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Team Tumbleweed is thrilled to share that our Science & Organization Lead Onė Mikulskytė has been recognized with the Student Leadership Award in the 2024 Women’s Space Awards.
The awards are organized by the Women’s Aerospace Network (WAN), and honor women making significant contributions across diverse fields in the industry. In its first edition, WAN received more than 150 nominees across 35 countries.
Onė joined Team Tumbleweed in 2020 and has been co-leading the organization since 2022, alongside Julian Rothenbuchner. She’s responsible for the Science and Organization departments, leading 20+ people of diverse backgrounds.
Originally from Vilnius, Lithuania, Onė is currently pursuing an MSc in Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, after completing her undergraduate studies at Amsterdam University College in 2022.
“I feel humbled and honored and I hope I can inspire the youth to pursue a career in the space industry,” said Onė. “Growing up in a family of teachers and doctors, it felt natural for me to study physics, but I only learned about the aerospace industry in my university years.”
“Women’s representation matters and it’s important to give visibility to the women moving the industry forward. I’m glad that the Women’s Aerospace Network offers a platform to echo this message,” she added. “A special thanks to the Lithuanian people for their support and my colleagues at Team Tumbleweed for working towards our bold vision of making deep space accessible to everyone.”
The Women’s Aerospace Network, led by NASA Engineer Holly Pascal, was founded in early 2024 with the mission to build a community that shares a passion for aerospace.
“The Student Leadership award recognizes students that demonstrate exceptional leadership skills,” said Holly. “Leading an organization that is paving the road to Mars is no small feat. We’re happy to reward Onė Mikulskytė’s outstanding achievements and we look forward to seeing Team Tumbleweed reach the Red Planet under her leadership.”
Onė has received overwhelming support from peers, industry leaders, and global space organizations, but also from the broader public, especially in her country of origin, Lithuania. The country’s minister of Economy, Ausrine Armonaite, called out to the Lithuanian people to vote for Onė, and fellow citizens made sure she was number one.
Since the award nomination, Onė has received multiple invitations from the country’s top media outlets, including the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LTR).
However, Onė is not one to rest on her laurels. This month, she will join the International Space University’s Space Studies Program in Houston, TX, where she will continue to grow the leadership skills and industry knowledge needed to take Team Tumbleweed all the way to Mars.
For further information, please contact office@teamtumbleweed.eu.