Farah Diya Yasmine, House of Representatives for the Republic of Indonesia

Law and space are Farah’s top two passions, and she’s found a way to combine them. In addition to her full-time job as a legislative drafter for the Secretariat General for the House of Representatives for the Republic of Indonesia, she’s founder and president of Farah Law School, her educational outreach platform, and an independent legal researcher focused on space law. 

What’s your aerospace origin story?   

I grew up with dyslexia, which influenced my abilities in reading and writing. I avoided studying a lot back then, but fortunately I have a caring big brother. He realized my struggle with literacy, and he introduced me to a bunch of illustration books. Most of them were about animals, but I looked at one book by Steve McClure called “Alam Semesta dan Bumi,” which means “The Universe and Earth Science.” One of the pages depicted a beautiful and colorful nebula, which was unusual for me to see as a kid.

I reconnected again with my passion for space while studying law in university. There, I received my specialization in international law because it had space law as a subject. It was the university’s first such cohort and had only three of us students. My thesis focused on the moon’s natural resources for countries, and the concepts I explored there supported my journey in space law research through today.

Favorite thing about your job?   

In my work as an independent researcher in the space sector, I have learned a lot of new things, which I love, and it gives me a multidisciplinary perspective. In my educational work, I enjoy sharing with the indigenous people of Madura Island — my community — about my favorite subject and supporting their learning and opportunities in the space sector. I love seeing people’s expressions when I tell them how space is a vital infrastructure for us.

What motivates you?   

I want to introduce space access to a wider audience, especially underrepresented groups, so they can be aware of how space utilization affects our welfare. I hope to generate like-minded space actors who have a mutual understanding of long-term peaceful, sustainable and cooperative use of space. I also hope that all countries in this world, especially emerging countries, could collaboratively experience space missions.

What tech outside your field that fascinates you?   

Biotechnology, as it could support us and other living creatures to adapt in microgravity or excel in research that could not be conducted on Earth due to distinct environments. It feels like taking a science fiction movie closer to reality.

What will the world look like in 2050?   

I think automation practices will be more advanced and controlled. Space would be far more accessible as a new area for research and capitalization. I also think space education and missions would follow standards with morals and multicultural skills with the expectation of forming generations with peaceful, sustainable and cooperative visions.