Elke Knopf always knew she wanted a constructive career.
“From an early age, I wanted to do something practical and concentrate on craftsmanship,” she said.
Her aspirations drew her to the world of engineering, and Knopf went on to study technical precision engineering for optical and mechanical components.
Knopf was introduced to aerospace during an apprenticeship as a mechanic at Zeiss, a manufacturer of optical systems and optoelectronics, which are electronic devices that source, detect, and control light, in Jena, Germany.
“There is definitely something very special about our industry that captivated me from the start and makes me proud to be part of it,” she said.
Knopf continued to work with optical systems, and today she is the mechanics team lead for the production of star trackers at Jena-Optronik GmbH—a company that designs and manufactures orbit control sensors, space optics, and electronics for satellites—and is also located in Jena. In her role, Knopf leads a production team for the star trackers that will help the Orion spacecraft navigate during Artemis missions to the Moon.
The star trackers built by Jena-Optronik are sensitive cameras that take pictures of the star field around Orion. By comparing the pictures to its built-in map of stars, the star tracker can determine which way Orion is oriented and help ensure the spacecraft is traveling in the right direction. Two star trackers will fly on the first three Artemis missions.
“I love my job,” Knopf said. “It fascinates me, and it makes me proud that the technology made by our team will go to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Every mission is pure goosebumps, and I try to forward that feeling and motivation to everybody on my team every day.”
Learn more about the Orion spacecraft: