Space Explr

Keval Dattani, Chartered Engineer, is the founder of Space Power - a serial disruptor and entrepreneur who cut his teeth in nuclear engineering and is now pursuing his dream of building a high-tech engineering company that works on the boundaries of sci-fi and reality, whilst being conscious of the environment it operates in. His background is in nuclear manufacturing R&D, having spent 8 years leading and developing various gamechanging technologies across the whole Technology Readiness Levels range for core fuel production at Rolls-Royce submarines. Keval has also been the Manufacturing lead for the UKs most powerful reactors, writing the technology strategies for Dreadnought and also the UK STEP Fusion reactor at UKAEA whilst also launching the UK Nuclear Space Propulsion programme between the two organizations.

Aya Hesham Sayed Mohamed is a highly motivated medical student interested in space psychology and a space medicine. Aya looks to combine her medical knowledge with a passion for space innovation. Her experience ranges from authorizing a cross-sectional study about the correlation between traveling to Mars and personality traits to contributing to many international space projects, such as the Collapsible Lower Body Negative Pressure System importance in long-duration missions at University of California. Aya has also been a speaker at international conferences in Egypt, Australia and Mexico. In addition to her vast activity in space medicine entrepreneurship, she was nominated as the first space medicine entrepreneur in Egypt. Her quote of choice is: “If you don’t find a path, go and create one”. Aya’s dream is to lead an innovative space medicine company and to make space tourism safe and accessible for everyone.

Jas Purewal has a Masters degree in Physics with Astrophysics. She has been working as a research scientist for over 10 years and currently works as a senior scientist for a UK national lab. During her career she has also worked with several US national labs. In 2020 during the pandemic, Jas built a low-fidelity “space dome” and conducted her own solo space analog mission, the first of its kind in the UK. Jas is the co-creator of The Analog Astronaut Community, which was launched earlier this year with the first International Analog Astronaut Conference. Jas enjoys travelling, is a certified scuba diver and private pilot. She regularly plays tennis and has recently started learning the guitar.

Davi Souza is an Electrical Engineering student at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), co-founder of the Brazilian aerospace startup EP.SpaceBr - Science, Space and Technology, a researcher in space agriculture, analog astronaut at Habitat Marte space analog station, the first one in the South Hemisphere, and currently an engineering intern at Pink Farms, the first urban and vertical farming in Latin America. With the goal to become a greenhouse specialist, Davi has been integrating engineering and sustainability solutions through the use of sensors and automation focused on agriculture in a controlled environment. Thus, his focus is on applications of support technologies to overcome challenges in water-food-energy nexus on Earth and in Space.

Darshan Deshpande, also known as DarshD or Darsh Davis is a management finance graduate, content creator, SpaceKind & Space Generation member, Analog Astronaut Community Moderator, Science Communicator, Writer at Everlasting Hauntings & Haunted Vermont, Aditya Birla Capital SunLife Advisor, & supporter of Space For Humanity, Space industry & of course, Space Explr, GRSS!

Being the Founder & President of Mars Society Georgia, Nika Chinchaladze is one of the fiercest advocates for Mars and Space Exploration. In his public lectures, he has documented the importance and the benefits that the creation of the Georgian Space Program has to offer. Nika is also the Founder & CEO of Georgian Rover Challenge - The Biggest Space & Robotics event in Georgia - which aims to foster student interest in science and engineering.

George Pullen is the Chief Space Economist of MilkyWayEconomy a 5th Industrial Revolution think tank focused on teaching, writing, and advising the businesses, technologists, and financiers of the Space Economy. He is also a senior government economist at the US CFTC, IIF Forecaster, Risk Advisor for GARP, and Adjunct and Guest lecturer at several schools, including Franklin Pierce Law School and Columbia University. In 2019 George with his co-host of The Space Economy Show co-authored the book Blockchain and the Space Economy.

