OHB System AG

“After having been a YGT at ESA I joined OHB in 2018. Since then I developed different payloads for all kinds of space stations.”

“My fascination with human spaceflight began at age five, watching Apollo 8 orbit the Moon on Christmas Eve 1968 – a moment that sparked a lifelong passion for space exploration. Today, I channel that passion into guiding cost and risk decisions that help transform visionary space missions into sustainable realities for future generations.”

AIRBUS DS GmbH

Since 2020, Head of a cross-functional unit at Airbus, responsible for integrating processes, systems, and business requirements. Leads strategic programs to drive company-wide initiatives and ensures effective collaboration across departments. Holds a PhD from Technical University of Munich (2008) and brings 10 years of experience at German Space Operations Center.

“I have participated (2015) and organized (2016-2019) the SSDW and ever since support the workshop in mission analysis and systems engineering topics as expert. It’s always enthralling to see the dynamics of the workshop and the solution of the teams to the challenging statement of work.”

“When I was 5 years old I was lucky enough to visit the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with my dad. From that moment on I knew I wanted to be involved in human spaceflight. Working with like-minded, driven and enthusiastic people on keeping humans alive in space is the best job on Earth (and in space)!”

“I am eager to contribute to make human spaceflight exploration possible, because space exploration allows us to understand the world we live in and to go beyond what seems possible.”

Airbus Defence and Space GmbH

“As a Lead Thermal Engineer and Technical Authority, I develop mission-critical thermal control solutions for high-profile programs, including the European Service Module for the successfully returned Artemis 2 mission. My expertise spans the full spacecraft lifecycle, focusing on the design of advanced passive and active hardware to solve the most complex interdisciplinary challenges in extreme environments. I combine this technical mastery with strategic leadership to mentor engineering teams and deliver the thermal performance essential for the future of lunar exploration.”

“Curiosity and ambitions have led mankind to create many Earth monuments. Now, we are entering an era focused on sustainable space exploration and colonization of celestial bodies. My fascination for space exploration stems from developing technologies that create a foundation for becoming a multiplanetary species.”

Maana Electric/TU Munich

“I am a researcher at the Luxembourg-based company Maana Electric, focusing on the development and testing of novel ISRU processes, particularly for the extraction of oxygen and metals from planetary regolith, covering the value chain from regolith preprocessing to resource extraction. Simultaneously, I am conducting my doctoral thesis at the Technical University of Munich in the field of off-Earth molten salt electrolysis.”

“As an architect, I’m driven by the challenge of designing for extreme environments, where every spatial decision carries real human consequence. Space station environments dictate how astronauts interact and carry out their operations and my motivation lies in creating habitats that support not just survival but comfort, usability and psychological performance in orbit.”

“Having been fascinated by the stars since I was a kid, I love working in the space industry because it’s where groundbreaking technology meets the vast unknown, constantly challenging us to innovate and build a better future.”

“I’m electrical engineer and space enthusiast. I like to create new things and concepts and also to teach young people to continue that work and do the same. I strongly believe working on very versatile and international space projects brings people closer together and further in development.”

German Aerospace Center

Luca Kiewiet is a Space Resources Utilisation Researcher at the DLR Institute of Space Systems, with a particular focus on how to extract and capture water from lunar icy regolith, found in the Permanently Shaded Regions on the poles of the Moon. He has experience in developing and performing experiments involving dedicated hardware to increase the Technology Readiness Level.

Technische Universität Berlin

Robin is a PhD candidate at TU Berlin working in the field of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), with expertise in regolith handling, lunar soil simulants, and high-temperature ISRU processes. He has over three years of experience working with regolith simulants and ISRU-related processing technologies, complemented by practical materials science experience from four years in the metallography lab at Fraunhofer IGP. He holds a Master’s in Space Engineering and also lectures on Technical Aspects of Human Spaceflight.

DLR

Dr.-Ing. Paul Zabel has a PhD in aerospace engineering with a strong research focus on ISRU and Life Support Systems. He has been involved in different positions in various research and development projects over the past 10 years, among which the EU-funded project LUWEX is the latest. He is leading a research team dedicated to ISRU technology development at DLR. All combined he has extensive expertise in scientific and engineering work as well as project management.

Fraunhofer IPA

University of Stuttgart

Jun.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anja P. R. Lauer received her B.Sc. (2017) and M.Sc. (2019) degrees in Engineering Cybernetics from the University of Stuttgart and her M.Eng. (2019) degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan. In 2023, she earned her doctorate from the Institute for System Dynamics at the University of Stuttgart about the Automated On-Site Assembly of Timber Components using two Large-Scale Manipulators. In 2024, she became a Tenure-Track Professor and founded the department Construction Robotics at the Institute of Construction Materials at the University of Stuttgart.

University of Stuttgart

DFKI

Wiebke Brinkmann studied Aeronautical and Astronautical Technologies at the University of Applied Sciences Aachen (Germany) and received her diploma with honors in 2003. As Lead Engineer for Space & Robotics Research at DFKI and project coordinator for various collaborative space robotics projects, she is responsible for developing robotic technologies for orbital and planetary applications. In addition, she is a member of Women in Aerospace.

Institute for Photovoltaics, University of Stuttgart

Andreas Pahler is postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Photovoltaics, University of Stuttgart. With a background in Aerospace engineering, he conducted his doctoral studies at the Institute of Space Systems, University of Stuttgart, on electronics for scientific ballooning missions to the stratosphere. He brings broad experience in the fields of power systems, satellite communication, and electronics in general.

IMENSUS GmbH

“I am an Aerospace Engineer at IMENSUS GmbH, a geophysics startup developing autonomous subsurface exploration technology for terrestrial applications that will also be essential for future lunar infrastructure missions. I believe that understanding the underground is a vital, yet often overlooked, step in modern space planning.”

“Space activities are hard, but developing the activity in the space ecosystem is hardest. To have the opportunity to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams for develop space activities is amazing and to share my field of expertise, closer to the real activity, is amazing. “

“When I was 8 years old I wanted to be an Astronaut. I had the pleasure to study Aerospace Technology at the University of Stuttgart and since then I worked for Airbus nearly all the time in Human Space Flight Operations. I want to share my passion and knowledge for Space Stations to support the next generation on their path into this fascinating world.”

Reinhold Ewald is the 354th individual to have seen Earth from an orbital perspective. He flew in 1997 to the Russian space station MIR. Until 2018 he was as an astronaut with ESA, then continued as a professor for Astronautics at the University of Stuttgart.