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.

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 second episode, we hear from three major players at Amazon Web Services: Shayn Hawthorne, General Manager of Space Services, Akanksha Alok, Solutions Architect - Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and Jonathon Fraker, Senior Account Executive, USSF.

Shayn Hawthorne has worked for over 30 years in the space field, first as an Active Duty and Reserve US Air Force astronautical engineer and space operations officer, building and launching research and development satellites for the Intelligence Community (IC) and conducting both space surveillance and counterspace operations. Shayn also served 20 years at the MITRE Corporation as Technical Director on IC sensors, Missile Defense Agency sensors and engagement systems, and Space Control Operations. Shayn then joined Amazon Web Services where he founded AWS Ground Station, Amazon’s 1st space service, helped start AWS’s Aerospace & Satellite Solutions Division, and developed on-orbit space edge runtimes. Shayn is now AWS’s Principal Advisor for National Security sensors and satellites. In this role Shayn works with customers and builders across AWS to build new enterprises that utilize AWS services and features to disrupt how space operations are conducted.

Akanksha Alok is an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning professional with a background in computer science from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Johns Hopkins. With over five years at Amazon Web Services, she has held impactful roles-first as a Data Scientist, where she built end-to-end machine learning pipelines, and currently as a Solutions Architect, helping organizations design and scale "intelligent" systems both on the ground and in space. Her expertise spans natural language processing, computer vision, and generative Al, with deep focus areas including agentic workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), context engineering, and large-scale model training and inference. Akanksha is passionate about translating cutting-edge research into practical solutions that drive real-world value.

Jonathon Fraker is a Space Technology and National Security professional specializing in cloud-enabled space operations. At Amazon Web Services, he partners with the U.S. Space Force to implement mission-critical cloud solutions that enhance space operations capabilities. He has also developed new AWS space-edge services, delivering innovative solutions for both government and commercial missions. His expertise spans space mission management, ground systems architecture, and cloud technology integration for space and defense applications. During his tenure at Raytheon Technologies, he led FVEY space programs that pioneered cloud-based Mission Management systems. Jonathon focuses on advancing national space capabilities through commercial innovation, dedicating his career to empowering space and national security partners with transformative technologies.

In Everyday Guardians, the podcast series of the Securing the Future of Space campaign, we speak with the 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 fourth episode, we hear from Marshall Smith, President of Space Solutions at Voyager Technologies.

Marshall Smith has decades of experience designing and building complex, human-rated space systems for NASA. He serves as the President of Space Solutions at Voyager, overseeing the business segment. Previously as Voyager's Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Smith lead the technical strategy for the enterprise. He continues to guide the Starlab team through the design, development, and operations of the commercial space station through his role as a Board Member. Prior to CTO, Mr. Smith served as Voyager’s Vice President of Exploration.

Previously at Nanoracks, since acquired by Voyager Technologies, Mr. Smith managed the space systems division, which included commercial space station development, autonomous outpost platforms, and support systems including airlocks. Marshall comes to Voyager having served for 37 years at NASA, most recently as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Systems Engineering, Director for Human Exploration and Director for Cross-Program Systems Engineering. Smith led several initiatives that integrated innovative commercial partnerships into NASA’s deep-space exploration programs, including the Human Landing System and more.

He is the recipient of the NASA Systems Engineering Excellence of the Year Award, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.

In this episode of She Reaches, host Tanveer Pujara sits down with Tess Hatch — aerospace engineer, Managing Director at Stifel Venture Bank, and one of today’s most influential voices in space investing.

Tess has built her career at the intersection of science and business, with experience at Boeing, SpaceX, and Bessemer Venture Partners before joining Stifel. Today, she champions visionary entrepreneurs who are transforming science fiction into reality — from satellite constellations to commercial spaceflight and the deep tech driving the future of our world and beyond.

Tune in to hear Tess’s unique journey from the engineering floor to the front lines of venture capital, why she’s betting big on space as the next great frontier, and how she’s working to shape the ecosystem for the next generation of innovation.