Nikhitha Shetty is an India-based Space Enthusiast, Science Communicator, Dr. Kalpana Chawla Scholar from International Space University, Motivational Speaker, and a Social Impact Entrepreneur. She is a so-called mogul for her dedication and passion for space and STEM education. She is an Ambassador of Studies in France appointed by the French Embassy in India. She is the Society for Space Education Research and Development (SSERD) co-founder to open a space frontier to all by promoting Space Education among the community and preparing the young generation for the Space Revolution. Also, she received KWAA Youth Icon 2019 Award for her outstanding work at inspiring students in STEAM and Space. Nikhitha is the founder-director and COO of Genex Space. Within the next five years, her goals are to have many students take up Space and Science, inspire students to develop innovative solutions, and partner with all the Major National Space Agencies to share their progress among the students. She is looking to support students to do their research or Internship in collaboration with the space organizations and partner with the Space Companies and Startups to provide the students with the required Jobs so that they can use their talent for the betterment of the Nation.

Sabine Heinz is an artist, science communicator, and vice-president of Space Renaissance International. She likes to work with fluorescent, phosphorescent colors, also experimented with algae and oxidizers.

Shelli Brunswick, chief operating officer of Space Foundation, brings a broad perspective and deep vision of the global space ecosystem — from a distinguished career as a space acquisition and program management leader and congressional liaison for the U.S. Air Force to her current role, including overseeing Center for Innovation and Education, Symposium 365, and Global Alliance. Advocating for space technology innovation, entrepreneurship, diversity, and inclusion, Shelli collaborates with organizations around the world to connect commercial, government, and educational sectors. Shelli was named the 2020 Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Role Model of the Year by WomenTech Network. Shelli plays an active leadership role with United Nations Space4Women, WomenTech Network, Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) Global Women Leaders Committee (GWLC), New York University, Global Policy Insights – Global Policy, Diplomacy and Sustainability (GPODS) Fellowship program, Global Policy Insights -- Quad Forum, Space Tourism Society Africa, Tod'Aérs, Lifeboat Foundation, Women in Aerospace Foundation, Women’s Global Gathering, Manufacturer’s Edge, and Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC.

Egbert is passionate about accelerating space life science research, helping humanity beyond the next frontier by becoming a multi-planetary species. His interest in space exploration accelerated shortly after he became a sperm donor in 2010 and learned all about ART (assisted reproductive technology). This inspired him to explore options to re-engineer existing IVF technology for application in space. He earned his Ph.D. in Courage development in organizations, connecting the domains of Biology, Neurology, and Psychology. I enjoy innovating and exploring boundaries by connecting domains that usually remain separated.

Antonio Stark is an international business developer and a space policy consultant currently based out of South Korea. He currently works as the Asia-Pacific Regional Partnerships Manager at Space Generation Advisory Council, connecting government and industry actors in the region and beyond.

Prachi Kawade is a Senior Research Analyst in Space at Frost & Sullivan, where she leads the development of Innovation Generator for Space: An Interactive Data Intelligence Platform that covers the complete space ecosystem with market forecasts across upstream and downstream segments. She has worked on multiple custom consulting assignments for commercial organizations and government space agencies and is an author of multiple reports on the Launch Services market, Space Ecosystem, Satellite-based IoT markets. Prior to Frost, she held the position of business development team lead at AMSI Technologies. She has completed her Masters in Space Studies from International Space University (ISU) and Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering from MVJ College of Engineering.

Mr. George Salazar received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston and his Masters of Science in Systems Engineering from Southern Methodist University. He has over 38 years of experience in telemetry, communications, speech control, command and data handling, audio, displays and controls, intelligent lighting, project management, and systems engineering. He has been involved with the design of advanced telemetry, speech recognition, and intelligent systems of which he has received various patents. He is currently serving at NASA’s Johnson Space Center as the Human-Computer Interface Technical Discipline Lead to develop advanced human interfaces as well as serving as the Displays and Controls Subsystem Manager for the Commercial Crew Program. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas. Also, he has Expert Systems Engineer Professional certification through the International Council on Systems Engineering. He is also the co-founder of the NASA/JSC Human Systems Integration (HSI) Employee Resource Group with the key goal of infusing HSI into the NASA development process. He enjoys reading, scuba diving, woodworking, leatherworking, and speaking to students about his journey to NASA and real-world engineering.

