Inspirational rocket scientist visits West Norfolk students

Rocket scientist and pilot Maleha Khan inspired students at a West Norfolk high school which she visited thanks to help from RAF Marham.

Maleha Khan’s world changed at the age of 15 when she first saw the world-renowned Red Arrows display team and decided the sky wasn’t going to be the limit. She has gone on an incredible journey to study rocket propulsion for her PhD while also learning to fly commercial planes.

English Lead at St Clement's High School, Eliza Bennell said students asked a wide range of questions, including why hydrogen was a good fuel for a rocket and what was Maleha’s favourite plane to pilot.

“Her story was so inspirational to the students, especially a young female involved in the UK space industry, as a pilot - someone who has accomplished despite a lot of barriers.

“All the students and staff were captivated by her achievements and she is such a positive female role model in areas which are male-dominated."

Maleha joined the Air Cadets, despite coming from a family of doctors, and took her first flight within the organisation. She won four flying scholarships and learnt to fly five different types of plane to achieve her pilot’s licence in 2022.

She also studied her master’s degree in Spacecraft Engineering and went on to teach rocket science to women in Saudi Arabia and she also worked for the UK Space Agency. As if that wasn’t enough, Maleha also made it to the semi-finals of Miss England this year.

Her amazing story was revealed to almost 200 students at the school, a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, when she arrived thanks to connections at RAF Marham and Wing Cmdr Martin Williamson who facilitated the event.

“He introduced Maleha to the school and she very kindly agreed to deliver a seminar and engage with the students about her education, career and experiences in the space industry,” said Librarian Jenny Ford.

“RAF Marham is a key source of career opportunities for students in engineering, logistics and aircrew. Maleha is passionate about international collaboration and empowering the next generation of students, particularly women, to thrive in the Science, Technology, Education and Maths (STEM) and the space industry,” she added.