Natalia Larrea Brito serves as Senior Director for Space at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), where she provides strategic leadership on the Institute’s space initiatives and priorities. Prior to joining AIAA, she spent nearly a decade at Novaspace, where she served as U.S. Director and advised government and private stakeholders worldwide on space policy, investment strategies, technology roadmaps, and market assessments. She also founded and led Novaspace’s business practice on space exploration. Her leadership played a key role in shaping strategic decisions for agencies and industry leaders across the globe. Earlier in her career, Natalia worked as a Systems Engineer at MDA Corporation in Canada, specializing in satellite communication payload design, and as a Research Associate at NASA Ames Research Center in planetary exploration. She also worked as a trainee at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), supporting the Herschel Space Observatory mission in infrared astronomy. Natalia is a frequent international speaker and moderator at leading conferences and has contributed to multiple publications on global space issues. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada (Women Executive Network), the Promise Award and 20 Under 35 from the Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI). She holds a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering from McGill University (Canada), a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Telecommunications Engineering from Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio (Spain), and a Diploma in Astronomy and Planetary Science from the Open University (UK). She is also a graduate of the International Space University (SSP’14), where she now serves as faculty and a member of the Academic Council.
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