Dr. Carmen Köhler: “We need more females in space”
Dr. Carmen Köhler is a true role model for men and women alike. As an “analogue astronaut” she explores Mars-like environments on earth and she is also a founder of the primary school competition Code4Space.
In this episode of REWRITE TECH, we talk to Dr. Carmen Köhler about Mars simulation missions, women in space, and how her passion has led to a very unique career.
How to become an analogue astronaut
The first thing people stumble upon when getting to know Dr. Köhler is her unusual career path. Born in Berlin, Dr. Köhler always loved maths, but she didn’t think she was capable of studying it. In consequence, she followed her second passion and made an apprenticeship to become a hairdresser. But then serendipity came into her life in the form of a client.
The client was a professor and they started to talk about books. When Carmen mentioned that she was currently reading Fermat’s Last Theorem, which is a book about mathematical proof, the professor was astonished. From that day on, he started to bring her mathematical programs and encouraged her to finally study the subject.
“I gave myself half a year after the hairdressing to become a make-up artist and then I studied maths. The first time I sat in the university and the professor started writing equations over equations, I was totally in love,” Dr. Köhler recalls.
The next turning point was the Austrian Space Forum, which was looking for an analogue astronaut. Carmen took the chance and eventually got the job. She explains: “Analogue astronauts are actually people who do science on Mars-like environments on earth.”
Dr. Carmen Köhler, why should we explore Mars?
The goal of these missions is to find out how the human body reacts to certain circumstances, both physically and mentally. Analogue astronauts are commissioned by universities or private sponsors to find answers to their questions. “As an astronaut, you’re the eyes and hands of the scientists,” describes Dr. Köhler.
“I think as humans, we are explorers. We are curious and we want to know things”
But the learning generated on Mars is not only relevant if we want to populate other planets, as Dr. Köhler clarifies: “What we learn in space, we can use for the earth and I think that is really important.” For example, spaceflights induce bone loss, which makes those flights an accelerated model for drug testing. Thanks to research on the International Space Station, a new therapy for osteoporosis could be found.
Is space made for women?
Since men and women produce different hormones, they also react differently to the environment of space. That’s why it’s so important to diversify the team and collect data. “We need data to know how our body and psychology react and what it has to do with our chemistry. For example, women in space have fewer problems with their eyes and ears than men.”
As the first female analogue astronaut, Dr. Köhler experienced some of these problems first-hand. The spacesuit and the shoes are made for men and are therefore quite heavy and large.
“We need more women, but we also need to make things better for women,” concludes Dr. Köhler. In her view, it’s important to have pioneers to guide the way and make space more inclusive for women. With her work, Dr. Köhler is one of these necessary forerunners.
Listen to REWRITE TECH with Dr. Carmen Köhler
Listen to the full conversation with Dr. Carmen Köhler on our REWRITE TECH Podcast, which is available on all common audio streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Don’t miss out on our other episodes including Janina Mütze from Civey or André Christ from LeanIX.
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