"My greatest achievement is my network of incredibly accomplished and supportive friends, most of whom I met as either fellow students or colleagues. I'm fortunate to know combat veterans, aviators, astronauts, political staffers, doctors, lawyers, and lots of engineers. They inspire and encourage me every day.”
Brigadier General Kristin L. Panzenhagen entered the Air Force in 2000 as a distinguished graduate of Purdue's Air Force ROTC detachment.
She began her career as an aircraft maintenance officer, then transitioned to the developmental engineering career field, where she performed aircraft propulsion and structures research and executed space launch and on-orbit satellite operations. She had three deployments to Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
She has managed multi-domain command and control, missile warning and defense, and satellite ground enterprise programs. She commanded at the squadron level, leading the National Air and Space Intelligence Center’s Foreign Materiel Exploitation Squadron, and has worked national-level space policy at the National Reconnaissance Office. Panzenhagen transitioned from the Air Force to the Space Force in 2021 and is currently quad hatted.
As Program Executive Officer for Assured Access to Space, she leads personnel on multiple space launch and range programs. As Commander of Space Launch Delta 45, she executes range operations for both government and commercial space launches.
As Director of the Eastern Range, she is the final approval authority for all space launches, landings and weapon systems testing over 15 million square miles.
As Director of Operations, she provides policy guidance and supports readiness of Space Systems Command.