Veronique Balsa-Koken MS

Veronique is Aurora Aerospace’s President and a multicultural professional with an impressive record in varied careers and travel experience spanning more than forty countries.

She obtained a Masters degree in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle University before continuing studies in Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Stanford, which led to her participation as a speaker on black holes at the 2006 International Space Development Conference. She has taught at NASA and the Civil Air Patrol as an Aerospace Education Officer, and presently holds a Florida Educator’s Certificate to teach Earth and Space Science.

Veronique has a dynamic personality and is skilled at explaining technical matters in an enjoyable and understandable way. She will teach many of your briefings and will be your zero-gravity coach. She has flown more than 100 zero-gravity flights and speaks 5 languages which is very helpful for our many international guests.

Veronique was selected as an astronaut crewmember for the “Americans in Orbit 50 Years” program (www.aio50.org), and aims to be Brazil’s first female astronaut.

Besides being a devoted mother, she is also a published photographer, poet, and writer; accomplished skier; competitive sailor; advanced scuba-diver; licensed road and dirt motorcycle rider; and currently trains in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and as a student pilot towards a high-performance rating in the L-39 jet.