You’re viewing a past speaker’s bio. They are not currently scheduled for the upcoming program.
Anita Gale is a retired Senior Project Engineer with 40 years of experience at The Boeing Company, where she worked on the Space Shuttle and Commercial Crew programs. Recognized for her engineering expertise, she was designated as a Boeing Associate Technical Fellow. Her work focused on space vehicle cargo integration, process improvements, and she led R&D projects in future space infrastructure and spacecraft cargo containerization, contributing to three U.S. Patents.
Anita has been a longstanding member of the National Space Society (NSS) and its precursor organizations since the late 1970s. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the NSS and was recently elected as the Chair of its Executive Committee. Her leadership in the NSS has been integral, having previously served as NSS Secretary and as a member of the Space Settlement Advocacy Committee.
She is also the President and Co-Founder of the Space Settlement Design Competition®, a program that simulates space industry proposal work for high school students globally. The competition’s unique “future history” material, created by Anita, explores human activities in space extending into the 2090s.
Apart from her work with the NSS and Space Settlement Design Competitions, Anita has been active in various engineering technical societies, including the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and Tau Beta Pi. She is particularly involved with the AIAA Space Settlement Technical Committee as a Chair Emeritus.
Anita’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Washington, a Systems Engineering Certificate from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, and doctoral studies at United States International University in San Diego.
Her achievements have been recognized with several awards, including the Rotary International Stellar Award, the Boeing William Allen Award for Exceptional Volunteer Service, a National Space Society Space Pioneer Award, and the University of Washington Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Distinguished Alumni Award, the latter received in August 2023.