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Crossing the Boundaries

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Stellar Solutions Director Mary Stevenson Wins Women in Aerospace Allyship Award

Los Altos, CA – Mary Stevenson, Director of Enterprise Defense Programs at Stellar Solutions, Inc., the global aerospace engineering services company, has been selected as the recipient of the Women in Aerospace (WIA) Allyship Award. This award honors Stevenson for her exemplary leadership and support of women, and her dedication to collaborative inclusion in the aerospace community.

Mary Stevenson

The WIA Awards celebrate women’s professional excellence in aerospace, annually recognizing female leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the aerospace community and to the advancement of women in the field. Stevenson is one of only seven awardees in various categories of leadership that will be presented at the WIA Awards Dinner on December 13, 2023, at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington VA.

“The Stellar Solutions team is incredibly proud of Mary Stevenson and so pleased that she will be honored by Women In Aerospace with the coveted Allyship Award. As a catalyst for productive collaboration and positive change, Mary is respected by women and men alike, throughout the industry, for both her expertise and total commitment to bringing out the best in every team member she encounters. At Stellar Solutions, we are grateful for Mary’s passion for building a culture of inclusion and we see this come to life in every project she participates in and leads,” said Janet Grondin, CEO, Stellar Solutions..

Stevenson joined Stellar Solutions in 2016, where she is a senior system engineer, senior program manager, and lean-agile transformation coach. Her track record in managing and motivating teams for maximum efficiency and impact has fortified both client success and professional development. In particular, she has been instrumental in engaging women engineers in significant positions of responsibility and mentoring them to exceed expectations.

Stevenson’s talent-building is rooted in her extensive experience both in business as well as a career in the US Air Force. She is expert in all aspects of spacecraft development from concept definition, contract negotiation, system design, integration and test, launch and orbit raising, and in-orbit operation.

Prior to joining Stellar Solutions, Stevenson served as an Acquisition Principle Senior Analyst for Alion Science and Technology supporting the Secretary of the Air Force Acquisition (SAF/AQ) in planning, coordinating, and executing Joint ISR exercises with NATO.

Previously, she was the NATO Mid-Term (NMT) Program Manager in The Netherlands from 2003-2011 responsible to upgrade the backend of the NATO Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS) fleet. During her service in the US Air Force from 1982 –2004, her roles included leading a NATO Joint Force Command Headquarters Training Division in developing training programs for NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan.

Stevenson holds a Master of Science in Systems Management at the College of Notre Dame. In her undergraduate years at the USAF Academy, where she attained a Bachelor’s of Science, she had the distinction of being part of one of the first three graduating classes of women, and first two graduating classes of African-American women.

Women in Aerospace (WIA), is a leading professional organization dedicated to expanding women’s opportunities for leadership, education and visibility in the aerospace community. To learn more about WIA, visit: www.womeninaerospace.org.

About Stellar Solutions, Inc.:  Stellar Solutions, Inc. is a global aerospace and systems engineering services provider to commercial, defense, intelligence, civil and international sectors.  Stellar Solutions provides systems engineering capabilities and strategic support for global communications, remote sensing, national defense, and space exploration. These solutions to customer critical needs connect technology and customers across multiple domains. With physical operations throughout the U.S. and around the globe, Stellar Solutions is a recognized leader in delivering end-to-end critical expertise and problem-solving skills. https://www.stellarsolutions.com/

Stellar Solutions’ proud ties to NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex

Industry veteran and emerging leader participated in historic mission

September 24 will be a momentous day in space exploration, when NASA’s OSIRIS-REx and the first-ever U.S. asteroid sample – believed to be formed in the early solar system 4.5 billion years ago – returns to Earth.

The sample is from Bennu, an asteroid that NASA says will render pristine material – rocks and dust collected from the asteroid’s surface in 2020 – offering generations of scientists a window into the time when the Sun and planets were forming.

Two Stellar Solutions engineers were involved in this mission:

  • Joe Witte, Senior Systems Engineering Consultant, is a Launch Systems Engineer supporting GSFC TSIS-2 and DAVINCI missions. Prior to joining Stellar, he spent 41 years at Lockheed Martin, where he was the Launch Systems Engineer for OSIRIS-Rex among seven interplanetary NASA missions and was Planetary Protection Lead for all missions since 2000.

    In his role in the project, Joe conducted all the planning and preparation for the launch campaign besides the normal launch vehicle contractor coordination as well as supporting Assembly Integration and Test especially during LV hardware and launch environment testing.

    “OSIRIS-REx was significant because of its mission goal of retrieving a sample for the mineralogical science investigation and for overcoming the mission operation challenges posed by an asteroid surface that was rougher than anticipated. Working with the spacecraft and science teams and the NASA team getting to launch created a family bond that paid off during the long mission operations phase of observation, sampling and now culminating in the sample retrieval,” he says.

