Leon Alkalai

Sophia Space • Founder, COB, & CTO

Dr. Leon Alkalai is founder, COB, and CTO of Sophia Space.

Dr. Alkalai is a recently retired Technical Fellow of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology where he spent 32 years after getting his PhD at UCLA in 1989. During his career at JPL, Dr. Alkalai held numerous leadership positions and was responsible for the capture leadership of both the GRAIL mission to the Moon (2007) and the INSIGHT lander on Mars (2012). For both efforts, Dr. Leon Alkalai received Distinguished Individual Achievement medals from NASA in 2011 and 2019 respectively. Dr. Alkalai was also heading up JPL strategic partnerships and strategic planning for the Laboratory. In early 2021, Dr. Alkalai retired from JPL and created Mandala Space Ventures, a space-focused, Pasadena-based incubator for new start-ups in the emerging space economy. Leon is also the General Partner at the Explorer-1 Venture Fund which is also affiliated with the Mandala space incubator.

Dr. Alkalai spent over three decades at NASA's JPL, where he held numerous leadership roles: • Mission Leadership: He was the capture and formulation lead for high-profile planetary missions, including the GRAIL mission to the Moon (launched 2011) and the InSight Mars lander (launched 2018). • Strategic Roles: Served as the Assistant Division Manager for Systems Engineering and Formulation and later as a Technical Fellow. • Innovation: Contributed to the VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally) project during the COVID-19 pandemic before his retirement in March 2021.

Honors and Professional Memberships • NASA Distinguished Individual Achievement Medals: Received in 2011 and 2019 for his work on GRAIL and InSight. • International Academy of Astronautics (IAA): A Full Member recognized for leadership in space science and international partnerships. • JPL Fellow: Elected in 2014 for his technical and strategic contributions to the laboratory.

Events

77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026)

5 - 9 October 2026

Antalya, Türkiye

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2020

12-14 October 2020

Cyberspace edition

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2019

21-25 October 2019

Washington, United States

Participation:

International Astronautical Congress 2018

1–5 October 2018

Bremen, Germany

Participation: