SpaceVision 2024
Oct 3rd – 5th
Denver, CO
2024 Speakers E-L
Elizabeth Engeldrum works as the Lead Systems Engineer for Blue Origin’s Advanced Development Programs, focusing on Lunar Permanence. She also pursuing a PhD in Space Resources at the Colorado School of Mines. Elizabeth started her career in Boeing’s Space and Intelligence Systems (S&IS) Systems Engineering Rotation Program, gaining experience in spacecraft engineering across different areas. She has worked on satellite propulsion, mission operations, and experimental systems. Later, Elizabeth worked as a Propulsion Engineer at Boeing Seal Beach and as a Spacecraft/Payload Operations at Boeing in Springfield, VA. At TASC, she was a Research and Development Aerospace Engineer, working on new architectures and analyzing mission capabilities. At Lockheed Martin Space, Elizabeth performed systems level analysis for a MilSpace program and served as the lead systems engineer for the utility transfer mechanism for the Human Landing System.
Daniel Faber is an engineer and entrepreneur with over 20 years of space technology leadership. He worked in the core engineering team building and launching over a dozen satellites for environmental monitoring, telecommunications, astronomy, and human habitation. As a serial entrepreneur, his first company developed a unique mining instrumentation technology utilizing gamma ray spectroscopy, following which he worked on nuclear fusion reactors and then broadband communications for Antarctica. As CEO of Deep Space Industries, Daniel secured financing from VCs and international governments, successfully commercialized the world’s first water-based satellite thruster, and changed global perceptions and regulations around asteroid mining.
Daniel founded Orbit Fab to create a bustling in-space economy where goods and services are produced in space for consumption both in space and on Earth. By providing the propellant supply chain in space the company makes satellites reusable, improving existing space business models like communications and Earth observation, and opening new industries like space tourism, manufacturing, and mining. The company sells the only commercially available satellite fuel port, has deployed the world’s first satellite fuel depot, and secured contracts worth over $100M.
Daniel holds an engineering degree from UNSW in Sydney, Australia, a post-graduate certificate in Antarctic studies from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, and a double-MBA from the National University of Singapore and the Anderson School at UCLA .
Jeff Feige is the Chief Revenue Officer of Radian Aerospace and is one of the founders of the company. In this role he is responsible for both near term revenue derived from existing capabilities and technology as well as securing future sales of Radian flights and operations. Prior to his time at Radian, he was the CEO of Orbital Outfitters, the first commercial company in the world to develop a spacesuit for the NewSpace sector, He also served as chairman of the Space Frontier Foundation for 7 years . He is an avid pilot, skydiver, sailor, and scuba diver.
Jeff Foust is a senior staff writer for SpaceNews, joining the publication in 2014. He covers civil and commercial space topics, ranging from NASA programs to developments among entrepreneurial space companies. In 2003, he started The Space Review, a weekly publication of longform articles and commentary on a wide range of space topics that continues to operate to this day.
He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999 and a B.S. with honors in geophysics and planetary science from the California Institute of Technology in 1993. He received the Press Award from the National Space Club and Foundation in 2018. He was a member of both Caltech SEDS (1989–93) and MITSEDS (1993–99) and served for several years on the SEDS-USA board, including as co-chair in 1992–93.
Janeth Garcia is the Operations Manager at Exolaunch, where she oversees day-to-day operations, budget management, resource allocation, and project coordination across business units. She has been instrumental in supporting Exolaunch’s global expansion, particularly its growth in the U.S. market. Janeth holds dual degrees in economics and mathematics from the University of Colorado Boulder, with a focus on data analysis and economic modeling. Her expertise in applying quantitative methods to solve complex challenges fuels her efforts to optimize operational strategies and processes in the rapidly-evolving space industry.
Lori Garver is a leading figure in the US space program and frequent contributor to the public dialogue on national civil space policy. Garver has served as the Deputy Administrator of NASA from 2009 – 2013. She led the agency’s transition team for President-elect Obama and has been the principal advisor on aerospace issues to three presidential candidates. Published in 2022, Escaping Gravity, My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age is Garver’s first hand account of the transition of space activities to the private sector and offers insight into the intersection of politics and human spaceflight.
Ms. Garver is currently an Operating Advisor at Bessemer Venture Partners, a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a member of the Board of Directors of Hydrosat and World View. She founded the Earthrise Alliance in 2019, a philanthropic initiative dedicated to utilizing satellite data to address climate change. Previous senior positions have included General Manager of the Air Line Pilots Association, Associate Administrator for Policy and Plans at NASA and Executive Director of the National Space Society.
Markus Geiss is a Business Leader, Engineer and NewSpace Advocate with over 10 years of international experience in the Space sector, reaching from academia to large system integrators and NewSpace startups.
Currently, Markus is the Commercial Director at DCUBED, where he’s responsible for overseeing all commercial activities and expanding the business globally. Markus Geiss holds a Master’s and PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and he’s a graduate of the International Space University’s Space Studies Program.
Sebastian Grabowski is the Operations Lead at CU SRL, which involves providing essential support to our engineering initiatives. He established and oversaw a team of 10 individuals responsible for managing advertising, securing sponsorships, fostering professional connections, handling public relations, engaging with industry partners, and conducting community outreach efforts. Additionally, Sebastian takes charge of overseeing the team’s budget and managing various behind-the-scenes engineering tasks to ensure operational efficiency. His primary objective is to facilitate smooth project execution while cultivating strong relationships both within our organization and with external stakeholders.
