Her entry into space came late in life, without preconceived ideas or intellectual constraints. This is a good thing because Julie Lespagnol finds herself pushing the boundaries of what is possible at Airbus Defence & Space. “My job, which includes satellite and rover projects, is to identify in advance all the problems that may arise and to define the procedures to be implemented,” sums up this engineer who graduated from Estaca and has been with the aircraft manufacturer for less than a year.
At 35, she must carry out a mission that is certainly technical, but also fundamentally human, since she must bring together many disciplines. Building bridges between people and technologies is her specialty. Which she cultivates by all means, such as during the treks she organizes to meet other communities. Julie Lespagnol also has another position at Airbus, making the most of her talent as a matchmaker. “I am leading a working group aimed at establishing a roadmap for the development of possible future roversshe says. In particular, this involves defining what the common R&D subjects will be between the different departments concerned.” Rover, once again, the term comes back. Anything but a coincidence…
From car racing to space rovers
Because Julie Lespagnol’s ability to see the big picture, and to be particularly interested in what rolls in space, can be explained by the original circumstances of her early career. As soon as she left school, she rushed towards motorsport. “I completed my end-of-study internship in Sébastien Loeb’s team as a performance engineer,” she enjoys telling. For her, who has had a series of experiences in high-level automobile construction, the path seems clear.
She moved to Volvo in Sweden, still as a performance engineer. She followed a vehicle’s data during tests and races, then transmitted it to the design office in order to increase the machine’s performance. “I tried to bring together different disciplines, by encouraging exchanges between professions that rarely spoke to each other,” she recalls. For her, the car is a puzzle, with each piece corresponding to a different area.
Space, a childhood dream
She then deployed her skills in Germany, for teams working with BMW and Porsche before joining Hyundai Motorsport. She was promoted to chief engineer for the company’s first electric car dedicated to motor racing. A huge source of pride. “Following Covid, despite having achieved all the objectives with my team despite the budget cuts, it was decided to stop the development of the vehicle,” she remembers. Then follows a work of introspection. A situation report that will prove to be beneficial. And will lead her towards space, “a childhood dream”She is doing a one-year master’s degree at the International Space University in Strasbourg.
Then she went straight to Airbus and settled in the British site of Stevenage. When she found the time, Julie Lespagnol devoted herself to watercolours. We imagine her to be a master in the art of sfumato. A technique attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, consisting of painting without lines or contours. But ultimately generating a perfect overall harmony.
The work that characterizes her
“Where I will continue to be”, by Linda Bortoletto
“When traveling, we are afraid of meeting people who do not think like us. This book invites us to listen and observe in order to better understand others.”
Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
