Mahhad NAYYER

Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) • Co-Lead, Space Safety and Sustainability Project Group; Purdue University, Graduate Researcher in Astronautics

Mahhad Nayyer is a graduate researcher in Astrodynamics and Space Applications at Purdue University’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. His research focuses on advancing Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capabilities and enhancing Space Traffic Management (STM) protocols by analytically assessing orbital capacity through slotting architectures in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). He holds a Master of Engineering in Space Systems and Business Engineering from the Technical University of Graz in Austria, and a dual-degree Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering and Humanities from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

In the international space community, Mahhad serves as Co-Lead of the Space Safety and Sustainability (SSS) Project Group at the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), where he has expanded and strengthened the group’s research initiatives across member countries. He also holds the position of Vice Chair for the Emerging Space Ecosystems Sub-Committee in the Asia-Pacific region within the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). He is an active member of several technical committees in the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

Mahhad’s contributions have been recognized with several honors, including the 2022 IAF Emerging Space Leader Award, the 2022 AIAA Diverse Dozen (now known as Ascendents), and the 2023 SGAC Nebula Award. In 2024, he was named a Karman Pioneer by the Karman Project Foundation. Mahhad also delivers capacity-building seminars and is frequently invited to speak on topics related to SSA, Space Domain Awareness (SDA), STM, and space sustainability.

In addition to his technical research, Mahhad is deeply committed to fostering international collaboration and capacity building in emerging space nations. As an SSA expert, he has contributed to policy discussions and advocacy efforts aimed at promoting equitable access to space, combining technical rigor with an understanding of the geopolitical and systemic challenges shaping the future of global space governance.