Justin is an engineer and researcher with a background in electrical, biomedical and software engineering. He has worked on a wide variety of projects over the years that have found unique ways to combine these topics, from designing novel spacesuit materials at the European Space Agency (ESA) to exploring system designs for sample vehicles of Venus at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). He is passionate about bridging the gaps between science fiction and reality regarding human spaceflight and making STEM education approachable to as many curious minds as possible through mentoring.

 Ali, a Senior Engineer at Bayanat in Abu Dhabi, is also esteemed as the UAE NPoC for the SGAC. With an impressive track record of over five years in the space and aerospace sectors, his proficiency in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and aerospace systems prototyping stands out. He earned his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, focusing on Space Systems, from Khalifa University, where he was awarded the prestigious ‘Buhooth’ Scholarship.

 In his pivotal role at HALCON in Abu Dhabi, Ali was the driving force behind the Smart Mars Rover Wheel project, demonstrating both his leadership capabilities and technical acumen. As a Research Assistant at Khalifa University, his contributions were vital to the successful analysis and deployment of the ‘DhabiSat’ satellite project. His professional journey is distinguished by various accomplishments, including valuable internships at the Frontier Research Center for Applied Atomic Sciences in Ibaraki, Japan, and significant presentations at international conferences.

 As a former mentor with the SGAC mentorship program, Ali was instrumental in fostering the development of upcoming space professionals. Committed to his goal of cultivating a dynamic and robust community of young professionals in the UAE’s space sector, Ali’s blend of in-depth academic knowledge and hands-on engineering experience propels his ongoing pursuit of excellence and innovation in space engineering.

Fatima is an Aerospace Engineer from El Salvador with a strong interest in the space industry. Fatima started her academic journey at Universidad Don Bosco, El Salvador, earning an Associate degree in Aeronautical Maintenance. Her passion for space and continuous development led her to Pusan National University, South Korea, where she obtained her bachelor degree in Aerospace Engineering. Continuing her pursuit of knowledge, Fatima obtained a master degree in Electrical and Space Systems Engineering from Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan. Currently based in Australia, she works as a Systems Engineer (Satellites) at Gilmour Space Technologies. Actively engaged in the space community, she served as the National Point of Contact (NPoC) for El Salvador at Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC).

Jessica is a PhD candidate in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, conducting her PhD research jointly with the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Applied Ocean Science and Engineering Department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Her PhD focuses on developing machine learning and decision-making algorithms for science robots in extreme environments, such as the surface of Mars or the depths of the ocean. Jessica is passionate about developing scientific systems that can aid both Earth and planetary scientists in expeditionary science.

Her past research includes virtual and augmented reality environments for astronaut training and robotic control, self-assembling observation towers for the lunar surface, and mission concept designs for scientific missions to Titan, Triton and Ceres. Jessica has a Masters of Aerospace Engineering from MIT, and a Bachelor of Physics and Bachelor of Aeronautical Space Engineering from the University of Sydney. She interned at JPL as part of the Mars Science Helicopter team, and at Gilmour Space Technologies in Australia. She has tested robots on the International Space Station, travelled to Antarctica as part of the Homeward Bound leadership project, and spent two weeks as a simulation Mars astronaut in the deserts of Utah.

Jessica was named a 2022 National Geographic Explorer for her work on robotics for coral reef conservation and planetary exploration. When she’s not conducting fieldwork on the reefs of the Caribbean or in the Arctic Circle, Jessica is a passionate SCUBA diver and EMT, and women in STEM advocate. Jessica has been heavily involved in the Space Generation Congress since she started her undergraduate degree, working as part of various SGFF and SGC teams, and as part of the SGAC PR and Comms Team and Strategic partnerships team.