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Moroccan astrophysicist Meriem Elyajouri has broken barriers by becoming the first Moroccan woman to be part of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which oversees NASA’s major space missions, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

The Space Telescope Science Institute, located on the Johns Hopkins University campus in Baltimore, is among the top astronomy research centers globally.

From its command centers, researchers oversee observations, handle extensive data collections, and offer resources utilized by astronomers across the globe.

Elyajouri, raised in Morocco and later studying in France, obtained her doctorate in astrophysics in 2018 from the Observatoire de Paris.

Her dissertation, which was awarded the International Astronomical Union Ph.D. Prize, centered on the diffuse interstellar bands—faint, century-old cosmic signals that continue to be one of astronomy’s long-standing enigmas.

She subsequently served as a teaching and research assistant, spent time at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, and received a fellowship from France’s National Center for Space Studies (CNES) at the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale.

There, she played a role in significant initiatives involving NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, such as research on the Orion Bar, the Horsehead Nebula, and the Iris Nebula.

At the Space Telescope Science Institute, Elyajouri examines interstellar dust within star-forming areas of the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies like the Small Magellanic Cloud and the Whirlpool Galaxy. Her research provides insights into how cosmic dust changes over time and how it affects the process of star and planet formation.

In addition to her research, she has been actively involved in promoting science within Morocco. She established the Nomads for Science program, co-led SpaceBus Morocco, and arranged astronomical events in remote desert areas as part of the Stars of the Little Prince project.

She also held the position of National Outreach Coordinator for Morocco within the International Astronomical Union, served as vice president of the Atlas Dark Sky Foundation, and co-chaired the 2024 African Astronomical Society conference.

Elyajouri’s contributions have earned her global acclaim, such as the 2022 Early Career Researcher of the Year Award at Morocco’s Festival d’Astronomie d’Ifrane, inclusion on The New Africa Magazine’s “100 Young and Exceptional Africans” list in 2024, and the Camille Flammarion Prize for Science Communication in 2025.

Considering her path, Elyajouri shared on social media:As a child, the sky was my sole gateway to the infinite. I didn’t own a telescope or have a guide, but I had an intense drive and a family that offered strong support. That very sky has now led me all the way to the United States, where I’ve become part of the Space Telescope Science Institute. It is a great honor to bring a piece of Morocco into the core of international space science.

The post A Moroccan astrophysicist makes history as the first woman from the Kingdom to be admitted into NASA’s Space Telescope Institute appeared first on English – Morocco News.