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Past Lucky Stars

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What motivated you to go into the aviation/space industry?  Growing up I always wanted to be a doctor, which I am grateful to have become. I never envisioned that a career in space was even possible. I grew up watching NASA, astronauts, and space movies (Interstellar is my favorite- an absolute masterpiece)- all of which seemed otherworldly. But thanks to the influence of a fellow Canadian physician who worked as a scientist at NASA, somehow the possibility of working in space became tangible. As humanity goes farther and longer in space, we will need newer and better ways to care for humans and our physiology. Space medicine is still a niche field, but it is only a matter of time before it becomes a central point of human spaceflight. I feel blessed to combine both my passions of physiology and space into my work in space medicine, and the excitement of working towards improving human health in space and on Earth is what continues to motivate me daily. How does your experience as a doctor impact your perspective or work in the space industry?  Honestly, quite a lot. We all have our own perspectives, but as an ICU doctor who manages the most critically-ill patients, most of whom are on multiple different machines, gives me a unique insight into how our bodies work in extreme environments. This curiosity is what drives me to research and understand how our bodies and physiologies adapt under extreme physiological conditions, such as being in microgravity and eventually on the surface of different planets.  The majority of the conversations in the space industry centre around satellites, communications, and hardware, with little emphasis on human physiology. But, I am happy to see a growing group of people researching and working on advancing the limits of human physiology. And we need more people who are interested in medicine and space to research and build the future of human health.  Tell us about your space medicine startup - what are your goals for it, and how do you think it will change the game in medicine as a whole?  Somnium Biolabs is building the next generation continuous human health monitoring platform. We combine wearables and health data to create highly-accurate digital twins of the patients and their organs. Our system combines this with an AI layer that enables autonomous medical care. For any space company, a priority must be given to dual-use for it to remain viable, given the long funding and deployment cycles within the space ecosystem.  On Earth, our human health monitoring platform enables health systems to manage heart failure patients remotely, using only a smartwatch, to monitor and trend their specific cardiac parameters. The monitoring of these parameters enables autonomous management by our AI system to provide graded interventions, such as titration of a diuretic. These simple interventions can prevent hospital readmissions for these patients. At baseline over 50% of heart failure patients get readmitted within 6 months and preventing this improves patients outcomes and significantly reduces healthcare costs.  This is why I strongly believe that we need more space medicine! What space forces us to innovate for understanding and improving human health in space can actually serve as an inspiration for inventing revolutionary new ways to think about health, to integrate AI, and to help patients on Earth.  You’ve done work not only in medicine but also in social media. What are the biggest takeaways for how to communicate and how to grow a following in a technical field?  Social media is a great avenue to share your passions and interests. I think more doctors need to be on there! One of the biggest things I’ve learned about communicating complex physiology and technical aspects of AI is to anchor it into a tangible real-world example that others can relate to. Most of my content revolves around interesting and complex medical case challenges, and this gives my followers a real-world anchor for the technical and complex concepts I am about to explain. Additionally, simplifying the complex technical concepts into simple language analogies has also proved to be very popular.  What is one of your proudest accomplishments?  I am grateful to have had many personal and professional accomplishments throughout my life. I have always seen my work as a physician as a true calling. Early in my training, I was taking care of a terminally-ill heart failure patient. The patient and the family were so moved by my knowledge, care, and empathy, that they donated to the hospital citing excellent care provided by me and the team. This doesn’t happen often and the hospital subsequently granted me a “Heart of Gold” pin to commemorate this, and I still cherish it to this day.  Give us the inside scoop: what are some highlights/coolest things you’ve gotten to see in the space industry (career-wise or otherwise)? While I am still early in my space career, having spent the past 14 years in the medical field, I have seen some very cool things in space. During my summer program at the International Space University, we got to build a rocket and fly it in a rocket competition. Our team didn’t win, but not many doctors can say they got to build and shoot up a rocket! We also did a tour of NASA Mission Control Centre, and seeing an ISS astronaut on the screen, communicating and performing science experiments was by far one of the coolest and sci-fi things I witnessed. It got me excited to send my own biomedical research payload up in space.  Why do you think fewer Asian Americans go into the space industry?  I suspect it's a visibility and accessibility thing. Personally, I just did not think a career in the space industry was even possible or accessible initially. Seeing others that look like us and from similar backgrounds doing things you want to do, makes it acceptable and achievable. No Asian American ever questions whether they can become a doctor, we see people like us in medicine everywhere. But the space industry isn’t the same, and additional diversity (of backgrounds, experience, and perspectives) will only serve to advance the space ecosystem faster!  Any last thoughts you’d want to leave with our audience?  If you’re interested in space medicine, reach out to me! Many students have, and we always find them some research projects or some internships they can do. You can also reach out to me on social media: @drchintandave on IG and TikTok. 

