
Dr. Erika Wagner: Reimagining the Space Ecosystem
From In Her Orbit by Shawn Linam
November 19, 2025 · 32 min · Episode 54
About this episode
Dr. Erika Wagner discusses her journey in the space industry and her role at The Exploration Company.
We’re joined by Dr. Erika Wagner, Lead of U.S. Business Development at The Exploration Company. Erika walks us through her journey from a space-obsessed kid to earning her PhD at Harvard/MIT and helping lead the MIT Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program. She shares how her career has evolved through innovation work at the XPRIZE Foundation and more than a decade at Blue Origin, where she supported research payloads and emerging commercial space markets. Erika also talks about her newest chapter a...
People in this episode
Host: Shawn Linam
Guest: Dr. Erika Wagner
Topics covered
- space exploration
- business development
- innovation
- career journey
- commercial space markets
Keywords
- space
- PhD
- Harvard
- MIT
- XPRIZE
- Blue Origin
- Mars Gravity
- innovation
- business development
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Exploration Company, MIT, XPRIZE Foundation, Blue Origin, MIT Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program
More episodes of In Her Orbit
- Lisa Morris: From Factory Floors to the Final Frontier · May 26, 2026 · 36 min
- Kristina Gatto: Creating Astronomy's Largest Group Chat · May 11, 2026 · 36 min
- Charlie McGillis: Securing the Final Frontier · April 23, 2026 · 38 min
- Laura Stiles: From Trainer to Astronaut in 48 Hours · April 9, 2026 · 33 min
- Izzy House: Marketing the Future · March 10, 2026 · 35 min
- Cathy Yeung: The Little Kidney-On-A-Chip That Could · February 24, 2026 · 36 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the In Her Orbit podcast page.