Panel Session

Join us at the 9th AP-SGW for an extraordinary lineup of panel discussions featuring space industry and academic experts, perfectly complementing our Working Groups. These dynamic speakers will delve into insightful conversations, charting the course for the future of Asia-Pacific’s cosmic frontier. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore what lies ahead in regional space endeavors!

 

Panel I

Exploring AP Region’s Space Technology Trends: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions

Join this panel to deep dive into the dynamic landscape of space technology in the Asia-Pacific region, exploring the exciting opportunities, formidable challenges, and promising future directions.

 

Panelists

Advisor, SIA-India
Formerly,
CMD, Antrix Corporation Ltd
Scientific Secretary, ISRO

Dr. Kishora Shetty has an esteemed 25-year aerospace career and currently serves as the Associate Technical Fellow and Global Technology Leader in Materials & Manufacturing at Boeing Research & Technology, Boeing India Pvt. Ltd. He holds a B.E. in Metallurgy from NITK, Surathkal, an M.S. in Materials from IISc, Bangalore, and dual PhDs in Management from ZIBM, Mumbai, and Engineering from the Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research and NAL, Bangalore.

Throughout his career, Dr. Shetty held key positions at Rolls-Royce India Pvt. Ltd, Airbus India, Bloom Energy (India) Pvt. Ltd, CEMILAC, DRDO, and Indian Seamless Steels & Alloys Ltd, Pune. He is highly regarded for his expertise in aerospace materials, components, airworthiness certification, manufacturing, R&D, components testing, materials selection, and NDT, holding NDT Level II certification and a Six Sigma Green Belt.

An accomplished author and researcher, he co-authored “Aerospace Materials – with Material Technology for Engineers,” holds one patent, filed five patent applications, and maintains fifty Trade Secrets. Dr. Shetty is recognized through prestigious awards, including inclusion on the 2023 Empower Role Model List, Boeing Research & Technology Performance & Innovation Award, and Mentor of the Year. His career epitomizes a dedication to aerospace innovation and excellence.

Moderator 

Aditya Ramanathan is a Research Fellow with the Takshashila Institution where he heads the work on outer space affairs. His areas of focus include India’s space sector, international space cooperation, and strategic issues related to outer space.

Panel II

Fostering Regional Space Growth: Collaborative Education and Capacity Building for Accelerated Economic Development

Join this panel to discover how collaborative efforts in education and capacity building are igniting economic development across the space industry in our region. Explore strategies, insights, and success stories that are driving accelerated growth in the Asia-Pacific space sector.

Moderator 

An aerospace journalist from India, Ayushee is a space enthusiast who has been nominated for Aerospace Media Awards(Asia) and Global Aerospace Media Awards in 2020. She wishes to strengthen the awareness of the space industry and help young students transform their space fascination & passion into a profession. For this, she continues to interact with students, conduct sessions, and has started with her Instagram page, SpaceSheets which she hopes to develop into a platform that better informs students about the space industry. She is soon launching a podcast where professionals from diverse portfolios within the space industry will be sharing their journey. Driven by curiosity, she aims to document space stories in multiple formats and contribute towards bridging the existing communication gap in the space sector, especially in India.
Alongside her journalism, she has been a part of the education & content industry in various capacities for over half a decade now. Her itchy foot keeps her moving around and she loves meeting new people over deep conversations, and coffee. Donning many hats, she is also an occasional spoken word poet and a Licensed Zumba Instructor.    
Learn more about her work here.

Panelists

Nikhitha C is an accomplished Aerospace Engineer, Dr. Kalpana Chawla Scholar from the International Space University – France and a renowned TedX Speaker. She is also a Social Impact Entrepreneur and a successful businesswoman, having co-founded the Society for Space Education Research and Development (SSERD), an NGO with a mission to promote space education and prepare young people for the Space Revolution.

In addition, she is the co-founder and COO of Genex Space, a cutting-edge ed-tech startup that offers students worldwide access to quality space education through innovative aerospace curricula and space labs.
As part of her work with Genex Space, Nikhitha has created educational content for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which has been widely acclaimed for its high-quality and innovative approach to space education. She is also an ambassador for studies in France, having been appointed by the French Embassy to promote higher education and academic exchange programs between India and France.

Nikhitha is a skilled and persuasive spokesperson who has made it her mission to educate and inspire people around the world. She is recognized for her outstanding leadership skills, as well as her dedication to helping people in need. Her advocacy for women and girls is particularly noteworthy. Her dedication and passion for space and STEM education have earned her numerous accolades, including the KWAA Youth Icon Award in 2019.

Nikhitha has travelled to over eight countries, where she has conducted workshops, space talks, and online classes to inspire and educate young people about the importance of space exploration and STEM education. Her work as an entrepreneur and spokesperson has made her a household name among the youth, and she is widely recognized as a driving force behind the growing interest in space education and entrepreneurship.

Astronaut session

Yamazaki earned a Master of Engineering degree majored in Aerospace Engineering from University of Tokyo in 1996, then started working for current Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). In 1999, she was selected as an astronaut candidate and was qualified as a Soyuz-TMA Flight Engineer in 2004 and NASA Mission Specialist in 2006. On April 5, 2010 Yamazaki was onboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the crew of STS-131, an assembly & resupply mission to the International Space Station. After retiring from JAXA in 2011, Yamazaki served as a member of National Space Policy Committee (NSPC) of Japan Cabinet Office (2012 – 2022) and currently as its subcommittees. Yamazaki co-founded Space Port Japan Association in 2018 and is serving as its representative director to open multiple commercial and local governments’ spaceports in Japan. Yamazaki also has been devoting herself to educate the next generations as a president of Young Astronaut Club Japan and a chairperson of “Sorajo (women in aerospace)” under Japanese Rocket Society. Yamazaki also joined in Council of The Earthshot Prize, which was launched by Prince William and the The Royal Foundation in 2020, to inspire a decade of action to repair our home planet.

Former JAXA Astronaut / Representative Director of Space Port Japan Association