Chintan Dave’s Journey: The Next Frontier For Doctors In Space

Chintan Dave’s Journey: The Next Frontier For Doctors In Space

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What motivated you to go into the space industry? A huge turning point was when I was accepted to an internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center after high school. My internship focused on gathering data on rainfall-triggered landslides in support of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite mission. Throughout the summer, I learned all about the importance of the space industry for Earth and climate science and its applications to protect and monitor human health and ecosystems. I love that the space industry looks outwards to distant galaxies but also aims sensors towards our home on Earth. What are some highlights of your experiences in the space industry, career-wise or otherwise? My first internships as a 2016 Lloyd V. Berkner Space Studies Board Intern at the National Academies introduced me to the Decadal Survey on Earth Sciences. I was amazed to sit with experts who made important recommendations on the next ten years of satellite missions. As a Brooke Owens Fellow, I worked at Bryce Tech, analyzing commercial satellites but also thriving in a community of inspirational Brookies in all parts of the industry. I also served as a 2018 Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) Fusion Forum organizer (young professional/student aerospace conference), and then served as a Brooke Owens Fellowship Executive Team Member. My most recent highlight has been defending my Ph.D. on drivers of enhanced wildfire activity across the western United States since the 1980s, analyzing a multiple-decades satellite long record of wildfires. What was your role in the Brooke Owen’s Fellowship organization, and how did you get into it? During and after my Brookie internship, I designed the logo, updated the website design, created onboarding materials, and mentored new Brookies. At the time of transition in 2020, the founders Will Pomerantz, Cassie Lee, and Hon. Lori Garver asked Kayla Watson and me to join as the new Executive Team members. It was a huge honor to take on the responsibility of leading the organization, and through the position I learned how to lead and what it takes to keep a non-profit running sustainably. Who’s your mentor/someone you look up to, and why? Most recently I am grateful to my PhD advisor Dr. Park Williams and my committee members Dr. Richard Seager, and Dr. Dorothy Peteet. As a PhD, it is vital to find an advisor who can be your ally and whose mentoring style works for you. I'm grateful that my advisor and committee transformed me into a better scientist. What advice would you give to the next generation? My own path to space may seem linear when I lay it out in this interview, but every step was met with uncertainty, obstacles out of my control, and tons of failed applications. Each chance you give yourself has the possibility of leading to something amazing.

Caroline Juang

Caroline Juang's Journey: Intersecting Space with Climate

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What motivated you to enter the space industry? From a young age, I have enjoyed learning (Fun fact: I have never missed a day of school!). I joined extracurriculars like HOSA - Future Health Professionals, UIL Academics, and Academic Octathlon (where I placed top 3 overall!). Having grown up near Johnson Space Center, I was curious about how it would be like to work there. I still recall finding out about being accepted to intern at NASA! What are some highlights of your experiences in the space industry, career-wise or otherwise? One highlight was a kickball game with astronauts! The game was a fun way to relax after work. Another is having the opportunity to tour family and friends around the campus; these visits forge unforgettable memories! Being a part of the Silicon Valley Future Leaders Celebration was wonderful. Leisurely strolling through Galaxy Lights was an eye-catching experience, and Lion Dance performances at NASA were amazing! Taking Our Best Shot: what is it, and what do you do? Taking Our Best Shot (TOBS) is an initiative dedicated to promoting public health and STEAM education in the community! Our team is composed of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, including public health, medicine, community and civic engagement. TOBS does infographic challenges, community and health fairs, health seminars, presentations and much more. For our efforts, we were honored to be recognized by the City of Texas City located in Texas. It is thrilling to share our work and engage with others, whether informally or at conferences such as the Healthier Texas Summit, Texas Society of Public Health Education (Texas SOPHE), Open Texas Conference, and the Science Summit at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Please follow us on social media (@takingourbestshot) and reach out if interested! What do you think has contributed to your success and leadership skills in this industry? It was incredible to meet and commemorate the stories and paths of the 20 Under 35 honorees, and our names went to the moon! Similarly, the 40 Under 40 Honoree celebration was amazing to attend alongside my family. One characteristic which has contributed to my success is my willingness to explore new opportunities and fields. As the first person in Rice’s history to earn degrees in both Space Studies and Economics with a Business minor within 5 years, I strive to blaze new paths! Each of us has our unique attributes and ways to make an impact on society. What gets you the most excited for the future of space? As someone based in Texas, I am particularly excited to see how the future of space will evolve here in the Lone Star State! John F. Kennedy gave his “return to the moon” speech at my alma mater. Since then, things have changed drastically! I strive to share my excitement with the public.

