrit Tirosh Maman, head of the Israel Space Agency, told JNS.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cI\u2019m also the youngest to be selected. But the important thing is to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513232,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4,450,451,803,3,452,453],"class_list":["post-513231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-headlines","tag-israel","tag-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}