Melissa Sampson, Ph.D.

Visionary
DISC Type : Ds

Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at Orbit Fab

United States

Overview

Melissa Sampson is a highly accomplished aerospace executive and the Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at Orbit Fab. Her career includes senior roles at Lockheed Martin and Ball Aerospace, focusing on creating new business strategies and market expansion, particularly in the cislunar economy. People describe her as a resilient, professional, and calm leader.

Beyond her executive roles, Melissa is a certified coach with credentials in Brain-Based Coaching and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) certification. This demonstrates a clear passion for leadership development and helping others grow professionally, aligning with her attendance at specialized womens leadership training programs during her career.

She is a recipient of the prestigious Amelia Earhart Fellowship, awarded to women pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and sciences.

Personality Overview

Risk Tolerant

Direct & Assertive

Big Vision Person

Reading between the lines and seeing beyond your words comes naturally to them.  They are very professional in their approach and can weigh multiple perspectives together. They might take some time to make their mind up but once they do, they don't change it easily.

Topics They Care About

In-Space Economy
As a leader at Orbit Fab, a key satellite refueling company, she is at the forefront of building the in-space servicing and logistics market.
Cislunar Development
Her background includes leading strategy for lunar infrastructure, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and positioning companies as leaders in the emerging cislunar environment.
Strategic Partnerships
A core part of her role involves forging strategic alliances with major aerospace primes and government agencies to enhance market access and credibility.

Media Appearances

Melissa has no verified media appearances

Work History

3-2025
Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at Orbit Fab
10-2023 - 2-2025
Business Development and Strategy at Lockheed Martin
6-2022 - 10-2023
Lunar Infrastructure Strategy & Business Development Senior Manager at Lockheed Martin
7-2018 - 3-2022
Business Development Leader/Senior Advanced Systems Manager at Ball Aerospace
Business Development and Program Manager, Advanced Programs at United Launch Alliance (ULA)

Education

Ph.D. from University of Colorado Boulder
B.S. from William & Mary

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 9 Location : United States Job Level : Senior Designation : Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at Orbit Fab
URL has been copied!

Insights For Selling To Melissa

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • You can spend time on BANT (or other qualification methodology) but keep it to the point
  • Ask them at the end if they see a strong value prop in your product; expect an honest answer
  • Let them know of potential risks but suggest mitigation methods alongside

DONT's

  • Don't shy away from asking hard questions, but be extra polite
  • Don't go over them unless you are left with no other option
  • Don't take their patience for granted, avoid long-winding sermons

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Melissa is

  • Strong proof of impact and their conviction will matter the most, but they wouldn't want to act unilaterally either
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Melissa

  • They will say no if they are not convinced but you will have to prompt them.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Melissa move?

  • They will want to understand things well but can move fast once they have a clear picture.
  • Can Melissa take some risk or not?

  • They have good risk tolerance but are likely to think it through once or twice.

You And Melissa

Personality Compatibility


Other Orbit Fab Employees

Explore more public profiles from related professionals at the same organization.

More Profiles

Discover additional public profiles from our index.

Search more profiles

Looking for someone else? Search here for anyone.

Or visit Humantic AI to know more.