Brig. Gen. Kristin L. Panzenhagen is quad hatted as Program Executive Officer for Assured Access to Space; Commander, Space Launch Delta 45; Director of the Eastern Range; and Director of Launch and Range Operations, Space Systems Command (SSC/S3). She also serves as the Space Force University Partnership Program Co-Champion for Purdue University.
As PEO, Brig. Gen. Panzenhagen is responsible for organizing, training and equipping 22,000 government and contractor personnel at SLD 45 at Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, SLD 30 at Vandenberg SFB, California, and the Launch Enterprise Directorate at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. and Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Additionally, she leads the acquisition, integration, development, production, operation and sustainment of the $13.5 billion National Security Space Launch Program, Rocket System Launch Program and Launch and Test Range System Program. As SLD 45 Commander, she is responsible for base infrastructure for more than 15,000 military, civilians, contractors and dependents at Patrick SFB, Cape Canaveral SFS and Ascension Island. She also leads the safe and secure payload processing and launching of U.S. government and commercial satellites from Cape Canaveral SFS, Fla. As the U.S. Space Force Director of the Eastern Range - a 15-million-square-mile area with approximately 90 launches in 2023 on Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Atlas V, Delta IV Heavy, U.S. Navy’s Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile, and Astra Rocket 3 - she is the final approval authority for all launches, landings and Department of Defense testing to include Kennedy Space Center satellites and human spaceflight. Finally, as Director of Launch and Range Operations, she provides policy guidance and resources for the Space Force’s $30 billion Eastern and Western Range space launch, ballistic missile test and hypersonic support range portfolios.
Brig. Gen. Panzenhagen entered the Air Force as a Distinguished Graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Purdue University in 2000. 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 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.
Brig. Gen. Panzenhagen deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, as an aircraft maintenance officer for Operation Southern Watch; to Al Anbar, Iraq, as part of a contingency contracting team for Operation Iraqi Freedom; and to Camps Slayer and Liberty, Iraq as the National Reconnaissance Office Lead in Iraq for Operation New Dawn.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.
2001 Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2004 Master of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Space 200, National Security Space Institute, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Master of Military Studies, Marine Corps University, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.
2012 Distinguished Graduate, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, MCB Quantico, Va.
2014 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Space 300, National Security Space Institute, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2017 Program Manager’s Course, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 Senior Acquisition Course, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 Master of National Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 Distinguished Graduate, Eisenhower School, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2022 Cybersecurity: The Intersection of Policy and Technology, Harvard Kennedy School, by correspondence
2022 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates Inc., Washington, D.C.
2022 Senior Acquisition Management Course, Defense Acquisition University, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2000–October 2001, Avionics Flight Commander, 1st Component Repair Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
2. July 2000–October 2001, Accessories Flight Commander, 1st Component Repair Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
3. October 2001–July 2002, Sortie Generation Assistant Flight Commander, 71st Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
4. July 2002–August 2002, 71st Aircraft Maintenance Flight Assistant Officer in Charge, 1st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
5. August 2002–March 2004, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. March 2004–July 2004, Aerospace Structure Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. July 2004–July 2005, Titan Launch Operations Engineer, 3rd Space Launch Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
8. July 2005–July 2006, Mission Support Flight Commander, 45th Launch Support Squadron, Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla.
9. July 2006–May 2008, Executive Officer, 45th Launch Group, Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla.
10. May 2008–October 2009, Chief of Mission Engineering, Data Masked
11. October 2009–July 2011, Chief of Mission Engineering, National Reconnaissance Office Aerospace Data Facility East, Fort Belvoir, Va.
12. July 2011–June 2012, Student, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, MCB Quantico, Va.
13. June 2012–June 2014, Chief of Advanced Warfighter Integration, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.
14. June 2014–August 2016, Commander, Foreign Materiel Exploitation Squadron, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
15. August 2016–June 2017, Student, Eisenhower School, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
16. June 2017–June 2019, Chief, Missile Defense and Missile Warning Systems Branch, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
17. June 2019–June 2021, Chief, Strategy and Integration Group, Office of Policy and Strategy, NRO, Chantilly, Va.
18. June 2021–May 2022, Senior Materiel Leader, Integrated Ground Enterprise, NRO, Chantilly, Va.
19. June 2022–June 2023, Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
20. June 2023–present, Program Executive Officer for Assured Access to Space; Commander, Space Launch Delta 45; Director, Eastern Range; and Director of Launch and Range Operations for Space Systems Command, Patrick SFB, Fla.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal
National Reconnaissance Office Medal of Distinguished Performance
(Current as of March 2025)