In the Movers in Our Orbit podcast series, we speak with friends of SSPI who recently made big executive moves. We'll find out what they're doing now and what they hope to achieve in their new roles in the industry. In a rebroadcast of the first episode of season 2, we hear from Kelsey Doerksen, GeoAI Postdoctoral Researcher at Arizona State University and 2021 Promise Award Recipient.

Passionate to do impactful work for Earth, in space, Kelsey Doerksen is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Oxford in the Autonomous Intelligent Machines and Systems Centre for Doctoral Training Program, in the Oxford Applied and Theoretical Machine Learning Group under supervision of Yarin Gal. She is focusing her research on the uses of AI and Machine Learning to enable science discovery and understanding of climate-focused applications (expected graduation, 2025). Kelsey is a Research Affiliate at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and a part of the Machine Learning and Instrument Autonomy group, working on the Scientific Understanding from Data Science Strategic Initiative. She is also a Data Scientist with the Climate and Data Environment Unit at UNICEF, building the data pipeline infrastructure and providing analysis necessary to create the UNICEF Children's Climate Risk Index.

In Everyday Guardians, the podcast series of the Securing the Future of Space campaign, we speak with people who are helping to build a more resilient, sustainable and secure orbital environment – whether through technology, policy or ethical leadership. Securing the Future of Space is underwritten by the American Space Exploration Fund. In the fifth episode, we hear from Moriba Jah, President and Co-founder of GaiaVerse. Moriba Jah is a world-leading space environmentalist, astrodynamicist, and social justice advocate, a MacArthur Fellow and Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Mrs. Pearlie Dashiell Henderson Centennial Fellowship. He directs the Jah Decision Intelligence Group at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences. He also serves as Chief Scientist at Privateer and Co-founder of Moriba Jah Universal.

From Classroom to Community – the official podcast of the Signal to Soar campaign, underwritten by Hughes, an Echostar company – shines a spotlight on the tremendous difference connectivity can make for schools, especially those isolated by terrain and other factors, and how connectivity via satellite transforms the communities that surround those schools. When a remote school connects for the first time, everything changes. Students gain access to global knowledge, and teachers tap into new tools. Families and communities begin to share in the benefits. In the third episode of our series, we hear more on this topic from Mónica Aguirre, Deputy CEO of Satellite Services at Stargroup México. Mónica holds a Bachelor's degree in Financial Management from Tecnológico de Monterrey. She spent five years working in the financial industry at Value Casa de Bolsa, Morgan Stanley Capital International, and BBVA Bancomer. In 2015, she joined the Stargroup team to lead the finance department and later took on the role of Deputy CEO, overseeing strategic projects and building partnerships with national and international providers to deliver satellite telecommunications services. These solutions are tailored for businesses and government programs aimed at narrowing the digital divide across the country.

In the sixth episode of She Reaches, host Tanveer Pujara speaks with Kirsten Bartok Touw, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of New Vista Capital, an early-stage venture firm investing in space, aerospace, and defense technology.

With a career spanning investment banking, venture capital, entrepreneurship, and national security policy, Kirsten brings a uniquely holistic view of how capital and innovation intersect to shape the future of aerospace and defense. Before launching New Vista, she co-founded AirFinance, served as Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Hawker Beechcraft, and was CFO and co-founder of XOJET, later acquired by VistaJet.

Tune in as Kirsten shares her journey and how she's helping bridge Silicon Valley and national security to accelerate the technologies defining our next decade of flight, defense, and space exploration.

Satellite connectivity makes all the difference in education, and bridging the gap to deliver high-speed internet to schools in hard-to-reach places creates the opportunity for every student to soar. In this SSPI-WISE Presents podcast, based on the panel conducted at the September 25 meeting of SSPI-WISE, we hear a roundtable discussion from leaders of NIGCOMSAT who share insights on how they are advancing digital inclusion and transforming education through satellite broadband. This episode is moderated by Ruth Okoh, Founder/Managing Director of Spaceboss Aerospace Consulting Ltd., and features Engr. Florence Ibrahim, Satellite Control & Operations, NIGCOMSAT, Engr. Opeyemi Kareem – Product & Presales Engineer, NIGCOMSAT, and Ifeoma Maureen Nzekwe, Deputy General Manager & Program Coordinator, NIGCOMSAT.

This roundtable conversation is part of the Signal to Soar campaign. Whether separated by distance, infrastructure, or inequality, too many students remain disconnected from the full promise of education. Satellite connectivity helps bridge that gap, delivering high-speed internet to schools in hard-to-reach places—and bringing the world to students who are otherwise far from opportunity. From live-streaming lessons and global classrooms to virtual museum tours and cultural exchanges, satellites expand access to knowledge and connection. With the right signal, every student can soar. Click here to learn more.

In SSPI's Accelerate Change podcast series, sponsored by SES, we explore how creative collaboration is transforming the pace of innovation across the space and satellite industry. SES is championing a new era - one where partnerships, agile technologies, and bold ideas are breaking old cycles and building a more connected future. Through conversations with leaders in cloud, telecommunications, sustainability, and space infrastructure, we dive into the stories shaping the next frontier of global connectivity. In the fifth and final episode, we hear from Nihar Shah, Chief Strategy Officer at SES, who joins SSPI's Tamara Bond-Williams to explore how SES is redefining the industry's long investment cycles.

