158: Become Off-Worldly with Laura Forczyk

Try to keep up with Laura Forczyk! At the time of this conversation, Laura has a new NEW baby, a new business and just a few new multiple things that she's working on. All at the same time. You may want to sit down and buckle in- because Laura and Beth have a LOT to discuss together in this episode, including space camp, working for NASA, writing books, getting women to the Moon, hiring talented people for jobs in the space industry, *whew* (let's pause for a baby snuggle) work-life balance and more…

About Laura: Laura Forczyk is the owner of space consulting firm Astralytical specializing in space science, industry, and policy, offering space career coaching services, and publishing industry reports.

Learn more about Astralytical here: https://www.astralytical.com/about

She is the author of Rise of the Space Age Millennials (2020) and Becoming Off-Worldly (2022). She runs the private online community Becoming Off-Worldly Together.

She serves as an advisor for Cislunar Space Development Company and For All Moonkind. She is the VP of Research and Analytics for the Beyond Earth Institute. She serves as a mentor for the Brooke Owens Fellowship program. She is a NASA Subject Matter Expert for astrophysics and planetary science missions.

Prior to forming her own company, she ran the Florida office of international startup working to establish parabolic and suborbital flight at Kennedy Space Center and globally. She has also worked as a scientific analyst for a nonprofit facilitating over 50 experiments on the International Space Station for the benefit of life on Earth.

She has researched astrophysics and planetary science at three NASA centers, flown two parabolic "Zero G" campaigns, conducted geological research in a meteor crater, and earned National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) suborbital astronaut wings in ground training. She is a six-time U.S. Space Camp alumna, a NASA Academy alumna, a former NASA Student Ambassador, and a previous NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program fellow.

She earned a bachelor of science degree in astrophysics from Florida Institute of Technology. She earned a master of science degree in astrophysics from the University of Alabama in Huntsville researching high-energy emission from gamma-ray bursts. She conducted doctoral studies in planetary science at the University of Central Florida researching low-energy impacts and regolith (dust) dynamics on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids.

Find Laura's Books here: Becoming Off-Worldly: Learning from Astronauts to Prepare for Your Spaceflight Journey

And

Rise of the Space Age Millennials: The Space Aspirations of a Rising Generation

https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Forczyk/e/B083XQS24C%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share