Offaly girl, 12, one step closer to astronaut dream after attending prestigious space camp

A young Offaly girl is one step closer to fulfilling her dream of becoming an astronaut after attending the European Space Agency (ESA) space camp which took place in Stockholm earlier this summer.

Jessica Reams, 12, from Screggan, Tullamore attended the 30th edition of the ESA camp between July 23 and August 2.

The two-week event offered some of the brightest young minds an insight into the inner workings of space exploration as well as outdoor activities, creative workshops and absorbing Swedish culture.

Places for the camp were very limited with priority given to staff of ESA and their friends and family before a limited number of places were reserved for members of the public to attend. Jessica was lucky enough to secure her place and was the only Irish person as part of the group.

Jessica is set to start first year in Tullamore College this September where she will continue her education with the hope of doing a Masters in Engineering in UCD at third-level. Her goal, ultimately, is to become an astronaut and she is already making huge strides towards fulfilling that ambition at such an early age.

She has been working towards that dream ever since she was young – having been inspired by reading books, watching rocket launches and the Mars Rover landings on YouTube. She is part of the Midlands Astronomy Club, led by Seanie Morris.

Well-renowned Irish scientist and engineer Dr. Niamh Shaw was also a huge source of inspiration for Jessica growing up.

Dr. Shaw is one of Ireland’s leading science communicators and STEAM specialists, and has enjoyed a very-decorated career.

Jessica finally got the opportunity to meet her hero at a talk in UCD back in 2022 which furthered her ambition to follow in Dr. Shaw’s footsteps and succeed in the industry.

When Jessica learned of the ESA space camp, she set it as a goal to attend, a dream she was finally able to turn into a reality this year. Her father said: “She was over the moon when the news came through that she’d be going to the space camp, it was one of her dreams.”

The bright young student made the decision to begin learning German to help in her communication with other attendees in the camp. She succeeded by having it formally recognised as one of her languages when attending the two-week long event in the Swedish capital.

Being driven is nothing new for Jessica who participated in the Community Games in 2023, leaving empty-handed only to return the following year and win gold in Carlow in the ball throw event.

This is a prime example of her determined nature which will be an important trait for the career she’s hoping to carve out for herself in the future.

It’s all a collective effort as her father added: “We’ll go through hell or high water to help her achieve her goals, we know how driven she is.”

Jessica has also been applying that determination on the sporting front as she plays several sports such as football, basketball, camogie, soccer and rugby for local teams around Tullamore.

The fortnight-long experience at the ESA camp gave attendees the opportunity to explore space, build rockets, design moon habitats and programme robots with experts from the industry.

Being surrounded by like-minded peers from around Europe was an unforgettable experience for Jessica.

Tullamore native Kim Cowley who is a Maintenance Manager at ESA and her husband, Aidan – a Science Officer also at the ESA – have been an instrumental part of Jessica’s journey so far.

Attending the space camp has been another target achieved in what has been an exciting start to a potentially extraordinary career for Jessica.

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Offaly girl, 12, one step closer to astronaut dream after attending prestigious space camp

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