Wendy Shimata

Wendy Shimata has extensive experience in the aerospace industry. Wendy started their career at The Boeing Company in 2008, where they worked in various roles, including Guidance, Navigation & Controls Engineer. During their time there, they gained expertise in attitude determination and controls subsystem design, software development, spacecraft autonomy system analysis, and flight operations.

In 2015, Wendy joined SpaceX as a Sr. Autonomous Systems Software Engineer. In this role, they designed and implemented software algorithms for fault detection, isolation, and recovery for Cargo and Crew Dragon vehicles. Wendy also supported flight software certification for these vehicles and worked with subsystem owners to assess fault tolerance and select fault mitigation methods.

Wendy then progressed to managerial positions at SpaceX, serving as the Manager of Vehicle Software and the Sr. Manager of Spacecraft Software. In these roles, they led teams, managed reliable software processes, and oversaw the development of spacecraft software. Wendy played a crucial role in the design and implementation of software for the Dragon 2 Demo-2 vehicle, which transported NASA astronauts.

Currently, Wendy is working at Varda Space Industries as the Director of Autonomous Systems and has been promoted to VP of Autonomous Systems. Starting in 2022, they lead the organization's autonomous systems initiatives and ensures the successful development and implementation of these systems.

Throughout their career, Wendy Shimata has displayed expertise in software development, spacecraft autonomy, and leadership in the aerospace industry.

Wendy Shimata attended Cornell University from 2005 to 2009, where they obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics/Applied Physics. Later, from 2010 to 2012, they pursued a Master of Science degree in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical/Space Engineering at the University of Southern California.