Your Next Launch: Navigating Industry as a Space Scientist
With recent shifts in science funding, many government and academic space scientists are facing unexpected career transitions. If you’re wondering what’s next, you’re not alone — and there are more opportunities for you than you might realize.
Join Dr. Tanya Harrison and Lauren Lyons — a planetary scientist and an engineer who’ve each transitioned from traditional institutions into the private sector — for a webinar exploring career paths beyond academia and government.
We’ll begin by mapping the opportunity space: startups, consulting, entrepreneurship, and more. Then we’ll turn it over to a panel of accomplished scientists who’ve successfully made moves into these spaces, sharing personal stories, lessons learned, and practical advice for navigating the shift.
Meet the Panel:
Dr. Steve Squyres – Chief Scientist, Blue Origin; former Principal Investigator of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers mission
Dr. Dan McCleese – Co-Founder & Chief Scientist, Muon Space; former JPL Chief Scientist
Dr. Margarita Marinova – Science & Engineering Consultant; former NASA Planetary Scientist turned SpaceX and Amazon Kuiper engineer
Dr. Tanya Harrison – Planetary scientist turned industry strategy and science consultant
Lauren Lyons - Moderator
💡What You’ll Learn:
How industry compares to academia & government, from pace and priorities to team dynamics and culture
An overview of the space industry landscape from startups to heritage players, and the (sometimes unexpected) places where a scientists' expertise is in demand
Practical pathways to independence, whether as a consultant leveraging your specialized knowledge, or as an entrepreneur building something new
A career shift can feel overwhelming, but it can also open doors you never considered. Bring your questions, join your peers, and let’s talk about what’s next. 🚀
👩🚀 Who Should Attend?
Space scientists and researchers in government or academia exploring career moves beyond the traditional path. To keep the discussion focused on this community, we’re doing a simple LinkedIn/website verification upon registration. Once you've been verified, you'll receive an email with the dial-in information.
🔭 About the Hosts 🛠️
Dr. Tanya Harrison is a planetary scientist turned science and strategy consultant. She has worked in science and mission operations for multiple NASA Mars missions in both academia and as a government subcontractor before moving into the Earth observation industry in leadership roles at Planet and GHGSat.
Lauren Lyons is an aerospace engineer and operations executive. She has worked in various technical, program management, and leadership roles at SpaceX, Blue Origin, Firefly and JPL before going independent and founding vdot, a technical and strategy advisory for space and climate tech startups.