Partnering with The Hazels: Space Mentor of the Year

The space sector doesn't just rely on talent. It relies on the transfer of knowledge and the development of real capability.

Mentorship sits at the centre of that, but it's often informal and largely invisible.

It shows up in:

• The senior engineer taking the time to walk someone through a real subsystem trade-off.
• The colleague helping you navigate your first AIT campaign or reviewing your first test procedure.
• The manager backing you to take on something you're not quite ready for, and supporting you through it.

Most of it goes unrecognised.

At Orbiteer, we believe those who go the extra mile to help others succeed should be recognised. That's exactly why our mission aligned so well with The Hazels.

We're proud to be partnering with them on the Space Mentor of the Year award.

Massive kudos to Jan Kaufman for the huge amount of work that's gone into building something that genuinely celebrates the people behind the progress in the space sector, not just the outcomes.

Now it's over to the community.

If someone has had a real impact on your journey, take a minute to nominate them: Space Mentor of the Year nominations.

Nominations close on 1 May.

The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on Wednesday 24 June 2026 at Cheltenham Town Hall, with Helen Sharman CMG OBE, the first British astronaut, joining the event.

Get your ticket to support this awesome initiative and help bring recognition to the professionals shaping our industry: thehazels.space/tickets.

If you represent a company, you can sponsor The Hazels via thehazels.space/sponsorship.

We're looking forward to the ceremony in June.