TOPICS
Talks can draw from a combination of the topics below and be tailored to your event and audience.
Topic OneLessons from Space:
Decision Making, Agility, and Leadership 
Space flight demands unparalleled preparation, the ability to handle the unexpected, and the right decisions in time-critical situations.
In fact, certain Space Shuttle malfunctions demanded live or die action within mere seconds. Furthermore, NASA's mission has been everchanging, driven by shifting political, bureaucratic, and economic forces, and NASA has had to be both agile and steadfast to adapt. Businesses and professionals face similar challenges and must prepare for high-stakes decisions, adversity, and upheaval. To demonstrate highly effective strategies for this, Mary Ellen draws on anecdotes from spaceflights, skydiving, and NASA's programmatic shifts. |
Topic TwoThe "New Space" Era: Commercial, Tourism, and Reaching Beyond Earth
Mary Ellen shares insights on where we are with commercial space, tourism, and reaching beyond earth--and how this new era came to be. Her insights come from decades of experience in pivotal roles.
Within the Astronaut Corps, she was at the forefront of the shift from the scrapped "Space Station Freedom" to the ISS, which was dictated by the fall of USSR just a year prior to her Astronaut selection. She also worked with NASA leadership in the first forays in commercial space, garnering private venture capital investment for space research. More recently, until 2023, she served as advisor to NASA HQ on future space technologies for 12 years. |
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