Rosaly Lopes

Rosaly M. C. Lopes

Rosaly M. C. Lopes (born January 8, 1957) is a planetary geologist, volcanologist, an author of numerous scientific papers and several books, as well as a proponent of education.

Quotes

• Just showing a woman, in Houston’s [Texas, United States] control centre, was a very great inspiration for me,”
• "I am optimistic, I think that we will discover ways of using energy that do not cause global warming. The problem is that the question has become more political than scientific."
• "Inclusion is important because science needs talent, it needs dedicated people, and it does not matter it they are men or women, of different ethnicities, or anything. It is important to have youths aimed at a career in sciences and technology because it is our future. "
• "I was always of the opinion that, if somebody has a prejudice, the problem is theirs, not mine. It is better to go forwards and do the work in the best way that you can."
• "I grew up with the Apollo programme and it was that which inspired me a lot. I wanted to be an astronaut, at first, but I saw that I was a woman, Brazilian, and very short-sighted. So, really, it was not going to happen. I decided that I was going to help the space programme as a scientist. I decided this very early and never strayed from this path."
  • Interview with Rosaly Lopes, a Brazilian NASA astronomer and the first woman to edit the journal founded by Carl Sagan, Fernanda Canofre. 15 May 2018, GlobalVoices. Retrieved: 29, November 2023.