Trent's focused on bridging the gap between traditional aerospace and new-age innovation. Starting his career in aeronautics with ASET Dive into Space, he developed underwater Neutral Buoyancy education programs. While then working on more in-depth commercial astronautics training he began to build the next generation of accessible pressure suits and life support systems with Smith Aerospace Garments. These endeavors further led him to high altitude manned balloon flight tests and oversight of pressure suit operations. He has since co-authored and published in Purdue’s peer-review journal, Human Performance in Extreme Environments, and presented on numerous occasions regarding low-cost life support systems for exploration and training. He currently resides in Tucson Arizona helping develop the world's highest fidelity hermetically sealed research habitat, SAM (Space Analog for the Moon and Mars), at the University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2.

Robert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer and author, best known for his advocacy of human exploration of Mars with his Mars Society Organization. He and his colleague at Martin Marietta, David Baker, were the driving force behind Mars Direct, a proposal in a 1990 research paper intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission. Robert established the Mars Society in 1998. This is an international organization advocating a human mission to Mars as a goal.

Sweta Alla is an aspiring astronaut starting college this fall as an aerospace engineering major at the University of Colorado Boulder. She and two friends (Madison Lin and Isabella Alejandro) met during a virtual NASA internship last summer. With the support of Nu School, they decided to launch Edu4Space, a platform to show youth how they can get involved in space today. In her free time, Sweta enjoys flying planes and meeting students and professionals in the space industry.

David LeFrancois is the President and Operations Manager of the Beyond Blue Aerospace Corporation. David has been a licensed pilot since 1991 and holds a commercial pilot license to fly single and multi-engine aircraft. He is an electromechanical engineering technician, a computer scientist, a Professional Engineer, and holds several patents. David received a Master of Science degree in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota's School of Aerospace Sciences and is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and the Canadian Association of Rocketry.

Steve Richards is an Astrophotographer based in West Sussex, England, specializing in deep-sky imaging in narrowband from his fully automated observatory. As well as producing his own images for pleasure, Steve has written two books on the subject, ‘Making Every Photon Count’ (A Beginner’s Guide To Deep Sky Astrophotography) and ‘Dark Art or Magic Bullet?’ (A Beginner’s Guide To Deep Sky Image Processing). Steve is a regular contributor of technical articles and equipment reviews in the Sky at Night Magazine and has a monthly column called ‘Scope Doctor’ as well as giving talks to astronomy societies, camera clubs, and schools. When he isn’t doing astronomy he can be found in his music studio producing ‘Trance’ and experimental electronic music or driving the Westfield sports car that he built himself from scratch.

Yulia Akisheva is an aerospace engineer by training currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Protective Use of Regolith for Planetary and Lunar Exploration or PURPLE in short. This Ph.D. is supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), TRAD Tests & Radiations, and ISAE-SUPAERO under the ESA OSIP collaboration platform. Yulia has a continually growing passion for human spaceflight. Since over a decade ago, she knew she wanted to work on putting that first human boot on Mars so she invested in her academic background. Yulia has three Master’s degrees from top European universities, KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden and ISAE-SUPAERO in France. She specialized in Aerospace Structures and Materials, Design and Operation of Space Systems, and Sciences of the Mechanics of Materials and Structures. Besides Mars exploration, Yulia is strongly interested in fostering international cooperation and outreach about space. She contributes to building a more diverse and inclusive aerospace sector as a volunteer at Space Generation Advisory Council, and you can find Yulia’s TEDx called “To Mars together: 5 reasons to explore the Red Planet” on youtube.

Arun is a young space professional who is deeply passionate about Outer Space. He's associated with a prominent space tech startup in India and his area of interest includes strategy, policy, and the market dynamics of the space sector. He is a recipient of one of the highest presidential awards in India bestowed for creativity in scientific innovation and has been invited to present his views on space exploration at multiple international forums. His passion for space comes from years of engaging with the public through Astronomy outreaches and envisions a world where the development of society is driven through the advances of space Technologies.

