SSPI-WISE is a group that welcomes all women members from the space & satellite industry. Our focus is engaging women in the space industry through STEM outreach, structured mentor programs and partnerships with other women's groups. We meet once per month, usually on Zoom, to discuss goals, plan new events and, of course, have fun! Learn more about SSPI-WISE Initiatives.
A global network supporting those who identify as women in space and satellite, and their allies.
Recent Media
Panel discussion spotlighting NIGCOMSAT leaders who are advancing digital inclusion and transforming education through satellite broadband:
- Moderator: Ruth Okoh, Founder/Managing Director, Spaceboss Consulting Ltd.
- Engr. Florence Ibrahim, Satellite Control & Operations, NIGCOMSAT
- Engr. Opeyemi Kareem – Product & Presales Engineer, NIGCOMSAT
- Ifeoma Maureen Nzekwe – Deputy General Manager & Programme Coordinator, NIGCOMSAT
Panel discussion on career transitions between government and private industry
- Moderator: Andrea Maléter
- Rebecca Cowen-Hirsch – Viasat SVP, Government Strategy & Policy
- Jennifer Manner - AST SpaceMobile SVP, Regulatory Affairs & International Strategy
A panel discussion on getting involved in industry conferences, why it’s important and how to make it happen. Our speakers include:
- Moderator: Alex Duran - Viasat
- Dawn Harms – Space Architectures LLC
- Toni Lee Rudnicki – TLR Consulting LLC
- Ustina Choi - CONTEC
Space is changing fast. Commercial activity is accelerating. Talent needs are shifting. Orbits are filling. And with the growing threat of Kessler Syndrome, long-term access to space may become more constrained than ever before. This roundtable, conducted on at the May 1 meeting of SSPI-WISE, brings together leaders working at the intersection of education, workforce development, and space business strategy to examine how women can prepare for—and shape—a future that is both promising and precarious. Our guests included Donya Naz Divsalar, (incoming) Head of Future Projects at Magdrive; Elizabeth Kennick, President, Teachers In Space, Inc. and Genna Ng, Venture Partner, Beyond Earth Technologies and Co-Founder, Singapore Space Network.
She Reaches: Women in Space, Episode 7: Maureen Gannon on Disrupting the Rocket Industry and Visionary Leadership
In the She Reaches series, journalist and podcast host Tanveer Pujara sits down with trailblazing women across the space industry, from founders and engineers to visionaries and scientists, who are redefining what it means to reach for the stars. In the seventh episode of She Reaches, host Tanveer Pujara speaks with Maureen Gannon, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of X-Bow Systems, a company redefining the rocket motor and launch vehicle market through advanced manufacturing and innovation.
With over 30 years of experience across aerospace, defense, and commercial sectors, Maureen has built a remarkable career leading high-performing teams, securing hundreds of millions in startup funding, and winning major U.S. defense contracts. As one of the few women co-founders in the solid rocket motor industry, she’s not only disrupting technology — she’s reshaping how leadership looks in aerospace.
Tune in to hear Maureen’s entrepreneurial journey — from co-founding Galactic Unite and Firefly Space to scaling X-Bow Systems — and her insights on breaking barriers, building momentum, and fueling innovation in a high-stakes industry.
SSPI-WISE Blog
SSPI is fortunate to have the talented Elisabeth Tweedie pen a blog on our behalf.
Latest Blog Post:
Major Savior or Gross Polluter? The Space Industry’s Dual Role in Climate Change – By Elisabeth Tweedie, Founder, Definitive Direction
As mentioned in a previous blog: “The Unsung Heroes of Battle,” the satellite industry is playing a significant role in combating climate change. That blog was written over a year ago, and since then several more satellites have been launched, increasing the amount of information gathered, and so furthering our knowledge as to where the major emissions of carbon dioxide and methane occur. Later this year, one company GHGSAT will launch a hosted payload satellite that will have the capability to pinpoint carbon emissions to individual industrial facilities, the same way that its satellites do this for methane emissions. Obviously, this information will be a huge boon to governments and local authorities committed to reducing their carbon footprint. Read More...
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