Alumna set for New Shepard launch
Laura Stiles (AeroEngr MS'11, PhD'13) is spacebound.
The CU Boulder alumna is set to fly on the New Shepard Mission NS-38 suborbital flight, which is scheduled to launch Jan. 22, 2026.
Stiles is Blue Origin’s Director of New Shepard Launch Operations. She is a late addition to the flight, after a previously announced crew contracted an illness and is no longer able to fly.
Stiles has been at Blue Origin in 2013 where she has worked in a number of capacities, including mechanical systems design, integrated vehicle test, launch operations, astronaut training, as well as service as a Flight Controller and CapCom.
In 2024, Stiles was a recipient of a Smead Aerospace alumni award for Excellence in Technical Achievement and Leadership (Under 40 Category).
With the flight, Stiles will become the 21st CU affiliate to journey to space.