Mission Leads
-
Ariel Ekblaw, Principal Investigator
Dr. Ariel Ekblaw founded the MIT Space Exploration Initiative, a team of 50+ students, faculty and staff building and flying advanced technology for space exploration. Ariel leads the MIT “To the Moon to Stay Mission” and developed MIT’s “Operating in the Lunar Environment Course” that incubated and advised this first cohort of lunar surface payloads.
-
Cody Paige, SEI Director and Camera Project Lead
Dr. Cody Paige is the Director of the Space Exploration Initiative at the Media Lab, a team of 50+ students, faculty and staff building and flying advanced technology for space exploration. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT.
-
Dava Newman, Director, MIT Media Lab
Dava Newman is the director of the MIT Media Lab. She holds the Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics chair at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is a Harvard–MIT Health, Sciences, and Technology faculty member in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Payload Leads
-
Cody Paige, SEI Director and Camera Project Lead
Dr. Cody Paige is the Director of the Space Exploration Initiative at the Media Lab, a team of 50+ students, faculty and staff building and flying advanced technology for space exploration. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT.
-
Fangzheng Liu, AstroAnt Project Lead
Fangzheng Liu is a second-year PhD student at the MIT Media Lab, studying in the Responsive Environments group, advised by Prof. Joseph A. Paradiso and Dr. Ariel Ekblaw.
-
Maya Nasr, HUMANS Project Lead and Co-Founder
Maya is a scientist at Harvard and EDF focusing on the mission planning for in-orbit calibrations and the development of machine learning models for the MethaneSAT project, with expertise in spacecraft operations, engineering systems, technology strategy, and space law and policy.
Mission Team
-
Sean Auffinger, Mission Integrator
Sean is the Mission Integrator for the MIT Space Exploration Initiative, acting as liaison between the project teams and the flight provider.
-
Nathan Perry, AstroAnt Software Engineer
Nathan Perry is a second-year Master's student at the MIT Media Lab in the Responsive Environments Group. He is a multidisciplinary software engineer working on networking improvements for embedded devices.
-
Don D. Haddad, Camera Lead Software Engineer
Dr. Don D. Haddad is a Planetary Science Software Engineer working with NASA Ames Research Center and Space Exploration Initiate at MIT. He is currently serving as the Lead Software Engineer on the Camera payload.
-
Jess Todd, Camera Hardware Support/Mission Operations
Dr. Jessica Todd is a robotics postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology, and a graduate of the MIT AeroAstro Department and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's MIT-WHOI Joint Program. Dr. Todd develops robotic systems for underwater and planetary exploration. She supported the development of the camera hardware and will be working in mission operations for the lunar mission.
-
Ferrous Ward, Camera Hardware Support
Dr. Ferrous Ward is a graduate of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is currently a Research and Development Engineer in the Non-Destructive Evaluation group at SpaceX.
-
Phillip Cherner, Mission Operations
Phillip Cherner is a creative technologist and software developer with a master's degree from the MIT Media Lab, where he conducted research under Prof. Dava Newman. With expertise in AI, spatial computing (AR/VR), real-time interactive systems, and data visualization, Phil works at the intersection of art, technology, and human experience. His projects range from immersive installations to AI-driven creative tools, with a strong focus on sustainability and the future of human-technology interaction.
-
Madelyn MacRobbie, Mission Operations
Madelyn (Hoying) MacRobbie is a Ph.D. candidate in the joint MIT and Harvard Medical School Medical Engineering and Medical Physics program, with a focus on bioastronautics. Her Ph.D. research in the Tearney Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital investigates aerospace physiology leading to novel medical devices for long-duration spaceflight.
-
Ireland Brown, Mission Operations
Ireland Brown is a space systems PhD candidate in the department of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, within the Engineering Systems Lab and the Space Exploration Initiative at the Media Lab. She is a student in the Draper Scholars' program, where she is supporting the technology development of a lunar surface navigation system. She will be supporting mission operations for the intention of using the images for training of the lunar surface navigation.