Mariam Naseem is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science working on science communication projects and is also collaborating on Ocean Worlds research with a scientist at NASA Goddard. She has a global and multi-disciplinary background, having worked as a commercial space consultant, as a technology strategist in the Enterprise Innovation team at one of the largest banks in Canada, as a field engineer on an oil rig in Russia, a manufacturing engineer in a Product Development center in Texas and as a business development manager for a Toronto-based Quantum computing startup. She serves as National Point of Contact for Canada at the Space Generation Advisory Council, as coordinator for the Next Generation Plenary at the International Astronautical Federation’s Workforce Development and Young Professionals Programme Committee, and as a SEDS-Canada Advisory Board member.

Space and medical scientist-engineer-inventor that values interdisciplinary and diverse team environments, educational outreach, and encouraging communication of STEAM. Experiences include supporting, developing, and leading projects in the areas of physiology, immunology, and medicine (e.g. spaceflight, clinical pathology, aging, exercise & nutrition, etc.), engineering (e.g. rocket & space systems, microgravity experimentation, nanotechnology, etc.), to translate micro- to macro-scale research concepts and questions into real-life applications. Actively engaged in local, state, national, and international programs encouraging our human space exploration endeavors.

Josiah had his first degree in Physics at the premier University in Nigeria, the University of Ibadan. He is also starting his Masters's program in Space Science and Astronomy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka this Ado-Ekiti. There he taught and demonstrated Basic Physics experiments to first-year students. He has loved Astronomy for a long time, but his future in astronomy got a clear picture after he met with a community of young people who are also passionate about astronomy at the Pan Africa School for Emerging astronomers. Together with some alumni of the school, he has formed an Astronomy community club with the aim of creating a critical mass of astronomers in Nigeria.

Leszek Orzechowski is an architect and founder of Space is More - a space architecture company that also runs LunAres Research Station - a European analog habitat. Leszek is an enthusiastic science advocate with hundreds of lectures presented to the public and an award-winning designer. His group created a number of scientific reports on the future manned Moon and Mars's missions presented during international competitions and conferences. Space is More was a part of a winning team in ESA Moon Challenge for a report on returning to the Moon in the next decade and a finalist of NASA 3d-Printed Habitat Challenge phase 1 from 2015. The team won multiple architectural awards for mars bases colonies including Marsception (2018) and Mars Colony Design Competition (2019). Currently, Leszek is leading operations and conducting research at LunAres Research Station. LunAres is an analog habitat created to study medical and psychological aspects of isolation during simulated planetary missions. From its beginning, in 2017 a total number of 13 diverse teams conducted isolation missions inside the habitat.

Prof. Julio F. D. Rezende is a pioneer in Brazil promoting quality education related to Space, Sustainability, Science, Technology, Engineering, Math on Mars, identifying some possible solutions to be applied in arid and semiarid regions, verifying issues related to the operation of self-sustaining habitats. His interest is related to sustainability and space. Rezende is Bachelor of Management and Psychology, master and Ph.D. in Sustainability (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte – UFRN), and post-doc in the University of Central Florida- UCF (Orlando-Florida). Julio Rezende has published more than 10 books about sustainability and innovation. Teaches in the Industrial Engineering in UFRN, is coordinator of space analog station HABITAT MARTE, innovation director of FAPERN, and councilor in CFA. Performs lectures in different countries about sustainability, innovation, and management in English and Spanish.

Kartik is a co-founder at satsearch, an ESA startup building a global, online, B2B marketplace for the space industry. Kartik is passionate about driving commercial growth of the space sector by opening it us to buyers and suppliers all over the world. He is an Aerospace Engineer and Planetary Scientist, with degrees from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Space philosopher and small entrepreneur, Adriano V. Autino is president and co-founder of Space Renaissance International (SRI) 2008 - 2021. SRI, as a not-for-profit cultural association, promotes the expansion of civilization into outer space. Diplomed in Industrial Electronics, Adriano studied Computer Science at the University of Torino (Italia). He served as a software engineer at Honeywell Information Systems Italia and project manager in Sysdata CAP Gemini. He founded Andromeda s.r.l., dealing industrial automation and system engineering, real-time and hard real-time systems for aerospace, infrastructures, industry. He founded the web magazine Technologies of the Frontier. Published many articles and papers, on the subject of Astronautic Humanism and Civilization expansion into outer space, collaborating with many space activists worldwide. Adriano personally created and manages several Space Renaissance's websites. He also published many articles and papers, and several books, including: “A greater world is possible!”, “La Terra non è malata: è incinta”, both available on Amazon. Extended cv and publications.

