Stella Tkatchova is Space Business Engineer at Rhea System S.A., a Belgium aerospace company. She has the unique opportunity to work on developing new business opportunities, developing projects related to technology innovation, management, and new space applications (i.e. disaster management, telemedicine, etc.). She was awarded a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in space studies from the International Space University (ISU) in 2006, and a PhD from the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering Group, TUDelft (The Netherlands).She started her career working on the cost-engineering drivers for METOP-A, the expected revenues from geomantic applications of the Galileo navigation system in the Cost Analysis Division of the European Space Agency (ESA), European Space and Technology Centre (ESTEC). Later on she started working on performing R&D market analysis and defining management, marketing, and commercialization strategies for the International Space Station for the ESA Columbus module, at ESA Commercial Promotion Office (CPO) ESA- ESTEC.
Stella has developed a strong passion for researching commercialization of space-based technologies. As she believes that space-technology can offer to non-space companies the unique opportunity to exploit technologies that will result in the development of new markets, applications, and technologies, as industrialization of space technology will bring benefits to society in the areas of science, environment protection, disease prevention, and technology innovation.