  • Erin Farrell, now an instrument systems engineer at Stellar, worked on the project in 2014 when she was a summer intern at Stellar, assigned to NASA Goddard. She worked on the shipping container for the OVIRS instrument, a spectrometer which scanned the asteroid to assist in the selection of the sample site.

    After graduating from Penn State with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, she joined Stellar where she has held various systems engineering roles on ICESat-2, TIRS-2, and Landsat-9. She earned an M.S. Mechanical Engineering, at University of Maryland in 2021.

    Today she looks back on the opportunity to work on this project at the early stages of her career with gratitude. “I was honored to contribute even in a finite way to a mission that will expand our knowledge of the solar system.”

“The OSIRIS-Rex project demonstrates the power and potential of space exploration and research. We are very proud to have in our own Stellar orbit Joe Witte who played an integral role in the project, and Erin Farrell who participated in it at the launch point in her career,” said Janet Grondin, Stellar Solutions CEO.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will release the sample capsule for a safe landing in the Utah desert. The capsule will pierce Earth’s atmosphere at 8:42 a.m. MDT (10:42 a.m. EDT), traveling about 27,650 mph (44,500 kph). Parachutes will bring the capsule’s descent to a safe landing speed. At touchdown, the capsule will have slowed to about 11 mph (18 kph) Finally, just 13 minutes after entering the atmosphere, the capsule will be on Earth for the first time in seven years, awaiting the recovery team’s approach. https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/2023/09/08/heres-how-sept-24-asteroid-sample-delivery-will-work/

Once secured, the capsule will be flown by helicopter to a temporary clean room on the military range and then prepared for transport to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston the next day. Scientists at Johnson will care for the sample, store it, and distribute it to the OSIRIS-REx science team and other scientists worldwide. Most of the sample will be available upon request for generations to come.

NASA will be broadcasting the landing starting 10 a.m. EDT on NASA TV, the NASA app, and on their official website.

For more information see https://www.nasa.gov/feature/esnt/2023/teams-watch-weather-as-osiris-rex-returns-asteroid-sample/

Stellar Solutions names Úna Stanniland Director of UK Operations and Andrew Davies Head of Special Projects

Los Altos, CA, September 6 – Stellar Solutions, Inc., the global aerospace engineering services company, has named Úna Stanniland, seasoned advisor to space industry and government entities, as Director of UK Operations. Andrew Davies, a respected leader who significantly elevated the company’s presence in the UK, will continue his commitment to the company as Head of Special Projects.

Úna Stanniland, Director of UK Operations, Stellar Solutions

“Expanding Stellar Solutions’ UK leadership team with Úna Stanniland is key to our global growth strategy. Úna’s knowledge, combined with her established relationships in the burgeoning space industry, adds to Andrew’s long-standing reputation as an industry expert and allows us to focus on our customer’s critical needs while collaborating closely with Europe and the US,” said Janet Grondin, CEO, Stellar Solutions.

Stanniland is a trusted aerospace expert who for over twenty years has delivered project and service management knowledge services across a diverse portfolio of defense and aerospace organizations, predominately for satcom capabilities. In close coordination with Davies, she has also worked as a Stellar Solutions Advisor over the past 18 months in planning and supporting the company’s growth.

For the last ten years, Stanniland led a consulting company serving industry, government and defense agencies, and managing important UK SATCOM programs. During this time, she led a multi-skilled, multi-organizational team to deliver an Invitation to Negotiate to Industry proposal worth roughly £1 billion for the next generation UK military satcom service. For Inmarsat, the British satellite telecommunications company, she managed the co-funded European Space Agency (ESA) program, ‘INVISON’, part of the Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) nurturing innovation.

Earlier during her nine years at Airbus, most recently as Operating Officer and Satellite Programme Manager, she worked in Defense and Space on the Skynet 5 Programme. She began her career at Nortel Networks.

Over the last five years, Davies expanded the Stellar UK team of expert employees and Advisors and enhanced the Stellar Solutions UK operations and business processes, gaining ISO9001-2015 accreditation and cyber essentials certification. His 30 years of experience as a consultant and business manager in major space programs include his role as a prominent figure in the pilot program to set up the UK National Space Partnership. He has advised government agencies including ESA, UK Space Agency, NATO, UK Ministry of Defense, the EU, and other organizations in the international space industry supply chain.

He has extensive knowledge of the satcom sector in both military and civil domains and is currently leading the business analysis of products and services for an ESA project examining the role for satcom and 5G in support of autonomous platforms. He is also leading the Lender Technical advisor team on the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission. Davies brings this gravitas to UKSpace, the official trade association of the UK space industry, as Vice Chair of the SME Committee.

About Stellar Solutions, Inc.

