Tina Sjögren is the CEO and co-founder of Pythom, a Swedish-American aerospace company based in Bishop, California.[1] She is the first woman to complete the Three Poles Challenge - summiting Mount Everest (1999) and skiing unsupported to the South Pole (2001-2002) and North Pole (2002).[2][3][4][5]

Tina Sjögren
BornMay 26, 1959
CitizenshipUnited States, Sweden
TitleCEO and co-founder of Pythom
SpouseTom Sjogren (married 1983-present)
AwardsFirst unsupported journey to the South Pole (female), First unsupported journey to the North Pole (female), First female to complete the Three Poles Challenge, Fastest time to reach both Poles unsupported

Early life edit

Tina Sjögren was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, on 26 May 1959. At age 9, she left the country with her mother and brother as political refugees. She ended up in Sweden, where she met the Swedish competitive sailor and figure skater Tom Sjögren, at the Stockholm School of Economics. The couple married in 1983 and emigrated to New York City in 1996.[6][7]

Business career edit

Together with her husband Tom Sjögren, Tina was a professional explorer and became the first woman to complete the Three Poles Challenge. The couple was awarded a combined four Guinness world records for their expeditions.[2][3][4][5]

As part of their expeditions, the couple invented lightweight satellite communication software and hardware solutions, which later turned into a business with customers including NASA, NGOs, defense units, and extreme explorers.[8] This business was run under their ExplorersWeb.com subsidiary, HumanEdgeTech.[9][10]

In 2019, Tina and Tom founded Pythom, a California-based aerospace company which is currently in development of a complete human-rated space transportation system, including rockets, landers and spaceships for Earth, Mars, the Moon and asteroids.[11] The space fleet is designed around successful principles from early Earth exploration: low cost, light travel, small and agile teams.

The couple has announced public aspirations of going to Mars on Pythom spacecraft within the end of this decade, with the first launch window estimated in 2026.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ LundegårdhText, Peter (2021-10-12). "Svenska parets rymdbolag lockar investerare – Fuglesang rådgivare". Dagens industri (in Swedish). Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  2. ^ a b "Fastest time to reach both Poles unsupported". Guinness World Records. 29 May 2002. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  3. ^ a b "First unsupported journey to the South Pole (female)". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  4. ^ a b "First unsupported journey to the North Pole (female)". Guinness World Records. 29 March 2002. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  5. ^ a b "First female to complete the Three Poles Challenge". Guinness World Records. 29 January 2002. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  6. ^ "U.S. gains two new adventurers at naturalization ceremony in Oakland". Mercury News (Updated August 13, 2016 ed.). September 5, 2012.
  7. ^ Kodas, Michael (January 2018). High Crimes: The Fate of Everest In an Age of Greed (Hyperion eBook ed.). Hatchette Books. p. 6, Chapter 6.
  8. ^ "Mars Madness". The California Sunday Magazine. 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  9. ^ Revkin, Andrew C. (June 5, 2003). "Taking Technology to Extremes". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Staff (March 21, 2006). "Upload Every Mountain". Wired.
  11. ^ "This is how Tina and Tom Sjögren will get to Mars - part 2". Warp News. 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  12. ^ "Two explorers aim to beat Elon Musk to Mars - part 1". Warp News. 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2022-06-17.

Sources edit

External links edit