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.

2024 IAF Young Space Leaders

Nominate a candidate for the 2025 IAF Young Space Leaders (YSL) Recognition Programme!

DEADLINE: 24 JANUARY 2025

The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) is pleased to announce its 2025 IAF Young Space Leaders Recognition Programme that will provide opportunities to recognise students and young professionals who are demonstrating exceptional leadership in their academics or early careers. The IAF is soliciting nominations for the 2025 IAF Young Space Leaders Recognition Programme from IAF Members, Regional groups and Technical and Administrative Committees on students and young professionals between the ages of 21 to 35 years on 1 January 2025 who are:

  • Contributing to astronautics through their academic and/or professional activities,
  • Reaching out to other young people and to their community to share knowledge and experience,
  • Engaging colleagues in the international space community,
  • Contributing to the work of IAF committees and/or volunteering in support of other Federation activities such as physical or virtual participation in selection activities related to IAF grants, Next Generation Plenary and awards; participation in organization of IAC technical sessions and other activities; and participation on local organizing committees for GLEC, GLEX, GLOC and other IAF meetings. (Note: Attendance at International Astronautical Congress does not in itself qualify).

Nominations should contain:

  • A nomination letter from an IAF member organisation, an IAF Technical Committee or an IAF Administrative Committee summarising the nominee’s qualifications and specifying how the nominee meets the criteria. Please download the template below:
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation addressing the contributions and engagement of the nominee.

The 2025 IAF Young Space Leaders will be selected by the Federation’s Young Space Leaders Selection Subcommittee in consultation with the IAF President during March 2025. The Federation will notify the nominating organizations of those selected and subsequently the selectees themselves no later than 2 May 2025.

The IAF Young Space Leaders will be inducted at the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), 29 September – 3 October 2025 in Sydney, Australia at the Closing Ceremony. They will attend the IAC Gala Dinner as guests of the IAF President. Although travel expenses to attend the IAC will not be provided by the IAF, the IAC registration fee will be waived. Nominators are encouraged to help identify sources of funding for their nominee if he/she is selected.

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

In the year following their induction, IAF Young Space Leaders will:

  • Be featured in an IAF newsletter and on the IAF website, contributing a short summary of their experience and achievements and their perspectives on space and international cooperation, including the role of the IAF.
  • Mentor the Emerging Space Leaders who receive IAF grants to attend the IAC in Sydney.

Please send the nomination materials before 24 January 2025 15:00 CET to the IAF Secretariat by email at award@iafastro.org (Subject line: NOMINEE’S LAST NAME Nominee’s First Name-2025 YSL).

Past YSL Winners

2024 Winners

YSL 2024 Winners

2023 Winners

YSL 2023 Winners

2022 Winners

YSL 2022 Winners

2021 Winners

Elizabeth BARRIOS

Structural Materials Engineer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

United States

Marco GOMEZ-JENKINS

Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellow, University of Cambridge

Costa Rica

Kathryn ROBISON HASANI

Political scientist

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

Strategist, Airbus Defence and Space SA

Arnau PONS

Chair, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

United States

Bruno SARLI

Scientist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

2019 Winners

Olga STELMAKH DRESCHER

Director of Business Development and International Affairs

Matteo EMANUELLI

Manager, Future Radar Programmes, Airbus Defence and Space GmbH

Italy

João LOUSADA

Member, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)

Portugal

Avid ROMAN GONZALEZ

Scientist, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES)

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

Project Manager, European Space Agency (ESA)

Czech Republic

2017 Winners

Minoo RATHNASABAPATHY

Research Engineer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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

Germany

Amalio MONZON

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

2015 Winners

Ryan L. KOBRICK

Integrated Product Team Lead, Paragon Space Development Corporation

United States

Yu XIAOZHOU

Vice director, Shaanxi Engineering Laboratory for Microsatellites

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 Technologies GmbH

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 Astronomy & Space Science

Australia

Kat CODERRE

Deputy Manager for Deep Space Exploration Advanced Programs, 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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