Susie Martínez is a former NASA engineer and flight controller who now works as a payload developer in the space industry. In this Astro Ben Podcast conversation she traces her path from nail art and growing up as a mechanic's daughter and twin sister to becoming one of the only women in her mechanical engineering classes, and then to a NASA internship and a career in space.
Susie explains what a payload engineer does, why she got into science communication and STEM outreach, and how she mixes space with fashion as the Galactic Gal. The conversation also covers the Artemis Program, the NASA Twin Study, and her message about staying true to yourself and getting more women into STEM.
What you will hear
Susie's origin story and how she moved from mechanical engineering to NASA
What a payload engineer is and what the job involves
Her motivation for science communication and STEM outreach
The Space Gala, the Galactic Gal and the fashion side of space
The Artemis Program and the Twin Study
Final thoughts on getting women into STEM
Connect with Susie Martínez
Listen to the episode
Listen on Libsyn · Spotify · Apple Podcasts · YouTube
More from the show: Dr Michaela Musilova on analog astronauts and Mars habitats, Nicole Stott on painting in space, and the Astro Ben Podcast home page.
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