Tess Hatch (left) and Tanveer Pujara (right)

In this 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 this episode, we meet someone navigating the personal side of one of the biggest transformations our industry has ever seen. Sylvie Macraigne is a product and strategy leader with more than 20 years of international experience – from France to London to the U.S. to Luxembourg. Her resume includes Orange, Globecast, Arqiva, and Intelsat. Now she serves as Senior Principal Product Manager at SES, where she’s helping lead the company’s multi-orbit future – including integrating Low Earth Orbit capabilities into SES’s service portfolio.

Sylvie joins us just days after SES acquired Intelsat – a historic merger that will shape this industry for decades to come. What does that kind of change feel like on the inside? How do you hold steady in the midst of it? And where does the future lead from here?

In SSPI's new 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.

What if your phone could connect to space? Not with a bulky terminal, but with the device already in your hand, wherever you are, no matter the infrastructure on the ground?

In this first episode of the series, we hear from Amy Mehlman, Executive Vice President and Chief Global Affairs Officer at Lynk Global. Amy has shaped telecom and space policy for nearly thirty years - from Congress to the FCC, from multinationals to NewSpace startups. Today, she’s helping guide a company that’s redefining who can connect and how, through a new model of global access. In this episode, Amy and SSPI's Tamara Bond-Williams explore how unmodified mobile phones can connect directly to satellites: no towers or special hardware needed.

Amy Mehlman is EVP and Chief Global Affairs officer at Lynk Global. She is a senior telecommunication professional with nearly three decades hands-on experience helping innovative companies secure favorable public policies, government contracts and secure market access by working with government representatives, industry partners, and multilateral NGOs.

Most recently, Mehlman worked as VP for Global Affairs and Stakeholder Relations at E-Space Inc. where she led global policy efforts shaping the rapidly growing non-geostationary satellite market, successfully-pursued government contracts, obtained market access, spearheaded partnerships, and oversaw legislative efforts. Prior to that Amy served as VP of U.S. Government Affairs and Global Policy at Viasat, leading their domestic and international policy efforts on satellite licensing, space safety and equitable access to spectrum. Earlier in her career, Amy was Founder and President of a successful boutique telecommunications public policy firm (Mehlman Capitol Strategies) representing over 30 companies before the U.S. Congress, FCC & Executive Branch. Amy began her career at the prestigious Washington, D.C. law firm Wiley, Rein & Fielding where she represented leading wireless, satellite, telecom equipment and broadcast companies before the US Congress and Administration.

In Everyday Guardians, the podcast series of the Securing the Future of Space campaign, we speak with the 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 third episode, we hear from Nobu Okada, Founder & CEO of Astroscale.

Since establishing Astroscale in 2013, Nobu Okada has grown the company from a one-person venture into a global organization with offices in five countries and led the company to a successful IPO in 2024. A highly respected figure in the space industry, Nobu is an Honorary Ambassador of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, an advisory board member of the Space Generation Advisory Council, and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He plays an active role in United Nations forums, contributing to key workshops and committee discussions that shape the global agenda for space sustainability. Nobu previously served as the IAF’s Vice President for Space Economy and Sponsorship and co-chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space Technologies until 2021.

Under Nobu’s leadership, Astroscale has received numerous accolades, including the IAF Excellence in Industry (SME) in 2023, the Japanese Prime Minister’s Award in 2022, and recognition as one of TIME100’s Most Influential Companies in 2022. Nobu has also received individual recognition, including the 2020 SpaceNews Company Leader of the Year and the 2019 Forbes JAPAN Start-up of The Year.

Before founding Astroscale, Nobu was an IT entrepreneur and strategy consultant, managing IT companies across the Asia-Pacific region. He successfully led one company to an IPO. Earlier in his career, he worked at McKinsey & Company and served in the Japanese Ministry of Finance. Nobu holds a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the University of Tokyo and an MBA from the Krannert School of Business, Purdue University.