Brooke Owens

Owens was born in Trona, just outside Death Valley National Park in 1980.[2] She was inspired to study aerospace engineering because of the open sky, and grew up fascinated by space travel. She studied at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, on a full scholarship, and graduated in 2002.[1]

Owens was considered an aerospace pioneer. She worked at the Johnson Space Center and the Federal Aviation Administration.[3] Owens was enlisted as an intern at X Prize Foundation whilst completing a Masters at International Space University.[4] She was told by Peter Diamandis that during the summer internship she was going to "live, drink [and] breathe spaceships".[4] She attended meetings about Personal Spaceflight at SpaceX headquarters with Elon Musk.[5] At X Prize Foundation Owens was appointed Director of Team Relations & Special Projects and ran an internship program for young professionals.[6]

She was appointed as Space Industry Analyst by the Office of Management and Budget.[7] As early as 2009, she used a Twitter account to keep people informed about commercial spaceflight and recruit a new generation of space fans.[8] Owens was mentored by Lori Garver, former Deputy Administrator of NASA.[9] She worked with Students for the Exploration and Development of Space to discuss the Federal Aviation Administration's role in commercial spaceflight and space tourism.[10] Her mentor was Patti Grace Smith. Owens attended the 2014 World Technology Summit in New York.[11] Owens died in 2016 aged 35 after suffering from breast cancer.[12] Owens supported several charities, including Aidchild.[2]

In 2017, Lori Garver (Air Line Pilots Association, International) Will Pomerantz (Virgin Galactic) and Cassie Lee (Vulcan Inc.) created a program to pay tribute to Owens. The Brooke Owens Fellowship is volunteer-led and provides sponsored internships and mentoring for women undergraduates interested in a career in aerospace.[3]