Stellar Solutions, Inc. is a global aerospace and systems engineering services provider to commercial, defense, intelligence, civil and international sectors.  Stellar Solutions provides systems engineering capabilities and strategic support for global communications, remote sensing, national defense, and space exploration. These solutions to customer critical needs connect technology and customers across multiple domains. With physical operations throughout the U.S. and around the globe, Stellar Solutions is a recognized leader in delivering end-to-end critical expertise and problem-solving skills. https://www.stellarsolutions.com/

Stellar Solutions is Named to 2023 Fortune Best Workplaces in the Bay Area List by Fortune Media and Great Place To Work

Los Altos, CA — Great Place To Work® and Fortune magazine have honored Stellar Solutions, Inc. as one of this year’s Best Workplaces in the Bay Area. This is the company’s third time being named to this prestigious list. Earning a spot means that Stellar Solutions has surpassed rigorous benchmarks, establishing itself as one of the best workplaces for companies headquartered in the San Francisco Bay region. In prior years, Stellar Solutions also ranked as a Best Medium Workplace™ and Best Workplace for Millennials™. To determine the Fortune Best Workplaces in the Bay Area™ List, Great Place To Work collected nearly 100,000 confidential survey responses from employees at eligible companies. Via the Trust Index™ Survey, employees shared honest feedback about their experience by responding to 60 statements about the employee experience and answering two open-ended questions. The Best Workplaces in the Bay Area list is highly competitive. Survey responses reflect a comprehensive picture of the workplace experience. Honorees were selected based on their ability offer positive outcomes for employees regardless of job role, race, gender, sexual orientation, work status, or other demographic identifier. To be eligible for the list, companies must be Great Place To Work Certified™, have at least 10 U.S. employees, and be headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. “Congratulations to Best Workplaces in the Bay Area,” says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work. “Amid ongoing uncertainty and challenging market pressures, these companies stuck by their principles and delivered exemplary experiences for all employees. The reward? Those workers are giving their full effort — driving productivity, innovation, and a great experience for their customers.” “Fortune congratulates the Best Workplaces in the Bay Area,” says Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell. “Employee experience is critical to company performance, and these companies are setting that standard.”

About Stellar Solutions

Stellar Solutions, Inc. is a global aerospace and systems engineering services provider to commercial, defense, intelligence, civil and international sectors.  Stellar Solutions provides systems engineering capabilities and strategic support for global communications, remote sensing, national defense, and space exploration. These solutions to customer critical needs connect technology and customers across multiple domains. With physical operations throughout the U.S. and the globe, Stellar Solutions is a recognized leader in delivering end-to-end critical expertise and problem-solving skills.

About Great Place to Work

As the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work brings 30 years of groundbreaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all. Their proprietary platform and For All™ Model help companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place To Work Certified or receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces™ List.

About Fortune

The Fortune mission is to change the world by making business better. We achieve that by providing trusted information, telling great stories, and building world-class communities. We measure performance by rigorous benchmarks. And we hold companies accountable. Our goal is to make Fortune a force for good through its second century and beyond.

Stellar Advisors Help Shape the Future of the Air Force and Space Force

Stellar Solutions was exceedingly proud to receive a letter of appreciation by US Air Force Academy Commandant of Cadets Brigadier General Paul Moga for our role in preparing his cadets for one of the greatest responsibilities in their military careers – conflicts in active duty. To deliver the premier quality training our troops deserve, Punch Moulton, our VP of Defense Support and Cyber Strategies (and a retired Major General), brought together an outstanding team of Stellar Advisors: Major General (ret) Duane Jones, RADM (ret) Dan Lloyd and Major General (ret) Pete Fesler. They are among the 80+ Stellar Advisors of top military experts and government officials who distinguish our ability to serve our clients. Brigadier General Moga’s recognition is particularly significant because he commands the 4,300-member Cadet Wing and more than 200 Air Force and civilian personnel. He guides the military training, leadership and character development, Basic Cadet Training, and Expeditionary Skills Training for the Cadet Wing. With a deep determination towards their success, Moulton’s team contributed personal time over the weekends to facilitate a series of sophisticated exercises addressing the opportunities and challenges of careers in the Air Force and Space Force.  Some examples:

  • Jones facilitated maintenance, logistics, security forces, and medical exercises.
  • Lloyd led the cadets’ planning and then role-played the President of the United States as the cadets delivered a “National Security Council” decision brief.
  • Fesler and Moulton ran a high-end examination of “Integrated Air and Missile Defense,” that in Brigadier General Moga’s words, “began with a PhD-level look at Defense Design and then led the cadets through a challenging simulation of ballistic and cruise missile attacks.”

Stellar Solutions CEO Janet Grondin said, “We were extremely proud to have Punch, Duane, Dan, and Pete sharing their wisdom with our future Air and Space leaders.  Stellar Advisors help shape our future by training tomorrow’s decision-makers today.” See these photos from the Air Force Academy showing the Stellar Advisor team in action during the Integrated Air and Missile Defense simulations. ]>