Charlotte Pouwels
Space Engineer, co-founder ICEE.Space
Living in Schiedam, The Netherlands
Charlotte Pouwels is a physicist, Galileo Satellite system engineer, and public speaker. As the CTO of ICEE.Space, she is a strong advocate for Women in STEAM. In 2019, Charlotte became an analog astronaut during the ESA EuroMoonMars EMMIHS-II mission at HI-SEAS in Hawaii.
In 2021, she co-founded ICEE.Space, a company focused on conducting analog missions worldwide to make space accessible to all. One of their key projects, CHILL-ICE, is an analog mission in Iceland. This mission tests prototype space habitats and suits by setting up an inflatable pressurized deployable habitat inside a lava tube within an 8-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) timeframe, simulating emergency situations on the Moon.
Between 2020 and 2021, Charlotte worked as a test engineer for Airbus Defence & Space in the Netherlands. She also provided guest lectures and keynotes, earning 3rd place in the ESA Champion 2021 public speaking award. In 2022, she began a role as a Galileo Security system engineer for the European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA) in Prague, representing CGI. Simultaneously, she pursued a master’s degree in space studies at the International Space University, researching the use of Augmented Reality Heads-In Displays in next-generation space suits.
From 2024, Charlotte has worked at the Galileo Launch & Space segment, working on the upcoming launches with the Ariane 62 rocket. Currently, Charlotte is transitioning to a new position as Galileo Space System engineer in Noordwijk, Netherlands.