Nathan Tat

Nathan Tat's Journey: Taking His Best Shot

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What motivated you to enter the space industry? My dad was an aerospace engineer so I’ve been going to launches and surrounded by space since I was a little kid. He hung glow-in-the-dark star stickers and planets from the ceiling of my childhood bedroom; I think I always thought I’d end up in aerospace too. Trade show marketing is an unconventional career path. How did you find yourself in it? Honestly? I just got lucky - I applied to an events role at Airbus when I first graduated. They had already interviewed someone and accepted them by the time I had applied, but the person ended up turning the role down and I got an interview. Through all the trade shows you have attended, what companies have you seen that inspired you most? Why? This is such a good question! I think Anduril, ShieldAI, and Ansys have been the top 3 companies that I consistently see bringing their A-game to tradeshows; the branding is always clean, the sponsorship is always unique, and they really create an experience on the show floor for the customers that isn’t just stickers or keytags. What have you learned from your time in this industry so far? I think the coolest thing about my job is that I get to work with every department - Engineers, Business Development, Procurement, Supply Chain, the Executive Office, etc. I’ve learned most people don’t have conventional paths; in fact, some of my finance colleagues have a master’s in engineering; my bids/proposals colleague did government undergrad! Growth is not linear, so if you are out there struggling in AP Calc, just know that you can still find a way into space; there are many niche functions necessary for collaboration to get things into orbit. As a bonus, even though I don’t have a technical background, I’ve been able to learn a lot of the technical aspects of Airbus’ products, which is super interesting, and not something I ever thought I’d get the chance to understand.

Emiko Tsuyuki

Emiko Tsuyuki: Not An Engineer

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What has been the most valuable skill that you have found to help you attain the successes that you’ve applied for? The most valuable life skill for me is tenacity. Getting started is often the hardest part—getting over that initial hump of putting something on paper and continuing that momentum once you do push through. Equally important, especially for grants or scholarships, is clear storytelling. You have to show why your work matters and why you’re the right person. Reviewers don’t just want to understand your project—they want to connect with what drives you. Tell us about the research institute you’ve been building for Georgia Tech: what is your role and goals for it? Last year, I worked as an entrepreneur assistant when we launched the Space Research Institute (SRI) at Georgia Tech. I helped shape industry engagement strategies, interviewing companies and organizations across the space sector. My hope is that this work positions Georgia Tech as a catalyst for commercial space activity—making it easier for industry to access cutting-edge research, facilities, and talent, while giving students and researchers exposure to real-world problems. Long-term, I hope it becomes a place where ideas don’t just get published, but get used. What gets you the excited for the future of space? What excites me most is seeing space shift from that unknowable mystery to something woven into daily life. I can’t wait for the day when space is as normal as any other part of life—when the “space economy” is just the economy. And honestly, I’m just as excited about the research and engineering challenges that we’ll have to tackle to make that future a reality.

