Maleha Khan: Portsmouth beauty queen in Miss England final wants to go to space
Three Miss England finalists - including a former Portsmouth schoolgirl - are proving they have brains as well as beauty
A Portsmouth beauty queen is up against two other rocket scientists in the final of Miss England.
Maleha Khan, who went to Portsmouth High School and whose family live in Swanmore, is one of three women in the final who all want to be the first beauty queens to travel to outer space - after being inspired by the Artemis mission. She was crowned Miss Hampshire in November.
Maleha, Jessica Gagen and Maroon Rahman say they all want to inspire other women into STEM subjects after 'breaking down pageantry stereotypes' through their own careers.
And they believe the next giant leap for womankind might just come from a beauty queen after seeing the NASA programme which has broke records and captivated people the world over.
NASA's Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen have splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean after returning to the Moon.
Maleha, Jessica and Maroon believe the mission represents a shift in who gets to be part of space history - with women playing a central role like never before - and they can help inspire a new generation.
Maleha, 25, is a propulsion engineer working on the world’s first long-term hydrogen rocket design and also presents lectures at the Royal Aeronautical Society.
A pilot since just 15 years old, she secured four elite flying scholarships from the Royal Air Force, the British Women Pilots Association, and the Honourable Company of Air Pilots. She has flown five different aircraft and helicopters and became a Commander of an RAF University Air Squadron, leading 75 personnel.
With a Master’s degree in Spacecraft Engineering, Maleha has worked with the UK Space Agency, collaborating with NASA, the European Space Agency, UK Space Command, and British astronauts.
Speaking about the Artemis missions, Maleha described them as a "true marvel".
The reigning Miss Hampshire added: “The reason I’ve done all of my training is I dream one day of going into space. I continue to present lectures and speak at places such as the Royal Aeronautical Society and Farnborough International Airshow. Whilst taking to the skies and studying on the ground I aim to inspire others to follow curiosity.
"The Artemis mission is a true marvel not just because they allow for inter-solar system exploration and lunar activity, but because they also once again remind the world to dream, and be curious just as in everyone’s childhood. The astronauts are truly making history."
Maleha also hopes to become the first British Pakistani woman to go into space.
Jessica, who won Miss England 2022, used her platform to champion women in STEM through her Beauty with a Purpose project encouraging girls across the UK to pursue careers in science and engineering.
Maroon, a Miss England 2024 semi-finalist, is a graduate Systems Engineer with a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and works within the aerospace sector.
She is involved in the industry — contributing to organisations such as the Vulcan to the Sky Trust and attending major aviation events like RIAT.
Maroon, of Surrey, said: “The Artemis programme represents a new era of space exploration, redefining who gets to be part of that journey. Seeing women represented in such a historic programme sends a powerful message - that there is a place for them in space, science and engineering.”