Dr. Ayman Ahmed is working in the Egyptian space program for 18 years and holds a bachelor of Communication Engineering, is an MSc in Satellite Engineering, has a Ph.D. in communications Engineering in Satellite Imaging Systems, postdoctoral research in small satellite tests. He has experience working with high-speed computer systems for satellites, hyperspectral space imaging systems, the use of artificial intelligence systems and technologies onboard satellites, development of integrated satellite systems, satellite constellations. He has research experience in satellite imaging systems and participated in 6 projects related to space and satellite technologies, most notably team lead to produce the first Egyptian satellite computer and head of the research team to develop the first Egyptian-made Nanosatellite satellite. The patent in the field of improving the performance of electronic systems in the space environment, in addition to 28 types of research international and local conferences and magazines in the field of space and satellites. He is a member of international organizations, like the Space Generation Advisory Council for Egypt and the Middle East. Member of the African union space Working Group on the Development of the African Space. Policy and Strategy - African Union. North Africa Coordinator for Earth observation Group.

Sunny Kabrawala is the Founder & Director at STAR - Space Technology & Aeronautical Rocketry. He's been following his passion for space at the age of 10 years. Due to academic failures and fewer grades, he could not join any space agency. When he was 19, Sunny realized that he lives in a country where every other kid aspires to be a space pioneer, but they can not pursue their dream because of fewer grades in academia, educational background, and financial issues. He founded STAR as a Space education & research-based startup to make space for everyone irrespective of their grades, gender, nationality, and all other criteria defined by humans. He is a curious mind that is desperate to make space accessible to students.

Kyla Edison is the Geology and Material Science Technician for the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES), a state-funded aerospace agency dedicated to promoting the aerospace industry in Hawaiʻi through economic development, workforce development, and applied research. Kyla attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo majoring in Geology with a dedicated focus on Planetary Geology and Volcanology. After graduating in 2016, she landed a job at PISCES as the Geology and Material Science Technician due to her experience working with basaltic lava and igneous petrology. Leading the Materials Science research at PISCES, Kyla is currently investigating if all basalt feedstocks—regardless of chemical and mineral abundances—are appropriate for making durable construction materials that may be applicable to future base settlements on the moon and Mars. Her research involves making tiles through a process known as sintering (similar to ceramics). The basalt feedstock is crushed, dried, sieved, and then fired in a kiln between 1,150 °C and 1,180 °C. Though Kyla’s project began by focusing on the moon and Mars, the results show significant promise for applications on Earth as well. The materials are relatively environmentally friendly and require no additives. All that is needed is basalt and an intensive energy source to provide heat. The next step for Kyla’s career will be attending the Colorado School of Mines Space Resources Ph.D. program in fall 2021 and hopes to expand upon her sintering capabilities more suited for lunar/martian environments.

Shivam Kumar Singh is the Founder & CEO of Spaceonova, a leading space education and research-based company in India. He was also the Final Judge at NASA Space Apps Challenge 2020, Pune, India, and Hack the mountains - Hackathon. He is a young 21-year-old space advocate and has been a guest speaker at 10+ events. He is a thought leader with a Solution-Oriented Mindset and As part of Australasian Dark Sky Alliance's community of citizen scientists, he with other members created history by showing their interest in preserving the night environment and sharing their view of the night sky. They made a world record for "The most users to take an online environmental sustainability lesson in 24 hours" and this is created by 4283 people, achieved by Australasian Dark Sky Alliance (Australia) on 21 June 2020. The lesson subject focused on light pollution and its effect on the environment. Shivam also has a personal record of 44 preliminary discoveries of asteroids and has led around 16 teams to participate in the International Asteroid Search Campaign, which then has led onto make 161 preliminary discoveries of asteroids and 2 provisional discoveries of asteroids.

