Author Topic: Gwynne Shotwell receives multiple industry awards  (Read 34840 times)

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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While Musk takes a lot of credit for his vision, in Shotwell he found the perfect executive to run SpaceX like a finely oiled machine. She is one of the most admired and respected executives in our industry, and an inspiration for young women around the world.

http://interactive.satellitetoday.com/via/march-2018/2017-satellite-executive-of-the-year-gwynne-shotwell-president-and-coo-spacex/

Couple of interesting snippets in the interview:

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We have 26-30 flights in 2018, but around half of those will be flight proven.

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Everybody should learn from failure, and we have done that, although, obviously, we would prefer not to have failures. We have become a lot more cognizant of the impact of any small change that we make — we have always been mindful of the medium and big changes — and ensure all are thoroughly vetted. We have the recipe right now. We launched 18 times last year. We landed every rocket we set out to. But even though we have the recipe for launch and landing, and for refurbishing and relaunching, I don’t want to say we will never change again.

Edit May 3, 2018: broadening this existing thread as Gwynne has now received the Goddard Astronautics Award
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=44987.msg1817021#msg1817021
« Last Edit: 05/03/2018 06:52 am by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline deruch

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #1 on: 02/14/2018 09:56 am »
Brava, Gwynne!  Congratulations.
Shouldn't reality posts be in "Advanced concepts"?  --Nomadd

Offline Mader Levap

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #2 on: 02/16/2018 06:52 pm »
I am sure they will still tinker with F9 after block 5. They are space engineers, they can't help it.
Be successful.  Then tell the haters to (BLEEP) off. - deruch
...and if you have failure, tell it anyway.

Offline speedevil

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #3 on: 02/16/2018 08:34 pm »
Does this make Elon Planetary executive of the year?

Offline Rocket Science

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #4 on: 02/16/2018 09:22 pm »
Excellent choice, congrats Gwynne! 8)
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
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Offline dcporter

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #5 on: 02/18/2018 02:40 am »
Does this make Elon Planetary executive of the year?

Not sure she’s orbiting around him… more like she’s a stable body managing his erratic orbit

Offline AncientU

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #6 on: 02/18/2018 11:36 am »
Does this make Elon Planetary executive of the year?

Not sure she’s orbiting around him… more like she’s a stable body managing his erratic orbit

There's a point at which anyone's skill set drops off to the potential detriment of a business.  Successful businesses are started when a complementary set of skill sets are brought together and allowed to each own/run their piece of the action.  Musk and Shotwell have achieved such a partnering.  (Add in Tom Mueller and several others...) Difficult to replace either and have same results.
"If we shared everything [we are working on] people would think we are insane!"
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Offline Lar

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #7 on: 02/18/2018 12:38 pm »
Does this make Elon Planetary executive of the year?

Not sure she’s orbiting around him… more like she’s a stable body managing his erratic orbit

There's a point at which anyone's skill set drops off to the potential detriment of a business.  Successful businesses are started when a complementary set of skill sets are brought together and allowed to each own/run their piece of the action.  Musk and Shotwell have achieved such a partnering.  (Add in Tom Mueller and several others...) Difficult to replace either and have same results.
This of course raises the question of what happens when one or both of them (or Tom) is no longer with SpaceX, will the company continue on the same course?
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline AncientU

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #8 on: 02/18/2018 12:52 pm »
Does this make Elon Planetary executive of the year?

Not sure she’s orbiting around him… more like she’s a stable body managing his erratic orbit

There's a point at which anyone's skill set drops off to the potential detriment of a business.  Successful businesses are started when a complementary set of skill sets are brought together and allowed to each own/run their piece of the action.  Musk and Shotwell have achieved such a partnering.  (Add in Tom Mueller and several others...) Difficult to replace either and have same results.
This of course raises the question of what happens when one or both of them (or Tom) is no longer with SpaceX, will the company continue on the same course?

Hard to say... many examples where things went south after this kind of a loss.  Some where it resumed progress after a bumpy transition(s).  Momentum is important as is market position/offerings in buying time to reestablish leadership.  SpaceX has minimal structure as a company -- less than most companies of this size -- which will affect outcome, but I can't predict how; historical examples are going to suffer from small numbers in their predictive ability.
« Last Edit: 02/18/2018 12:54 pm by AncientU »
"If we shared everything [we are working on] people would think we are insane!"
-- SpaceX friend of mlindner

Offline dcporter

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #9 on: 02/18/2018 03:55 pm »
This of course raises the question of what happens when one or both of them (or Tom) is no longer with SpaceX, will the company continue on the same course?

