Meet The Team

Michael is an accomplished engineer with a focus and passion for aerospace engineering and robotics. With prior experience in test engineering at SpaceX and design engineering for new vehicle programs at Tesla, Michael brings invaluable industry knowledge and insights to Aster. His expertise in hardware development for space operations and his strategic guidance will be instrumental in overseeing project execution and ensuring financial stability within the company. 

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Aneesha is an investment banker experienced in handling intricate mergers and acquisitions spanning various industry sub-verticals. She presently holds the position of Senior Analyst at Anchor Peabody, having previously accrued over two years of valuable experience at Citigroup. In her capacity as CFO at Aster, Aneesha leads the team's fundraising endeavors, exercises financial management oversight, and directs the operational aspects of the organization to ensure the team's enduring commitment to excellence. 

Youssef is a mechanical engineer with a focus on fluids, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and simulations. He is currently a full-time student at Northwestern University where he is studying mechanical engineering with a focus in aerospace engineering. His expertise in heat transfer and simulations is instrumental in analyzing the species transport and fluid flow inside the reactor.

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Iqra is a software engineer focusing on DevOps engineering, web design, and marketing with a Computer Science and Business Administration background. Her proficiency will be instrumental in the design and upkeep of Aster's website. Additionally, she is committed to fostering Aster's growth through strategic marketing initiatives and adept management of Aster's LinkedIn and Instagram platforms. ​​

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As Chief Technology Officer at Aster, Agat leverages his diverse background in development, testing, and manufacturing to advance the mission of refining oxygen on the lunar surface. With extensive experience in the aerospace and automotive industries, he has led end-to-end production of critical flight hardware at Firefly Aerospace, contributed to propulsion development at Blue Origin, and improved failure prevention at Cummins through predictive load analysis. His multidisciplinary expertise provides Aster with the technical insight to address the daunting challenges of lunar oxygen extraction.