Join us this week as we sit down with the record-breaking, trailblazing astronaut, Susan Kilrain 🎙️🚀 Starting with a private pilot's license at just 17, Susan's space career journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Despite being denied a place in the Air Force because they'd "fulfilled their annual quota of women", she went on to become a distinguished American aerospace engineer, a US Navy officer, and a NASA astronaut 🚀✨ With over 3,000 hours flight time under her belt, Susan still holds the record as the youngest person to pilot a space shuttle, being only one of three women to have achieved this feat. Beyond the accolades and achievements, she's a staunch advocate for diversity, inclusion, and education in the space industry 🌌👩‍🚀 In today's episode, we chart Susan's phenomenal journey from Earth to the stars, discussing her determination to shatter barriers and her vision for empowering the future generation of space enthusiasts 🌟

This week on the show we're sitting down with self-professed accidental space cadet, Heather Leser 🎙️🚀 Heather’s early career started in healthcare, but she navigated her business and management skills through retail, non-profit, and even marketing, until she landed a role as executive assistant to the CEO of Eta Space. Here, she fell in love with the world of space and worked her way up to her current position as Chief Administrative Officer 🗃️ Despite her unplanned trajectory into space, Heather discovered her true calling. Alongside her role at Eta Space, she employs her fine-tuned HR and administrative skills to support Laura Forczyk, a space consultant and career coach. As a passionate people-person at heart, Heather is the perfect embodiment of the diverse skillsets needed in the space sector 🤝🌠 Today, we’re delving into Heather's journey from an accidental space cadet to an integral player in the industry, her passion for people-centric management, and how we can help others to chart their own course through the infinite expanse of space careers 🌟

Join us this week as we sit down with Melissa Quinn, the newly announced general manager of Seradata🎙️ Hailing from rural Canada, Melissa's childhood was steeped in the realm of aerospace, a passion that would shape her life 🚀 Her fascination with global aerospace markets and economics brought her to the London School of Economics, earning her a Master’s in economics and setting the stage for an exceptional career 🌍🎓 With an impressive 13-year stint in the aerospace industry, Melissa has emerged as an accomplished strategic leader. Her mission? To transform the industry with an ambitious and purposeful vision 🛰️ Melissa’s influence is unmistakable in the push for sustainable space use, and her advocacy for STEAM careers is inspiring the next generation of space enthusiasts 🔬 Dive into this episode as we explore Melissa’s inspiring journey and her visionary plans for the future of aerospace. Stay tuned 🎧

Fresh out of college and looking for work, Steve Nixon picked up the phone book and called the US Secretary of Defence. Flash forwards a few redirected calls, he landed his first job as an aircraft program budget analyst at the Pentagon 🛩️ Seven years on, he set his sights on a role at Congress for the US House Committee on Appropriations, where he became immersed in the world of space 🚀 All thanks to that initial phone call, Steve went on to be named one of the top 10 most influential people in space. He later became the founder of IARPA (the US Intelligence Community's version of DARPA), President of the SmallSat Alliance, CEO of specialized security company Koandah, a technology strategy consultant, and board member and advisor for multiple companies 📡🛰️ In this episode, we explore the incredible details of Steve’s space career journey, as well as the power of curiosity, people and storytelling in the space industry 🎙️

In today's episode, we’re joined by Laura Forczyk, a renowned space consultant and career coach with nearly 20 years' industry experience. 🚀 As the founder and executive director of Astralytical, Laura has made it her mission to help businesses, governments, non-profits, and professionals worldwide thrive in the fast-paced and fascinating space sector. 🌌 With a lifelong passion for space and a background in astrophysics and planetary science, Laura has successfully transitioned her broad range of skills into her unique niche today. 🪐💼 In this episode, we'll discuss Laura's journey into the industry, the invaluable lessons she's learned along the way, as well as the diverse and exciting roles available in the space industry to anyone with a dream.

Today on the podcast we’re joined by one of EVONA’s very own strategic advisors, Jeff Crusey 🚀 As an experienced deep tech venture capitalist, Jeff specialises in solving significant real-world problems in the realms of space, defence, climate, energy, cybersecurity, AR, VR, advanced computing, and beyond 🛰️🔋💻 Jeff is the founder and general partner of Farpoint, an early-stage deep tech venture capital firm, focussed on global security and resilience 🔒🌎 Prior to starting his investment fund, Jeff was Seraphim Capital’s investment director, working on over 20 rounds of investment into space tech startups. Seraphim even collaborated with AWS to create the AWS space accelerator, a four-week business support program providing technical, business, and mentoring resources to space startups around the globe 💼 In this episode, we discuss the various stops on Jeff’s career journey, and the lessons he learned along the way 💡

This week on the EVONA Origin Stories Space Podcast, Miya is joined by Andrew Aldrin 🚀 Despite being the son of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Andrew didn’t always have his sights set on a career in the space industry. We discuss the various stops on his route into the industry, including his brief stint as a van decorator 🚐 Andrew’s journey led him to build an incredibly impactful career of his own, making a significant impact within the space industry. In addition to his work in the private sector, Andrew has been deeply involved in academia. He currently serves as Program Coordinator of the Masters of Space Operations program at the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University 🧑‍🏫💼 Andrew’s passion for the space industry has led him to become an active participant in numerous charitable organizations. He is President of the Aldrin Family Foundation, an organization dedicated to inspiring future generations to pursue careers in space and STEM fields 🧬☄️ Join us as we sit down with Andrew to discuss his remarkable career journey, and how he's continuing his father's legacy through his work, academic pursuits, and philanthropic efforts 🎙️

This week on the EVONA Origin Stories Space Podcast, Miya is joined by Michael Cassandra, co-founder and chief culture officer of RocketStar 🚀🪐 Based in New York, RocketStar are rethinking space travel from the inside out, starting by improving the engines that power us to the stars. With a strong focus on reusability, reliability, and minimising cost, their revolutionary Aerospike engines combine efficiency and power, providing between 25-35% more thrust over conventional rocket engines, without using extra fuel to do so ☄️ Mike is passionate about cultivating a company culture that brings people with a genuine passion for space exploration together. In this episode, we discuss the importance of inclusion in a company’s mission to build a strong and diverse team, as well as the many non-technical roles the space sector has to offer 🌌