Country Always

Caring for Country

A Corner of the Empire

The Garden Palace

The Holding Pen

The Agricultural Hall

Regional Networks

Across New South Wales

A Museum of Doing

Technological Museum

Expanding Stories

Evolution of the Castle Hill site from botanical research station to Museum Discovery Centre

Transforming the Tramsheds

Powerhouse Stage 1 and the Harwood Building

A Symbol in Time

Sydney Observatory

Ongoing Transformations

Powerhouse Ultimo

Applied Arts and Sciences

Defining the terms in the 21st century

Powerhouse Renewal

A transformative renewal program across four sites

Passport to Space | Susmita Mohanty and Maya Nasr

We Rise

Blak Powerhouse

Powerhouse-1 Mission Launch to the ISS

An initiative of the Powerhouse: Future Space program

2024

Exoskeleton

Powerhouse Parramatta

Neilson Foundation

Leadership Circle – Powerhouse Parramatta

2024

Two figures wearing space suits walk amongst a desert ranch.

Program Sydney Science Festival 2024

Passport to Space | Susmita Mohanty and Maya Nasr

Name: Passport to Space | Susmita Mohanty and Maya Nasr
Start: 2024-08-15T08:00:00.000Z
End: 2024-08-15T09:00:00.000Z
Location: Parramatta Town Hall

Talk

Ended 15 Aug 2024

Free

Parramatta Town Hall

Indian space entrepreneur and habitat designer Dr Susmita Mohanty joins Lebanese remote sensing scientist Dr Maya Nasr in conversation to discuss their shared vision for space exploration. Drawing on their experiences ― from Nasr launching the Humanity United with MIT Art and Nanotechnology in Space (HUMANS) record of community messages to the International Space Station, to Mohanty’s role championing India’s cutting-edge space industry ― the duo will examine the barriers they have overcome to ensure improved representation and diversity to create an industry that is open to all.

This is an Auslan interpreted event.

Speakers

Dr Susmita Mohanty is a pioneering space entrepreneur and advocate for space exploration known for her leadership in the field of commercial spaceflight. She began her career with NASA and Boeing, and is the only entrepreneur in the world to have co-founded three space companies on three different continents. As the co-founder and CEO of Earth2Orbit, India’s first space start up, and co-founder of India’s first space think tank SARABHAI (S2), she has played a key role in advancing India's space industry and promoting international collaboration in space research and exploration.

Dr Maya Nasr is a remote sensing scientist at the US Environmental Defense Fund and Harvard University focusing on space mission planning for in-orbit calibrations. She has contributed to the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission, Cassini’s mission activity on Titan, and with OneWeb. Nasr holds expertise in spacecraft operations, engineering systems, technology strategy, and space law and policy.

Dr Isabelle Kingsley is a renowned authority on gender equity with a PhD in impact evaluation. She is the founder and director of Loupe Consulting which specialises in gender equity, diversity and inclusion (GEDI) advise, implementation and evaluation. Kingsley's advisory contributions extend globally, impacting UN Women, APEC, Australia’s Chief Scientist and Australia's governmental bodies.