Kristen Smith 
Sidus Space has appointed aerospace and defense executive Kelle Wendling to its board of directors. Wendling brings over 30 years of experience in government contracting, space and aviation systems, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance markets, Sidus Space said Monday.
Who Is Kelle Wendling?
Wendling previously served as president of the space systems sector at L3Harris Technologies, where she led growth and innovation initiatives supporting government customers in the United States and other countries. She also held senior leadership roles during her nearly 30-year tenure at Harris prior to the merger with L3 Technologies, including president of the mission networks sector and vice president and general manager of ISR solutions.
An alumna of the Florida Institute of Technology, Wendling serves on its board of trustees and holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics and computer science from the institution. Her academic background is furthered by executive education from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
How Does Wendling’s Appointment Align With Sidus Space’s Growth?
Wendling joins the board as Sidus Space advances multiple initiatives tied to government and commercial space customers. The company previously received Federal Communications Commission approval to operate a micro constellation of LizzieSat remote sensing satellites and secured a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Tier 1 remote sensing license covering panchromatic and shortwave infrared imaging.
Sidus Space also received a contract extension with NASA to demonstrate autonomous system management throughout LizzieSat-1’s four-year mission and worked with L3Harris through the Department of War’s Mentor-Protege Program to strengthen Sidus Space’s role within the defense supplier base and scale its satellite and space-based data offerings.