-
Chloe Gentgen, Mission Operations
Chloe Gentgen is a PhD student in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Research Assistant in the Engineering Systems Lab. Her research focuses on space systems engineering, mission architecture, and uncertainty quantification for planetary science missions. Chloe received an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and an M.S. and B.S. in Engineering from Ecole Centrale Paris in France.
-
Chris Tommila, Mission Operations
Chris is a PhD candidate and Draper Scholar with research interests spanning satellite systems, remote sensing, astrodynamics, and distributed system architecture. His current research focuses on enabling safe and sustainable space operations through the design and operation of collaborative space-based remote sensing networks. Chris holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University and an M.S. in Astronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
-
Jennifer Heldmann, Camera Advisor, NASA Ames Research Center
Dr. Jennifer Heldmann is a Planetary Scientist in the Division of Space Sciences & Astrobiology, Planetary Systems Branch at NASA Ames Research Center. Heldmann studies the Moon with a focus on improving our understanding of lunar volatile deposits as well as focusing on lunar geology.
-
Amanda Cook, Camera Advisor, NASA Ames Research Center
Dr. Amanda M. Cook is a space instrument scientist at NASA Ames Research Center. She is the integration and test lead and mission ops lead for the Near-InfraRed Volatile Spectrometer System (NIRVSS).
Contributors
-
John Shoffner, Mission Contributor
In May 2023, astronaut, STEAM advocate, and business pioneer John Shoffner served as Pilot on Axiom Space Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Throughout the duration of his mission, he hosted live events with schools around the world, demonstrating life in microgravity.
-
Jeff Hoffman, Mission Advisor and Co-instructor
Dr. Hoffman is Professor of the Practice and Director of the Man Vehicle Lab at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
-
Joseph Paradiso, AstroAnt Advisor
Joseph Paradiso directs the MIT Media Lab’s Responsive Environments group, which explores how sensor networks augment and mediate human experience, interaction, and perception.
-
Tobias Röddiger, AstroAnt Firmware Engineer
Tobias Röddiger is a Group Leader at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany. His main research is Wearable Systems technology.
-
Dante Latessa, Technical Artist Consultant
Dante Latessa is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist who merges traditional art practices with cutting-edge computer science. As the founder of Synthesis:1, a video game and graphics studio, Dante pushes the boundaries of creative innovation.
-
Eyal Perry, Project Advisor, MIT Media Lab
Eyal Perry is a Ph.D. Student and Research Assistant in the Molecular Machines group at the MIT Media Lab. Eyal's current research focus is on synthetic biology with applications in computation and nanofabrication, where he is attempting to use DNA as a self-assembly platform for nanoscale molecule placement. As part of the MIT Media Lab and the Space Exploration Initiative, Eyal had participated in a hackathon with AstroAccess, designing and building technologies aimed for people with disabilities to participate in humanity's future in space. As part of the Lunar mission, Eyal has been involved with the Camera payload to help design wet lab experiments to test the camera capabilities here on Earth.
-
Leonie Bensch, Research Engineer
Leonie Bensch is a Visiting Researcher at the MIT Media Lab’s Responsive Environments group and the Space Exploration Initiative. She designs and develops the Unreal Engine-based payload dashboard and the integrated AI assistant.
-
Oliver Bensch, AI Engineer
Oliver Bensch is a researcher at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and a Research Visitor at Harvard’s Geometric Machine Learning Group. He specializes in AI and space technologies and is pursuing a PhD at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
-
Craig Carter, HUMANS Project Computational Implementation, Record Design
W. Craig Carter is an American materials scientist, a POSCO Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
-
Annie Wang, HUMANS Project Wafer CAD Design Preparation
Annie Wang is a research scientist at MIT. Prior to joining MIT.nano - Special Projects, her research interests in manipulating multi-layered thin films have been applied to devices and applications ranging from thin film transistor technologies and organic optoelectronics to microelectromechanical systems and solar photovoltaics.
