Natalya Brikner—space technology researcher, entrepreneur, aspiring pilot, ruthless scheduler, and lover of camping. Those are just a few of the traits I learned about Brikner in our wide-ranging conversation.

Brikner is the co-founder and CEO of Accion Systems, a 10-employee Boston startup that makes satellite propulsion systems. Accion (pronounced like “ax-eon”) has so far raised $10.5 million in venture capital and $6.5 million in government funds to commercialize its technology, Brikner says. It’s an interesting bet worth watching as the next era of space exploration unfolds.

Read the full interview at Xconomy.