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Shotwell named Satellite Executive of the Year

Via Satellite has announced Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO of SpaceX, the winner of its Satellite Executive of the Year Award.


February 12, 2018  By Via Satellite


Shotwell led SpaceX operations through an incredible year, during which they pulled off a record 18 successful launch missions — three of those happening within a single month (June 2017). SpaceX made history in a completely different category in March 2017, when it achieved the world’s first reflight of an orbital class rocket. Not stopping there, Shotwell reached another historic milestone for the private sector when she signed SpaceX’s contract with the U.S. Air Force to launch its X-37B spaceplane on top of a Falcon 9 rocket, loosening United Launch Alliance’s long-held and firm grip on U.S. military launch contracts. Shotwell would add an exclamation point to this victory by winning a second U.S. military contract to launch a GPS 3 navigation satellite from Cape Canaveral within the same year. SpaceX also continues to expand its business partnership with NASA, winning contracts to orbit a joint U.S.-European oceanography mission and the next land imaging satellite in the Landsat series on the Falcon 9.

“Over the last few years, whenever we have discussed nominees for Satellite Executive of the Year, I have lost count the number of times SpaceX has been in the conversation,” said Mark Holmes, Editorial Director of Via Satellite. “It has truly been a transformational company in our sector, and in many ways, Gwynne Shotwell has been at the heart of one of the most amazing success stories our sector has seen. Shotwell has shown immense skill navigating SpaceX to new heights working alongside Elon Musk in one of the most formidable partnerships in our sector. She is one of the most high profile women in our industry, a role model to many, but Shotwell is so much more than that. She is one of the most brave, skilled executives in our industry and her performance in 2017 made her a unanimous choice to be our Satellite Executive of the Year for 2017.”

“SpaceX would not be where it is today without Gwynne’s outstanding contributions over the last 16 years,” said SpaceX CEO and Lead Designer Elon Musk. “Gwynne’s leadership has not only helped SpaceX achieve goals that many thought were impossible, but also positioned us for greater things to come. I am honored to work with Gwynne and can think of no other more deserving of this award.”

The March 2018 issue of Via Satellite will honor and announce Gwynne Shotwell as Satellite Executive of the year, followed closely by a special celebration and luncheon at SATELLITE 2018 where U.S. Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) will deliver welcoming remarks at the Satellite Executive of the Year luncheon on Wednesday, March 14.

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satellitetoday.com

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