In Her Orbit

Shawn sits down with Debra Facktor, Head of U.S. Space Systems for Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. to explore a career shaped by curiosity, pioneering spirit, and community. Debra shares how a chance realization in high school led her to aerospace engineering, her experiences as one of relatively few women in the field, and her unexpected path to leading a U.S. office in Moscow during the transition from the Cold War to international space collaboration. She also discusses her work with...

We're joined by Sirisha Bandla, commercial astronaut, aeronautical engineer, and advocate for the next generation of space professionals. Sirisha walks us through following her dream of going to space from earning her degree at Purdue University, persevering through early career rejections, to finally launching to space with Virgin Galactic’s Unity 22 mission. She also talks through navigating life after achieving your dream, and her newest endeavor, her own podcast, Star Tales & Cocktail...

Sharon Caples McDougle shares her journey from the U.S. Air Force to becoming the first Black woman suit technician, Crew Chief, and Manager in NASA’s Crew Escape Equipment department. She opens up about suiting up Dr. Mae Jemison for her historic 1992 mission, leading the first all-female suit tech crew, and breaking barriers throughout her career. --- Where to find Sharon: Instagram Linkedin Facebook TikTok Youtube Twitter Sharon's Website The Wise Channel --- Hosted by Shawn Linam Produced...

Caroline Massey, Vice President, Civil Space Portfolio, at PTX, LLC, shares her 30+ year journey from portfolio management at NASA Goddard and Wallops to shaping civil space operations in the private sector. Caroline breaks down the business of space, explaining how contracts and partnerships drive NASA’s missions, why recompetes matter, and the evolution of the space industry's ecosystem. --- Hosted by Shawn Linam Produced and edited by Sicily Seitz --- Supported by Qwaltec --- Find In Her ...

In this episode, we meet Jaime Kline, Vice President of Operations at Relative Dynamics and founder of Satya Yoga and Wellness. With over two decades in aerospace, Jaime shares how her childhood dream led her from Space Camp to NASA missions, and how her engineering roots evolved into leadership roles managing significant space programs. She opens up about holistic leadership, career transitions, and why supporting the “whole person” is central to how she leads. We also explore her journey in...

Today on In Her Orbit, we're joined by Kelly Page, President of Barrios Technology, a woman-owned and operated small business with a long-standing legacy supporting NASA and advancing space exploration. Kelly shares her journey from growing up surrounded by the space industry to becoming the second-generation leader of a trailblazing woman-owned business with the guidance of her mother and former guest, Sandy Johnson. Kelly reveals the challenges and rewards of leading alongside family, her v...

In this episode, we’re joined by Laurie Labra, Vice President of the Science and Space Human Exploration Division at KBR. With a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Houston and a career in aerospace spanning more than three decades, Laurie leads a team of over 2,750 employees and oversees multiple high-value contracts that support NASA’s most critical human spaceflight missions. After beginning out as an astronaut instructor for the Space Shuttle Program, Laurie has advanced ...