Maya Nasr

Maya Nasr is a systems engineer and space policy strategist pushing the boundaries of what—and who—space is for. At the Environmental Defense Fund and Harvard, she leads the development of lunar calibration strategies and advanced machine learning systems for MethaneSAT—a climate satellite designed to detect and map methane emissions with unprecedented precision. Her engineering work spans spacecraft autonomy, optical instrumentation, and orbital calibration, while her broader mission targets the infrastructure of space governance itself.

A veteran of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance mission and co-founder of the HUMANS project—now etched into lunar and ISS history—Maya is redefining inclusion in space through both hardware and symbolism. Her PhD research proposed new frameworks for sustainable, equitable space resource utilization. From satellite payloads to international law, her work is united by a belief that humanity’s presence in space must be as just as it is advanced.