Ana Pires is an Invited-Scientist at the School of Engineering (ISEP), Polytechnic of Porto, and a Researcher at INESC TEC’s Centre for Robotics and Autonomous Systems. She is involved in several projects related to sustainable sea/marine mining, geotechnologies and georesources. She has a European Doctorate in Geosciences (Geological Resources and Geomaterials field) and MSc in Georesources and Geotechnics from Aveiro University, as well as a Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering Degree (ISEP). She regularly collaborates as researcher with the former training centers where spent over 11 years related to multi and interdisciplinary projects (Laboratory of Cartography and Applied Geology – LABCARGA|ISEP and GeoBioTec|UA research unit). Presently she is involved in the EMSO-PT Project (supported by P2020 and FCT), INSite and MineHeritage Projects (supported by EIT Raw Materials). She works very closely with the preparation and submission of scientific or up-scaling projects related to underwater technologies. She is also the first Portuguese women to finish with success the Scientist-Astronaut Program, Class of 1802, under the framework of Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere) supported by NASA, and she continues to pursue the space training and to attend the research programs.