Gwynne Shotwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gwynne Shotwell
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Shotwell in August 2018
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Gwynne Rowley
November 23, 1963 Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
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| Education | Northwestern University (BS, MS) |
| Title | President and chief operating officer of SpaceX |
| Spouse(s) | Leon Gurevich (div.) Robert Shotwell |
| Children | 2 |
Gwynne Shotwell, born on November 23, 1963, is an American businesswoman and engineer. She is the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SpaceX. SpaceX is a company that builds rockets and spacecraft. Gwynne is in charge of the company's daily operations. She also helps SpaceX grow and develop new projects.
As of 2023, Forbes magazine listed Gwynne Shotwell as the 28th most powerful woman in the world. Fortune magazine also named her among the Most Powerful Women in 2023. In 2020, Time magazine recognized her as one of the 100 most influential people. She was also named the most powerful female engineer by Business Insider in 2018.
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Early Life and Education
Gwynne Shotwell was born in Evanston, Illinois. She grew up in Libertyville, Illinois, with her two sisters. Her father was a brain surgeon, and her mother was an artist. In 1969, when she was five, she watched the Apollo 11 moon landing on TV. At that time, she found space "boring" and was not very interested in it.
Gwynne was a great student and athlete in high school. She was on the cheerleading and basketball teams. Her interest in engineering began in high school. Her mother took her to an event by the Society of Women Engineers. There, a mechanical engineer inspired Gwynne to pursue engineering. After that, she decided to study at Northwestern University. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. Later, she received a Master of Science degree in applied mathematics.
Starting Her Career
After college, Gwynne Shotwell first worked in the automotive industry. She joined Chrysler Corporation's training program. She enjoyed it at first, but later decided to go back to Northwestern for her master's degree.
In 1988, Gwynne started working at The Aerospace Corporation. This company does technical work for military space projects. She worked on different space systems and project management roles. She spent ten years there, focusing on things like how heat affects spacecraft.
In 1998, she left The Aerospace Corporation. She became a director at Microcosm Inc., a small rocket company. There, she helped with the company's business growth.
Joining SpaceX
Gwynne Shotwell joined SpaceX in September 2002. SpaceX is a private company focused on space exploration. It was started by Elon Musk in the same year. Gwynne met Elon Musk through a former colleague. She convinced him that SpaceX needed someone to focus on business development. Two weeks later, she took on that role herself.
In December 2008, Gwynne became the President of SpaceX. This happened after she helped negotiate a big contract with NASA. This contract was for Commercial Resupply Services to the International Space Station. This was a major step for SpaceX. It followed the successful launch of their Falcon 1 rocket earlier that year.
Gwynne was responsible for getting over 50 launches planned for the Falcon rockets. This brought in billions of dollars for the company. SpaceX now delivers cargo and supplies to astronauts on the International Space Station. As President and COO, Gwynne manages all daily operations. She also handles customer relations and helps the company grow.
Under her leadership, SpaceX achieved many firsts. They landed an orbital rocket's first stage back on land and on a ship. They also re-launched and landed a used orbital rocket. SpaceX even recovered a payload fairing (the nose cone of the rocket). They also re-flew a commercial cargo spacecraft. On May 30, 2020, SpaceX made history. They became the first private company to launch astronauts into Earth orbit.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has praised Gwynne's leadership. He called her work "phenomenal" in developing the Falcon 9 rocket. He said it became the "workhorse" of space launches.
Gwynne has also served on the California Space Authority Board of Directors. She is involved in many STEM programs. She led a committee that raised over $350,000 for student scholarships.
Starlink
Gwynne Shotwell also plays a key role in Starlink. Starlink is SpaceX's satellite internet service.
Starlink in Ukraine
After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Gwynne led talks about providing Starlink services there. SpaceX first donated these services to Ukraine. Later, the United States Department of Defense signed a contract to buy Starlink for Ukraine.
Gwynne stated that SpaceX took steps to prevent Starlink from being used to control combat drones. She explained that the service was meant for communication, defense, and humanitarian aid. This included use for "ambulances, hospitals and mothers." She did not intend for it to be used for drone strikes.
Public Speaking
Gwynne Shotwell often speaks about the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In June 2013, she gave a TEDx Talk about this topic. She also speaks to business groups. In June 2014, she talked about private companies' achievements in spaceflight.
At the 2018 TED conference, Gwynne was interviewed about SpaceX's future plans. She also gave a talk at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in September 2018. Her talk was called "Launching Our Future." She discussed aerospace technology and why diversity, including women, is important for society's progress.
Personal Life
Gwynne Shotwell is married to an engineer who works at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She has two children from a previous marriage.
She owns a ranch in Hamilton County, Texas. It is near the SpaceX Rocket Development and Test Facility. She considers this ranch her "home office."
Honors and Awards
- 2012: Inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame
- 2017: Named Satellite Executive of the Year
- 2018: Listed on Forbes' America's Top 50 Women In Tech
- 2020: Named one of Time's 100 most influential people
- 2020: Named Satellite Executive of the Year again
- 2020: Elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for making space travel more affordable and competitive for NASA and national security.
See also
In Spanish: Gwynne Shotwell para niños
