Risha Das
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Commercial Space Federation
Risha is a first-year master's student at MIT's Technology and Policy Program, specializing in aerospace engineering, and works part-time as a satellite systems engineer at Airbus US Space & Defense. At Airbus US, she supports GPS anti-jamming and Space Development Agency missions, delivering the company's first proof-of-concept for a patented anti-satellite countermeasure solution. Her research interests lie at the intersection of space justice and sustainable development. Specifically, she focuses on optimizing satellite Earth observation for humanitarian response and legal accountability in conflict zones, and democratizing international access to space technology. She serves on the Space Generation Advisory Council's North-Central American & Caribbean regional taskforce, where she publishes policy briefs and facilitates expert discussions on space policy.
Risha graduated from Arizona State University's Barrett Honors College as a 2024 Brooke Owens Fellow and Flinn Scholar with dual degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics. Her undergraduate research spanned deep learning for breast cancer detection at KU Leuven in Belgium, finite element modeling for infant hydrocephalus treatment, and Mars thermal evolution modeling through a NASA Space Grant. Most recently, Risha returned from teaching aerospace technology and quantum developments to high school students in South Africa and Botswana through MIT's International Science and Technology Initiatives.
Originally from Arizona, Risha is excited to join the Commercial Spaceflight Federation this summer to research regulatory and policy issues shaping commercial space and advocate on Capitol Hill for national security and equitable access to space capabilities. In her free time, you can find Risha globe-trotting (21 countries and counting!), singing jazz, writing novels, rewatching and crying to Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, and riffing on the piano. Ultimately, Risha dreams of becoming an astronaut and space diplomat, pioneering an aerospace career to serve interdisciplinary exploration, science, and equity.