-
Nataliya Kosmyna, HUMANS Project Lead of Content & Outreach
Nataliya is a research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is passionate about an idea of creating a partnership between AI and human intelligence, fusion of a machine and a human brain. She obtained her Ph.D in 2015 in the domain of non-invasive Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) as a part of EHCI team of Université Grenoble-Alpes, France.
-
Somayajulu Dhulipala, HUMANS Project Lead of Manufacturing & Testing
Somayajulu Dhulipala is an PhD Candidate in the Mechanical Engineering Department of MIT currently working on developing lightweight high strength materials for automobile and aerospace applications.
-
Jan Tiepelt, HUMANS Project Wafer Nano Etching
Jan Tiepelt is a Ph.D Candidate in the Spin & Excitonic Engineering Group in EECS at MIT. Expert in micro- and nanofabrication techniques.
-
Jon MacArthur, HUMANS Project Wafer Nano Etching
Jon MacArthur, PhD, works in the Aero/Astro department at MIT and part of the Space Propulsion Lab working on electric propulsion for spacecraft.
-
Patrick Chwalek, Project Advisor, Graduate Research Assistant
Patrick Chwalek is a PhD candidate in the Responsive Environments Group at MIT, developing sensor systems for environmental monitoring. His research spans wildlife tracking, urban well-being, and deployable technologies.
-
Lenny Paritsky, Project Advisor, MIT Haystack Observatory
Lenny Paritsky is an experienced aerospace and systems engineering leader who develops advanced technologies for small spacecraft.
-
Jamie Milliken, Project Advisor, MIT SEI
Jamie Milliken (he/him) has over 20 years of experience designing and implementing embedded electronic systems, with a focus on robotics and sensor integration.
-
Mehak Sarang, Emeritus Lunar Projects Lead, Course TA
Mehak Sarang is currently based in Denver, CO. She works with NASA to integrate scientific instruments aboard commercial lunar landers as part of the CLPS program first at Masten Space Systems, and now at ispace U.S.
-
Becca Browder, Emeritus Graduate Research Assistant
As a member of the SpaceX mission management team, Becca has a hybrid systems engineering/program management role where she owns various aspects of customer missions, including test plans, verifications and operations.
-
Albert R. Antosca, COO, Aurelia Institute
Dr. Antosca serves as the COO of Aurelia Institute, a hybrid space architecture research institute and venture incubation studio.
-
Forrest Meyen, Lunar Outpost CSO, MIT Mission Liaison
Dr. Forrest Meyen is a Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the space robotics company, Lunar Outpost.
-
Lawrence Azerrad, Inploration
Lawrence Azerrad is the Chief Creative Officer and co-founder of Macroscopic. With a decades-long career as a creative director, author, and design innovation thought leader, Lawrence specializes in creative strategy incubation and executions rooted in transformational design and future-thinking across digital, tangible, and experiential realms.
-
Richelle Ellis, Inploration
Richelle Ellis is an expeditionary artist, curator, and analog astronaut. Her art and research aims to use space to help life on Earth, to see the world – and ourselves – in new ways. Richelle creates artworks made for international orbit, etched on satellites, suspended by Stratollite balloons and aboard rockets, and is one of the first women to have art on the surface of the Moon.
-
Sarah Kraft, Inploration
Sarah Kraft is the Design Strategist and Creative Operations between Inploration and Macroscopic. She leads day to day operations and production management.
-
Tiffany Pitoun, Inploration
Tiffany is the Managing Director for Inploration. Tiffany has 19 years of extensive experience in the arts and philanthropy sectors.
In Memoriam
-
In Memoriam: Elise O'Hara, Former Administrative Assistant, SEI
Elise O’Hara, a cherished member of the Media Lab community, died on December 12, 2023 as a result of complications following the birth of a healthy child. In her time at the Media Lab, Elise was perhaps best known for her warmth and her kindness. She is survived by her husband, Sean O’Hara; her parents, Robert and Jean Valerio; her sister, Julie Cornell; and her three children.