Leonie Bensch

Leonie Bensch is a Visiting Researcher at the MIT Media Lab’s Responsive Environments group and the Space Exploration Initiative. She is pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Human Systems Integration at RWTH Aachen, in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab, the European Space Agency’s European Astronaut Center (ESA-EAC), and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Her PhD research focuses on using augmented and virtual reality to enhance situational awareness for astronauts and mission control, developing AI-powered assistants for human spaceflight, and advancing human-centered design for spaceflight technologies.

As part of her work on the lunar mission, she develops an Unreal Engine-based payload dashboard that integrates camera payload data, AstroAnt telemetry, and an AI assistant to provide mission insights and engage the public.

She holds a Bachelor's and Master’s degree in Psychology from Maastricht University and a second Master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction from Siegen University.