Senior Space Systems Engineer, Planet
Natasha Nogueira is a Senior Space Systems Engineer at Planet, where she has played a defining role in how one of the world’s largest Earth observation fleets is launched, commissioned, and operated. Combining deep on-orbit operational expertise with a systems-level perspective, she has led some of Planet’s most complex commissioning campaigns and driven structural changes that significantly improved reliability, scalability, and time-to-revenue. Over nearly seven years at Planet, Natasha has become a trusted operational leader, relied upon at the most critical moments of mission execution.
Natasha began her career on Planet’s SkySat mission operations team, where she mastered the full scope of high-resolution satellite operations, from coordinating flight software releases and resolving on-orbit anomalies to defining baseline operational procedures still in use today. After four years on SkySat, she transitioned into systems optimization roles and was subsequently selected to help shape operations for Planet’s next-generation SmallSat missions.
That experience carried directly into her leadership on the Pelican and Tanager constellations. Natasha led multiple launch and commissioning campaigns, including serving as operational lead for Launch and Early Orbit Phase for Pelican-2 and Pelican-6. Through meticulous planning, automation, and cross-functional coordination, she reduced time to first light from weeks to days, and in later campaigns to just a matter of hours. These improvements were not merely technical milestones, but operational breakthroughs that accelerated revenue generation and established new performance benchmarks for Planet’s missions organization.
Endorsers consistently point to Natasha’s role in transforming Planet’s operational architecture. She was a primary contributor to the integration of onboard fault protection systems that autonomously detect and resolve anomalies, dramatically reducing response times and enabling a small team of operators to manage an exceptionally large constellation. She also co-designed and developed an automated commissioning tool, translating complex, manual workflows into streamlined, repeatable processes that reduced risk and human error while allowing Planet’s fleet to scale efficiently.
In recognition of her leadership and judgment, Natasha is now stepping into a management role as Manager for North America SmallSat Operations, leading teams across time zones in coordination with European counterparts. Her progression from individual contributor to people manager reflects sustained trust earned through execution under pressure.
Beyond her operational responsibilities, Natasha is deeply engaged in service and outreach. At Planet, she leads initiatives within the Wonder Women and Latinx employee resource groups and regularly organizes outreach events to inspire young people to pursue careers in space systems engineering. She mentors internationally through the TechWomen program, contributes to Space Generation Congress activities, speaks at events through IGNITE Worldwide, and volunteers consistently with educational and conservation organizations.
