Lena De Winne holds an MSc in engineering from Moscow Power Engineering University, an MBA from European University in The Hague, and a PhD in psychology from California Southern University. After fifteen years of a successful career at the European Space Agency (ESTEC, The Netherlands), where she worked in business development, liaison, promotion and education, she published several popular books in English and Russian on the topic of space for children and adults, and hosted a television program in Belgium.