Christopher “Chewy” Huie is an aerospace engineer, Virgin Galactic astronaut, and the first Jamaican to travel to space. Since 2016, he has played a key role in designing and operating Virgin Galactic’s air-launched spaceflight system, flying as Mission Specialist on Unity 25 — the final test before the company’s first commercial mission.

With over 15 years’ experience across helicopters, high-altitude aircraft, and spaceplanes, Chewy has built his career on one constant — managing risk. He defines risk as the sum of ambiguity (not knowing exactly what to do) and uncertainty (not knowing exactly what will happen), and focuses on reducing both to achieve success.

His core strategies:

• Iterate through ambiguity — Start small, test, and refine rather than aiming for perfection in one go.

• Scenario planning — Map possible, plausible, and preferable futures, including unlikely but high-impact risks.

• Be conservatively wrong — When accuracy is impossible, add margin for safety.

Chewy’s approach applies far beyond aerospace — to business, projects, and personal growth. As he says, once you accept what you can’t know and prepare for multiple outcomes, you can move forward with confidence.