Dr. Erika Wagner: Reimagining the Space Ecosystem

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

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