Nihar Shah is SES's Chief Strategy Officer, driving strategic clarity and unlocking long-term business value for the organization. Having joined SES in 2006, Nihar has held various progressive managements roles in Market Research & Analysis and Strategic Market Development. Nihar was also part of the SES team that evaluated the company's investment into O3b Networks, defining SES's successful diversification strategy to global network services. Prior to SES, he worked for several years in consulting for the commercial and government space sector, and has lived and worked in India, the US and the Netherlands. Nihar holds a BA in Economics, an MA in International Space & Technology Policy from George Washington University, and a Joint MBA from Georgetown & ESADE.

From Classroom to Community – the official podcast of the Signal to Soar campaign, underwritten by Hughes, an Echostar company – shines a spotlight on the tremendous difference connectivity can make for schools, especially those isolated by terrain and other factors, and how connectivity via satellite transforms the communities that surround those schools. When a remote school connects for the first time, everything changes. Students gain access to global knowledge, and teachers tap into new tools. Families and communities begin to share in the benefits. In the first episode of our series, we hear more on this topic from Germán Otálora, Director of Microsoft's Airband Program for Latin America.

Germán Otálora is the Director of Microsoft's Airband Program for Latin America, a role in which he dedicates most of his time to building partnerships between the public and private sectors, NGOs, and academia to bring purposeful connectivity to underserved rural communities across the region. He joined Microsoft in 2015 after a successful career in consulting, working for multinational firms such as PwC, where he led a team of over 30 consultants.

As an avid traveler, Germán is well-acquainted with the economic and social realities of rural Latin America and has received several awards and recognitions for his hard work and dedication to connecting the unconnected.

Germán holds a degree in Industrial Design (2001) and an MBA (2015) from Universidad de Los Andes. He currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia, with his wife, two children, and their Boston Terrier named Lupita.

In SSPI's Accelerate Change podcast series, sponsored by SES, we explore how creative collaboration is transforming the pace of innovation across the space and satellite industry. SES is championing a new era - one where partnerships, agile technologies, and bold ideas are breaking old cycles and building a more connected future. Through conversations with leaders in cloud, telecommunications, sustainability, and space infrastructure, we dive into the stories shaping the next frontier of global connectivity. In the fourth episode, we hear from Tina Ghataore, Group Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer and CEO of Aerospacelab North America. Tina gives us a look at how Aerospacelab is rewriting the satellite manufacturing playbook. By combining vertical integration with agile manufacturing, Aerospacelab is helping nations and companies achieve sovereign space capability - faster, simpler, and at greater scale - through collaboration.

Tina Ghataore joined Aerospacelab in August 2023 as Group Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, and CEO of Aerospacelab's new North American branch. Prior to joining the fast-growing international startup specialized in designing, manufacturing and operating small satellites, Tina served as Chief Commercial Officer of Mynaric and President of Mynaric USA where she led the company's efforts to position Mynaric as the preferred laser communication provider for aerospace application for both government and commercial markets.

In 2022, Tina's contribution to the aerospace industry was recognized by both the public and industry peers alike when she was voted Via Satellite's "Satellite Executive of the Year", accepting her award in front of a select audience at the industry's leading annual conference 'Satellite 2022.'

Before Mynaric, she was the Executive Vice President of Inflight Connectivity Solutions at Yahsat, a leading UAE Satellite Operator, where she was responsible for the overall strategy and execution of enabling the organization to launch into the Mobility Satcom Services business.

In this episode of She Reaches, host Tanveer Pujara sits down with Laura Crabtree — aerospace engineer, CEO and co-founder of Epsilon3, and one of the Crew Operations & Resource Engineers (CORE) who helped put the United States back in the human spaceflight business.

Before launching Epsilon3 in 2021, Laura spent more than a decade at SpaceX, where she trained astronauts, authored and executed hundreds of procedures, and sat on console for milestone Dragon missions — including the first flight to the ISS and the first commercial crew launch in 2020.

Epsilon3, often described as the "operating system for space missions," was born from Laura's first-hand experience with checklists, spreadsheets, and tools that couldn't keep pace with the complexity of modern space operations. Today, the platform is streamlining workflows not only for spacecraft but also for aviation and other industries with complex technical missions.

Tune in to hear Laura's founder journey and why she's passionate about building better tools, mentoring the next generation of women in STEM, and chasing big challenges both in and out of this world.

In SSPI's Accelerate Change podcast series, sponsored by SES, we explore how creative collaboration is transforming the pace of innovation across the space and satellite industry. SES is championing a new era - one where partnerships, agile technologies, and bold ideas are breaking old cycles and building a more connected future. Through conversations with leaders in cloud, telecommunications, sustainability, and space infrastructure, we dive into the stories shaping the next frontier of global connectivity. In the third episode, we hear from Kidsan Barnes, Senior Vice President of Cruise & Ferry at Quvia.

Kidsan Barnes is a distinguished leader in the satellite communications and cruise connectivity industries. She currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Cruise & Ferry at Quvia. With a career marked by innovation and strategic vision, Kidsan has played a pivotal role in driving growth and transformation within her sector.

Kidsan's leadership philosophy centers on strategic intent, mental clarity, and the joy of leading. Her contributions have not gone unnoticed; she was honored on the South Florida Business Journal's "40 Under 40" list, recognizing her significant impact on her industry, the economy and community, and also recognized on their Influential Business Women's list for 2022. Under her leadership, Quvia's Cruise & Ferry division has seen remarkable advancements, solidifying its position as a leader in the fast-evolving world of satellite communications.

Kidsan's dedication to excellence and philanthropic contributions are seen in her voluntary board roles for both SSPI and Florida International University where she gained her Executive MBA. She remains an inspiration for those in the industries she serves.