Manasi Patil is a 15-year-old author, blogger, book reviewer, columnist, editor, and an avid researcher. Today, she has two books to her name, along with several blogs, stories, articles that have been published in acclaimed newspapers and magazines. Her writing mainly focuses on creating an insightful impact on society, through both, fictional and non-fictional works. Believing in youth leadership, Manasi has been invited as a guest speaker and panelist at various events to encourage the students and teenagers to present there. She is an aspiring space scientist, with a huge love for science, space study, and any information on the origin and future of life. Galaxies amuse her, and stars make her want to reach them!

Sourav Karmakar is doing research on Soft & Flexible Robotics. His vision is to make hybrid, origami & soft robots for med-tech, defense & aerospace applications. His StartUp (Infinos Tech LLP) is a Renewable energy-based portable Logistics device for the biotech application. Another service-based product is an educational tool for the medical & specially-abled student with a customized A.R+Robotics solution. He is an Indian Chapter Chair of Space Renaissance International to grow awareness about STEM/Space. His TEDx talk is about the same, i.e. "Space For Everyone". Sourav also helps individuals/startups build products from scratch.

NASA SOFIA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador, NASA Night Sky Network Coordinator. Astronomy instructor for the last 12 years at Fox Astronomical Observatory, traveling to other observatories, planetaria, parks, schools, libraries, and conferences.

Jukka Paavilainen talks about space photography equipment, art, science and the future of space. He is the CEO of Astro Art Finland, a Scandinavian astronomy dealer. He has done astrophotography for the past 10 years and now he's able to provide good service to other people in the field of astronomy.

Joe Khalaf is a technology strategist working for a Silicon Valley technology company but based in Houston. When he's not busy trying to figure out what the "next great thing" is from a tech perspective, he is also the president of the Houston Astronomical Society - one of the largest and most active astronomy clubs in the united states with over 850 members. Prior to becoming the president of the Houston Astronomical Society, Joe was the Outreach Chairperson for the club, organizing and hosting hundreds of astronomy outreach events for people in the greater Houston area for over 4 years. These events ranged anywhere from talks for preschool classrooms to doing outreach at large electronic dance music festivals with over 60,000 people in attendance. Last year, Joe became a NASA Solar System Ambassador, which allows him to share the stores of NASA's exploration and accomplishments widely. But what joe is most proud of is that he was the recipient of the 2017 Omega Centauri Award, given at the Texas Star Party for his efforts in astronomy education and outreach.

Dr. Bhairavi Shankar is a Planetary Scientist and entrepreneur. She founded Indus Space, a social enterprise, to raise public awareness around Space Science and Exploration and its links to STEM. Through programs and workshops (virtual or in-person) she often works with all age groups. She loves to promote space science and the role of diverse women in STEM. She serves on the boards at Lotus STEMM (engaging South Asian girls in STEMM) and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Toronto Centre.

Allen Mitchell is a lifelong lover of astronomy and science in general. A programmer by day, and amateur astronomer by night, Allen studies the night sky and takes photos through his telescope in his backyard observatory in Dallas, Tx. Allen runs a small YouTube channel with the goal of helping would-be astrophotographers take the first steps into photographing the night sky and co-runs a Facebook group with over 23,000 members worldwide.

Lukasz Wilczynski is co-founder of the European Space Foundation. The originator of the European Rover Challenge project. Experienced dot-connector and communication consultant specializing in technology and innovation. Very committed space advocate. He is an author of articles and whitepapers on science and technology. For his work, Lukasz was awarded a unique award Tiuterra Crystal created by the Austrian Space Forum in collaboration with Swarovski. He joined the previous winners' ranks, such as Head of SpaceX Elon Musk, former head of NASA Charles Bolden, or head of the UN space sector agency, Dr. Simonetta di Pippo and European astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.

Steve Eltz talks about space imaging, galaxies, nebulae, and an incredible passion for astronomy. He lives in the state of Pennsylvania with his wife, 3 kids, and 4 dogs. During the day he is a software development manager for a commercial HVAC and industrial refrigeration equipment manufacturing company. At night he becomes an astrophotographer. He dabbled in it since the early 2 thousand and in the last 2 years, he has got pretty serious about it, where he has not missed a clear night for imaging.

