IAF Young Space Leaders (YSL) Recognition Programme

The IAF Young Space Leaders (YSL) Recognition Programme is awarded to exceptional students and young professionals, who contribute to astronautics in their academic or early careers, reach out to other young people and their communities to share knowledge and experiences, have been engaged with the international space community and contribute to IAF activities.

The IAF is proud to present the 2026 IAF Young Space Leaders!

Meet them and discover their backgrounds!

The five IAF Young Space Leaders will help increase knowledge among of students and young professionals worldwide in astronautics activities and the IAF.

They will be presented with their award during the Closing Ceremony of the 77^th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) in Antalya, Türkiye, which will take place from 5 to 9 October 2026.

2026 Winners

Federica ANGELETTI

Assistant Professor, Sapienza University of Rome

Italy

Isi CASAS DEL VALLE PACHECO

Business Development Officer, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

Chile

Dmitriy GRISHKO

Associate Professor, Bauman Moscow State Technical University

Russia

Charles-Aimé NZEUSSI-MBOUENDEU

SES, Specialist, Product & Space Sustainability, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

Cameroon

Matej POLIAČEK

ISS / Columbus Flight Director, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR)

Germany

Past YSL Winners

2025 Winners

Hannah ASHFORD

Co-Founder & Managing Director, Karman Project

Australia

Eleonora LOMBARDI

Head of Department, Fondazione E. Amaldi

Italy

Kangsan (Antonio) KIM (STARK)

Global Space Policy and Strategy Expert, ispace, inc

Republic of Korea

Adam OKNINSKI

Director, Space Technologies Center, Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation (ILOT)

Poland

Mahhad NAYYER

PhD Candidate in Astrodynamics, Purdue University; Vice Chair ACCESS Asia-Pacific SC, National University of Science and Technology

Pakistan

2024 Winners

Aysha ALHARAM

Chief of Satellite Design Department, Bahrain Space Agency

Bahrain

Hamza HAMEED

Senior Practice Manager, Space & Connectivity, Access Partnership, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

Pakistan

Valentina LUCHETTI

Sales and Business Development Representative, Dcubed GmbH

Italy

Gina PETROVICI

UN-Affairs Department Legal Advisor, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR)

Germany

Carlos RODRIGUEZ

Space Products and Innovation (SPiN)

Costa Rica

Takahiro SASAKI

Researcher, Research and Development Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Japan

2023 Winners

Tensae ALI

Sales Engineer, CubeSpace Satellite Systems

South Africa

Harriet BRETTLE

Head of Market Analysis and Business Intelligence, European Space Agency (ESA)

United Kingdom

Matias CAMPOS

CEO & Founder, Astralintu Space Technologies

Ecuador

Bethany DOWNER

Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, Chief Science Communications Officer, European Space Agency (ESA)

United States

Manny SHAR

Senior Director of Growth, Astrolab

United Kingdom

2022 Winners

Sirisha BANDLA

Astronaut; Chief of Staff, Outpost

United States

Dunay BADIRKHANOV

Chair of the Board (a/g), Azercosmos Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Ozan KARA

Senior Researcher, Propulsion and Space, Technology Innovation Institute

United Arab Emirates

Mariam NASEEM

Planetary Science Researcher, PhD Candidate, University of Maryland, College Park

Canada

Antonino SALMERI

Space Lawyer, Lunar Policy Platform

Italy

Ruvimbo SAMANGA

Ambassador, MILO Space Science Institute

Zimbabwe

Maruška STRAH

Secretary, Slovenia Space Office

Slovenia

Anthony YUEN

Weill Cornell Medicine, Formerly Assistant Professor, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

United States

2021 Winners

Elizabeth BARRIOS

Electronic Materials Engineer, Space Systems Department, Blue Origin

United States

Marco GOMEZ-JENKINS

Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellow, University of Cambridge

Costa Rica

Kathryn ROBISON

Lecturer in American Studies, United States Studies Centre; Senior Research Fellow, Australasian Centre for Space Governance, The University of Sydney

United States

Danil IVANOV

Senior Researcher at Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics

Russia

Pierre-Alexis JOUMEL

General Secretary, EURO2MOON; Director International & New Business, Space Systems, Airbus Defence and Space GmbH

Germany

Ayami KOJIMA

Unit Chief of International Affairs, National Space Policy Secretariat (NSPS)

2020 Winners

Hiroki AKAGI

Deputy Director of Houston Office, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Japan

Chiara COCCHIARA

System Operations Engineer, EUMETSAT

Germany

Emmanuelle DAVID

Executive Director, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Switzerland

Luis FERREIRA

Head of Programme Procurement EO, Science and Exploration, Airbus Defence and Space SAS

Germany

Arnau PONS

Chair, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

United States

Bruno SARLI

Scientist

2019 Winners

Olga STELMAKH DRESCHER

Director of Business Development and International Affairs

Matteo EMANUELLI

Manager, Strategic Development & New Markets, Airbus Defence and Space GmbH

Italy

João LOUSADA

GMV

Portugal

Avid ROMAN GONZALEZ

Scientist, Asociacion Civil Universidad de Ciencias y Humanidades

Peru

Mia BROWN

Scientist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

United States

2018 Winners

Seyed Ali NASSERI

Implementation Support Officer, Moon Village Association (MVA), Executive Research Coordinator, University of British Columbia

Canada

Jackelynne SILVA-MARTINEZ

Engineer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Peru

Michal KUNES

Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

Czech Republic

2017 Winners

Minoo RATHNASABAPATHY

Research Engineer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

United States

Patrick HAMBLOCH

Research engineer, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Stephanie WAN

Systems Analyst, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Timiebi AGANABA JEANTY

Assistant Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Appointed at the Sandra Day O Connor College of Law, Arizona State University

United States

Laszlo BACSARDI

Secretary General, Hungarian Astronautical Society (MANT)

Hungary

2016 Winners

Jessica CULLER

Acting news chief, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

United States

Takashi OHTANI

Associate Senior Engineer, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Japan

Victoria ALONSOPEREZ

Founder and CEO, Chipsafer

Singapore

Andrea BOYD

Deputy Lead of Astronaut Operations and EUROCOM, stationed at the European Astronaut Centre, European Space Agency (ESA)

Germany

Amalio MONZON

Head of Engineering Quality Wing Development, Airbus Defence and Space SA

2015 Winners

Ryan L. KOBRICK

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

United States

Yu XIAOZHOU

Professor, Dalian University of Technology (DUT)

Lulu MAKAPELA

Strategic Programmes Contracts Manager for SA-GEO, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

South Africa

Christopher VASKO

Optical and Quantum Innovation Engineer, European Space Agency (ESA)

Liz SEWARD

Senior Strategist, Space Systems, Airbus Ltd.

United Kingdom

Guillaume GIRARD

2014 Winners

Michael BRETT

Co-Chair, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

Australia

Andrea JAIME ALBALAT

Business Developer, Isar Aerospace SE

Germany

Rui LI

China

Nahum ROMERO

Yusuke MURAKI

Strategic Space Producer, Space Entertainment Promotion Office, Sony Group Corporation

Japan

2013 Winners

Julio APREA

Project Management of Space Systems Development, European Space Agency (ESA)

Kimberley CLAYFIELD

Research Director, CSIRO Space and Astronomy

Australia

Kat CODERRE

Deputy Director, Space Sciences and Instrumentation, Lockheed Martin Corporation

United States

Jacob SUTHERLUN

International Relations Specialist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

United States

Trong THU VU

National Point of Contact for Vietnam, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

Vietnam

2012 Winners

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