Advisory Board Member

Additional Title(s)

Head of AIRBUS U.S. Space Systems, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.

Biography

Debra Facktor is the Head of U.S. Space Systems for Airbus U.S. Space &  Defense, Inc. As such, she is responsible for managing the two businesses within the U.S. Space Systems: National Security Space and Space Exploration. Debra is also on the board of Airbus OneWeb Satellites, a joint venture operating a state-of-the-art satellite manufacturing facility. 

Prior to joining Airbus U.S., Debra was Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Operations for Ball Aerospace, leading the company’s Washington DC operations, strategic development, and marketing and communications. Her extensive business experience includes serving as President and Owner of AirLaunch LLC, and as Vice  President of Business Development and Strategic Planning for Kistler Aerospace Corporation. 

Debra is actively engaged as an advisor and mentor in the aerospace community and is a fellow of the  American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the American Astronautical Society (AAS).  She sits on the University of Michigan aerospace engineering Industrial Advisory Board, the Advisory Committee for the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), and the Future Space Leaders  Foundation board. She is also an academician of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). 

Debra received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of  Michigan, and is an alumna of the International Space University summer session program in Strasbourg, France.