She was rejected by NASA at 14, then unpacked a space toilet: Claire Parfitt’s unlikely journey from a tee
- Posted on August 14, 2026
- By Business News Today
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She was rejected by NASA at 14, then unpacked a space toilet: Claire Parfitt’s unlikely journey from a tee
At 14, Claire Parfitt dreamed of working in space and applied to NASA, only to be rejected. She instead landed a work placement at Leicesters 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.