If it were just Gwynne and Elon we could figure it out, but when you throw a third body in there…

Offline dcporter

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #10 on: 02/18/2018 04:02 pm »
Seriously though, my hunch is that Tom and Elon are important for SpaceX’s *future plans*, which would be imperiled if either of them left, while Gwynne is important for continuing its *current success*, which is necessary for funding the future plans.

Offline speedevil

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #11 on: 02/18/2018 04:18 pm »
Seriously though, my hunch is that Tom and Elon are important for SpaceX’s *future plans*, which would be imperiled if either of them left, while Gwynne is important for continuing its *current success*, which is necessary for funding the future plans.

Is there a public face of the Starlink constellation yet?
I guess one may be needed in a few weeks.

Offline John.bender

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #12 on: 02/18/2018 04:20 pm »
The Beatles as individuals were never the collective same.

Offline Robotbeat

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #13 on: 02/18/2018 04:26 pm »
Tom is awesome, but once raptor is done he’s no longer essential for BFR. I do, however, expect SpaceX to find more work for Tom, like working on a variable mix hydrolox engine or even a nuclear thermal rocket engine. But in the meantime they’ll probably want to keep pushing the chamber pressure of Raptor higher and higher.

Still, I think Gwynne and Elon are more fundamentally important for the future of SpaceX.
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline Robotbeat

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #14 on: 02/18/2018 04:27 pm »
Honestly, some times I feel like Gwynne could carry SpaceX all the way to Mars if Musk kicked the bucket. The SpaceX workforce thinks very, very highly of her.
« Last Edit: 02/18/2018 04:41 pm by Robotbeat »
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline Hauerg

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #15 on: 02/18/2018 04:42 pm »
Tom is awesome, but once raptor is done he’s no longer essential for BFR.
New tasks:
A primitive, bulletproof engine for a fleet of MArshoppers.
An engine optimized for Jupiter/Saturn/The Belt/The Cloud. (H2 after all:)
Far out engine for going, well, really far out.

If Tom decides to stay in the engine business, create awesome stuff, I do not think he can go anywhere else.
(Of course, if China decides to really conquer the Solar System....)

Offline Dante2121

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #16 on: 02/18/2018 09:32 pm »
Tom is awesome, but once raptor is done he’s no longer essential for BFR. I do, however, expect SpaceX to find more work for Tom, like working on a variable mix hydrolox engine or even a nuclear thermal rocket engine. But in the meantime they’ll probably want to keep pushing the chamber pressure of Raptor higher and higher.

Still, I think Gwynne and Elon are more fundamentally important for the future of SpaceX.

100 year starship

Online rakaydos

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #17 on: 02/19/2018 09:35 pm »
Tom is awesome, but once raptor is done he’s no longer essential for BFR.
New tasks:
A primitive, bulletproof engine for a fleet of MArshoppers.
An engine optimized for Jupiter/Saturn/The Belt/The Cloud. (H2 after all:)
Far out engine for going, well, really far out.

If Tom decides to stay in the engine business, create awesome stuff, I do not think he can go anywhere else.
(Of course, if China decides to really conquer the Solar System....)

I've heard that the main problem with CO/O2 as a marshopper engine is the lack of any actual development of an engine. An independant, Solar-only ISRU self contained hopper would be amazing- the Flying Car of mars.

He has expressed an interest in nuclear engines, though. That may well be his next project, after the hot methalox RCS for BFR.

Offline Cheapchips

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #18 on: 02/21/2018 08:56 am »
Tom is awesome, but once raptor is done he’s no longer essential for BFR. I do, however, expect SpaceX to find more work for Tom, like working on a variable mix hydrolox engine or even a nuclear thermal rocket engine. But in the meantime they’ll probably want to keep pushing the chamber pressure of Raptor higher and higher.

Still, I think Gwynne and Elon are more fundamentally important for the future of SpaceX.

100 year starship

Gwynne's the only one out of the trio that expressed an interest in interstellar travel as far as I know, which is amusing given her clear level headedness when running the business.


Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Gwynne Shotwell: 2017 Satellite Executive of the Year
« Reply #19 on: 03/14/2018 07:50 pm »
Photo of Gwynne with her award:

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Congratulations @GwynneShotwell on winning the 30th Satellite Executive of the year award at #SATshow. You and your “rockstar” team are an inspiration to the whole space industry.🍾 👏🚀🛰

https://twitter.com/benjwilz/status/973975939901247489

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