Katie Hughes talks about capturing the night sky, nebulae, moon, and wonders of the universe. She lives in Loch Lomond, Scotland. She took up photography 5 years ago doing portraiture and weddings. Katie grew up with a Dad who loved Astronomy and the night sky, when she was a young girl he showed her the Orion Nebula and craters of the moon. This blew her mind. Any Astronomy she did was always observational until she has borrowed her husband's camera, she tried taking images of the moon which turned out well as she could capture sharp detail of the craters. This then lead her to trying to capture Deep Space Objects which has now become a passion for her.

Elliot Roth is the founder of Spira, a company that creates replacements for animal and petroleum compounds in the supply chain using genetically engineered algae. Spira has received awards from RebelBio, Lighthouse Labs, the World Food Programme, Halcyon Incubator, BeGreen, CommBeBiz, and NSF. He has presented at South by Southwest, Synbiobeta, and Thought for Food. Elliot is a Kairos Fellow, a Seasteading Ambassador, and sat on the Virginia Governor’s Council for Youth Entrepreneurship. Before Spira, Elliot graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering. Where he studied synthetic biology for 12 years and worked for 5 years as a product consultant. He previously founded 7 failed startups and 2 successful nonprofits including an open community science lab and raised over $1,000,000 for various startups. He is incredibly motivated to solve physiological needs using simple biological design. In his spare time, he plays music and is working on side projects to make airships and health clinics on the ocean.

Callum Wingrove talks about space photography, science, missions, the future of humankind, and more. He lives in London and he is also a father to grown-up identical twin daughters. He loves all things science and obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry. His interest in space exploration was forged from growing up at the time of the Apollo missions. These days he explores the cosmos in his spare time through astrophotography from his home.

Shikhar Gupta talks about taking pictures of the night skies, landscape photography, cosmic theories, space science, and much more. He is professionally a data engineer, he is an avid traveler and an amateur photographer with a strong liking for night skies and landscapes. Being an overnight ride away from the Himalayas, he can be called more of a travel astrophotographer, who loves to travel to pristine skies to escape the city lights and capture the photons emanating in the distant blobs of dust.

Matej is a Flight Operations Engineer for the Columbus module of the International Space Station at DLR. Aside from working on the existing station, he has also worked on habitation concept studies for the Moon, Mars, and Venus, collaborating with teams to design bases and necessary systems for these destinations. The most recent of these - a lunar base named Domi Inter Astra, developed with a team from the Space Generation Advisory Council - has won the 1st place prize in a competition organized by The Moon Society. Prior to his full-time involvement in human spaceflight, Matej worked with robotics, AI, CubeSats, took part in a 2-week Lunar analog mission, and spent a year at the European Space Agency working on software technologies.

Aaron Engelhart talks about genetics, cell biology, molecular evolution on earth, other planets, and much more. He is an expert in molecular evolution on Mars and elsewhere in the Solar system. He and his team are working to develop advanced RNA imaging tools, towards achieving a robust, general tool for imaging arbitrary RNAs of interest – particularly in challenging systems, such as mammalian cells and whole organisms.

Sanjoy talks about geology, astrobiology, Blue Marble Space, next-generation scientists, and much more. He is a geologist and astrobiologist at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science and sits at NASA's Ames Research Center in California. He is the founder and CEO of Blue Marble Space, a non-profit dedicated to scientific research, disseminating science, and training next-generation scientists.

Dr. Stella Kafka is talking about variable star observations, participating in astronomy research, and much more. She is the Executive Director and CEO of the American Association of Variable Star Observers, an international organization focusing on engaging professional and amateur astronomers in science. Within the auspices of the AAVSO, Dr. Kafka is working towards enabling individuals from all backgrounds to actively participate in research projects, building a diverse and inclusive community of science-savvy citizens who work collectively to understand some of the most dynamic phenomena in the universe. Dr Kafka acquired her Bachelors of Science in Physics from the University of Athens (Greece) and her Masters /PhD in Astronomy from Indiana University (USA). Dr. Kafka’s research interests are semi-detached binary star systems (cataclysmic variables) that can become supernovae.

Trey Henderson talks about rocket engineering, space photography, fusion energy, plasma physics, and much more. He is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with experience designing rocket engines and high-field plasma fusion devices, Trey is an avid landscape and astrophotographer who started his journey with astronomy about 4 years ago.