Dr. Greer currently serves as a Senior Project Leader at The Aerospace Corporation where he has held numerous positions partnering with the Intelligence Community, the US Space Force, and Civil Space organizations. Prior to joining The Aerospace Corporation, Dr. Greer served 33 years in the US Air Force, entering as an Airman 1st Class and retiring as a Colonel. His career in the USAF included assignments as a Spacecraft Operations Engineer, Flight Test Engineer, USAFA Faculty Member, Space Domain Awareness Site Commander and Science and Technology Leader. He earned BS, MS and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Davis, Purdue University and The University of Texas at Austin respectively.
Dr. Siamak Hesar is the co-founder and CEO at Kayhan Space. He holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has supported NASA missions in the past as a flight dynamics engineer and space situational awareness specialist. Prior to Kayhan Space, Siamak led several software development efforts focused on collision risk assessment and mitigation, and autonomous onboard navigation. He is passionate about space and wants to do his part to ensure a sustainable Earth orbital environment for future generations.
Eric Ingram is the Founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Strategy Officer of Scout Space Inc., a US-based company developing orbital products and services to enable a new era of space safety and transparency. He is on the Leadership Team and an Ambassador for AstroAccess, an organization working to make spaceflight accessible to all. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Space Frontier Foundation, and 2Gether-International.
Previous to Scout, Eric served as an Aerospace Engineer for the Licensing and Evaluation Division of the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, where he gained valuable expertise in the regulatory environment of commercial spaceflight. Prior to this, he worked as an Engineer for Deep Space Industries’ Special Projects Division, where he designed CubeSat subsystems for testbed missions.
Dame Commander Dr. Susan Jewell, MD, is a distinguished Space Medicine Physician Scientist, Analog Astronaut, and Exponential Technologist, serving as a “SPACE COACH” for AFWERK, backed by the US Space Force and US Air Force. She founded Mars-Moon Astronautics Academy and Research Sciences (MMAARS). directing the training of analog astronauts and the development of the Mars-Moon Settlement Analog Training Settlement in the Mojave Desert, California, and CEO/Co-founder of AvatarMEDIC, which aims to revolutionize healthcare through innovative frontier technologies. Dr. Jewell completed her fellowship in clinical and molecular medicine at the National Cancer Institute, NIH. She has been honored with two knighthoods, receiving the titles of Dame Commander from the Kingdom of Georgia and Dame from the Royal Crown of Montenegro, in recognition of her contributions to space medicine and education and humanitarian work.. Additionally, she is a UNOOSA Women-4-Space mentor and recognized space leader and a Frontier Fellow supported by a NASA TRISH grant, she promotes Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) for scientists and researchers in space health.
Laura Kelsey is Director of Programs at Sierra Space, and manages Sierra’s space station program and customer applications. Laura has over 15 years of experience in the human spaceflight industry, including 11 years developing ECLS technology and flight hardware for the International Space Station.
Dr. Ryan Kobrick’s portfolio includes over 20 years dedicated to the pursuit of human spaceflight with work experiences in government, academia, industry, and non-profits. His focal research areas have included: human performance; lunar dust abrasion and mitigation for spacecraft design and operations including habitat dust intrusion and advanced spacesuit technologies; exploration safety; assessing the reach / work envelopes for spaceflight intravehicular activity (IVA) using pressure suits and motion capture; surface exploration extravehicular activity (EVA) metrics using analogue/analog research locations; IVA and EVA spacesuit technology development; and global engagement curriculum development. Specifically, Dr. Kobrick is a human spaceflight subject matter expert (SME) in lunar dust mitigation, spacesuits, and analogue research and operations.
Kathy Laurini is a consulting employee for Leidos, supporting human spaceflight strategy and other activities. Kathy retired from NASA in 2019 after 35 years serving in leadership positions within the Space Shuttle, International Space Station and human space exploration programs. During the last 10 years of her career at NASA, Kathy led technical studies and activities supporting NASA’s strategy and planning for missions to the Moon and Mars.
Emma Lehnhardt currently serves as the Gateway PP&C Manager at the NASA Johnson Space Center, leading the team responsible for all areas of Program governance and business operations. She previously worked at NASA Headquarters, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, the Space Policy Institute, and consulted for government agencies and aerospace companies.
Dr. Kris Lehnhardt is an Associate Professor with the Baylor College of Medicine in the Center for Space Medicine and the Department of Emergency Medicine. He is board-certified in Emergency Medicine in both Canada and the U.S.A, and he works clinically in the Emergency Department at the Ben Taub Hospital in Houston, TX. Previously, Dr. Lehnhardt served as the Element Scientist for Exploration Medical Capability in the NASA Human Research Program at the NASA Johnson Space Center.
Rich has over 20 years experience in the space sector, including time in government (NASA), the non-profit sector, at aerospace start-ups, and as a consultant. Rich previously worked at the White House, leading the development of National Space Policy, was the program manager and selection official for the NASA SBIR/STTR program, and led the Analytics team and BryceTech.
Elizabeth Loyd performs executive level data analytics. She provides executive support to the Aeronautics Quality and Mission Success Organization and to the Corporate Quality Council. Elizabeth was a previous Executive Director, Director of Operations, and Alumni Director for SEDS.
Rachel is a holistic leadership coach, with nearly 10 years of experience in bridging the realms of space exploration and personal transformation. Rachel is the former Executive Director and first full-time employee of Space for Humanity. Rachel integrates her leadership experience with inner and interpersonal work, emotional intelligence and communication training, somatic and embodiment practice, and coaching.
Under Rachel’s leadership, Space for Humanity made global headlines by sending two civilians into space and involvement with two more, captivating audiences in the hundreds of millions. Rachel has woven strategic partnerships across the commercial space sector with organizations such as Virgin Galactic, Axiom, Blue Origin, and others. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Miami.