[3][4] She developed an interest in human spaceflight aged seventeen, after shadowing a flight director at NASA Johnson Space Center.
[5] She went on to complete a BSc in physics at Imperial College London in 2002 and an MSc in Astronautics and Space Engineering at Cranfield University in 2003.
[9] Jackson joined the UK Space Agency in 2014 and became spokesperson for Tim Peake's mission to the ISS.
[16] In 2023 she was awarded an Order of the British Empire "for services to the Space Sector" in the New Year Honours[17], and also the Leif Erikson Exploration History Award for "her tireless efforts in preserving the history of female astronauts and space professionals".
[18] Jackson works to improve the public perception of space science and engineering, contributing to mainstream media and speaking at large events.