Shan Selvamurugan

Shan Selvamurugan’s Journey: Tenacity at Its Finest

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What motivated you to enter the space industry? I started learning about aerospace engineering in school and wanted to do it when I was younger. Even though my first businesses initially took me away, I was always thinking about it and knew that I wanted to be able to come back and do it eventually. What were the biggest challenges of entering the space industry? The biggest challenge is that there’s no role models at all…not to mention successful role models. There are many more forces that will cause our business to die than live. Nearing bankruptcy 1 time is potentially considered a failure. How about nearing bankruptcy 3 times a year, more than nearing 60 times in 17 years? And somehow miraculously you are still up and running? What if everyone you would like to work for you left, because they are smarter than you, and how do you maintain the organization and keep it going? What if no resources are available to you whatsoever and you need to create resources yourself? Why do you think fewer Asian Americans go into the space industry? Space science is hard. Running a space company is even harder! There were just not a lot of space companies 8 years ago…so of course, there weren't a lot of Asian founders. Can you imagine founding a company competing with Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed, and the like!? Just go work there, right!? Everyone would tell you that you must be crazy in Asian culture. The pressure to fail is too high! Most Asian Americans are too smart to start up new space industry companies. Tell us about Gran Systems: what have you accomplished through it? Gran Systems covers precision space parts, assembly of subsystems, and cubesat bus. With our first lunar contract, we handled mission hardware design and manufacturing for a lunar lander payload mission. We were the first new space company in Taiwan, then added Texas HQ! What are valuable skills you have learned through your leadership as Chairman? We need to realize valuable skills grow up one at a time. You need to learn the basics, climb the ladders...you will need to deliver when people ask you to! Then taking initiative to start something new and giving up what you already have!

Kuang Han-Ke

Kuang Han-Ke’s Journey: A Masterclass of Persistence

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What motivated you to enter the space industry? As a bioengineering major, I’m interested in solutions that interface with humans. I found an incredible passion for developing these systems for astronauts. Now I’m growing my skills in aerospace engineering to combine the two when I enter the workforce. Tell us about Space Happy Hour. What’s been your experience with it? Space Happy Hour (SHH) is a nonprofit networking organization that aims to bring space professionals and enthusiasts together in a low-stress, casual environment. A friend connected me with Craig Baerwaldt, the organizer. We had a great chat, kicked off our first event a couple months afterwards, and have been going strong ever since! What’s the best conversation/connection you’ve made with Space Happy Hour? A Blue Origin astronaut attending one of our collaboration events! It was such a cool opportunity to talk to him and pick his brain on what his experience was like, how he felt in that moment, and the journey to get to where he did. What is one thing you wish more people knew about in the space industry? It’s so much more diverse than at first glance! At first you see the impressive engineering technology at the launchpad, but there are so many people that come together to make it a reality. Business development managers and analysts on the customer/cost side, space policy advisors for regulations approval, healthcare professionals for crew research, etc all contribute. And we all have a huge passion for space, so if you share that, then we’d love for you to join this industry! What gets you the most excited for the future of space? We’re in an amazing time where the technologies are being developed and launched and believe that we’ll continue to see even more incredible feats of science and engineering in the next decade and beyond.

Venkat Daita

Venkat Daita’s Journey: An Unconventional Path to Space and Space Happy Hour

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What motivated you to enter the space industry? The aerospace industry has some of the most unique material systems due to complex combined mechanical, thermal, and vacuum environments. After Virginia Tech, I entered the aerospace industry passionate about not only understanding the best materials for specific applications, but also the required testing for flight acceptance. ​​ Tell us about your leadership in the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE): How did it shape your professional or leadership journey? Rising in leadership to External Vice President, I was responsible for corporate outreach, spearheading professional development workshops, and organizing the annual spring career fair. This experience highlighted the importance of skill-building, both in technical and interpersonal skills, networking, and time management.   You’re working on chocolate for your PhD but you’ve worked in the aerospace industry. Can you explain how this came about and how chocolate will shape your space journey? I’m working towards a PhD in mechanical engineering at CO School of Mines (CSM), specifically to research the processing- structure- properties- performance relationships associated with additive manufacturing (AM) of highly filled composites. I’ve enjoyed my graduate research: evaluating the influence of thermal processing and integration of fillers within AM of chocolate. The fundamental material processing concept of tempering to achieve desired properties and even distribution of fillers in a matrix system are transferable to other industries, such as aerospace.   What has been the most meaningful experience you’ve had in this industry? As a Certified Test Conductor and materials engineer, I’ve led material test campaigns for the Orion program on the Avcoat heatshield material. Knowing my work contributes to bringing humanity, especially the first woman and person of color, to the moon and safely back to Earth, I have a deep sense of pride in the mission and a strong sense of responsibility to exercise proper test discipline and communicate quality data to stakeholders.

Julia Pimentel

Julia Pimentel: Shaping a Sweet Future in Aerospace

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