Dr. Petra Illig graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1981, is a board certified emergency medicine physician, and was a Regional Medical Director for Delta Airlines until 2001. She is a pilot, is in private practice in aerospace medicine, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska -Anchorage Aviation Technology Division. She is also a co - founder of Space Medicine Associates, which provides multidisciplinary space medicine and bioastronautics consultation for the commercial space industry. Dr. Illig is a proponent of self-regulation, and believes that it is in the interest of the New Space industry to develop rational medical guidelines for off-world travelers. She believes that it is important to provide advocacy for potential personal space travelers with medical problems in order to assure a safe, healthy and enjoyable flight. To this end, she has worked on various national and international committees and task forces which are developing medical guidelines for suborbital and orbital commercial space travel passengers as well as pilots.