By Adrian Flynn & Hannah Ashford
The Karman Project Announces the 2026 Karman Fellows as Program Surpasses 100 Supported Leaders
Berlin, Germany — In a world marked by increasing geopolitical fragmentation and macroeconomic uncertainty, the need for trusted relationships across borders has never been more critical. Nowhere is this more evident than in space: the ultimate global commons. To best utilize space for the benefit of humanity, and avoid calamitous outcomes, cooperation is a strategic necessity.
Since 2019, The Karman Project has assembled the best-positioned and best-intentioned leaders across the space domain to directly address these challenges. With this selection of the seventh cohort of the Karman Fellowship, the total number of Karman Fellows crosses into the triple digits. 106 distinguished Fellows represent, in the words of Karman Fellowship Selection Board Chair Jean-Jacques Dordain, a “peaceful marching army” embodying the leadership needed to build a truly cooperative future in space.
The Karman Project is proud to announce the selection of the 2026 Karman Fellows: a group of 15 exceptional individuals from around the world who are shaping the future of space with a commitment to responsibility, collaboration, and peace.
This year’s selection follows a highly competitive process, with a record number of over 400 applications received from 53 countries, reflecting the diversity and urgency of voices eager to contribute to humanity’s shared future beyond Earth. These leaders are at the forefront of engineering, entrepreneurship, policy, science, and exploration - and include astronauts, directors, engineers, doctors, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from institutions such as the Bahrain Space Agency, UK Space Agency, Leonardo, Senegal Space Agency, OroraTech, Orienspace, Philippine Space Agency, European Space Policy Institute, Brooklyn Experimental Art Foundation, Indian Space Research Organisation, Center for Space Medicine Research, and AstroAccess. Together representing 15 nations across 6 continents, they will form a trusted cohort committed to advancing a space sector that is more inclusive, accessible, and cooperative.
“The future of space is, above all, a human story. Technologies, policies, and programs are ultimately shaped by people, underpinned by their guiding principles and ability to collaborate with one another. Investing in the right people and their bonds, therefore, is the most important work we can do together to build a future of space activity that we can all champion. I'm proud to welcome 15 extraordinary new leaders into a Karman Fellowship community now over 100 strong.”
— Hannah Ashford, Managing Director, The Karman Project
Karman Fellows are not only selected for what they have already accomplished, but for what they will achieve together. Designed for mid-career leaders, the program combines strategic in-person and online engagements to foster lasting trust, unlock exchange across regional perspectives, and drive joint initiatives with real-world outcomes. In a sector often dominated by intractable competition and national interest, the Karman Fellowship is about rewriting that narrative - shifting focus to cooperation over competition, trust over transaction, and long-term outcomes over short-term advantages.
Dialogue, while essential, is only the beginning. The ultimate goal is action: building projects, partnerships, and policy frameworks that enable a sustainable and peaceful space future.
The journey for the 2026 Fellows will culminate in Karman Week, taking place in late 2026 on the African continent, with the exact location and hosts to be revealed in the coming weeks. This flagship gathering offers an immersive environment where Fellows engage in scenario planning, local service projects, and high-level dialogue, embedded in a curated international community.
While technological breakthroughs dominate headlines, the future of space is fundamentally built on people and the relationships between them. We're honored to share this purpose and mission with these 15 leaders joining the Karman Community. Please join us in congratulating the selected Karman Fellows of 2026!
About The Karman Project
The Karman Project strengthens trust, fosters independent dialogue, and advances international cooperation between global leaders in business, technology, politics, science, and the arts who seek to ensure space activity benefits all of humanity. The Karman Project is a non-profit and independent foundation headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
Annexure: The Karman Project’s 2026 Fellows
1. Amal Albinali, Chief, Strategic Planning & Projects Management Department, Bahrain Space Agency; VP, Next Generation Activities, International Astronautical Federation (Bahrain)2. Meganne Christian, Member of the ESA Astronaut Reserve and Senior Exploration Manager, UK Space Agency (UK, Italy, Australia, New Zealand)
3. Gabriele de Canio, VP, Geospatial Solutions & Services, Leonardo; Chief Technological Innovation Officer, e-GEOS (Italy)
4. Rosso K. Dieng, Director of Planning, Partnership and Development, Senegal Space Agency (Senegal)
5. Lucas Fonseca, Founder & CEO, Airvantis; Co-Founder & CEO, StratoLit (Brazil)
6. Julia Gottfriedsen, Head of Data Science, OroraTech (Germany)
7. Shuai Huang, VP & Chief Engineer, Orienspace Technology Co., Ltd (China)
8. Eiman Jahangir, Physician & Professor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Citizen Astronaut (Iran, US)
9. Gay Jane Perez, Director General, Philippine Space Agency (Philippines)
10. Ioana Petrescu, Space Economist & Global Fellow, European Space Policy Institute, Former Finance Minister of Romania (Romania)
11. Chris Sembroski, Entrepreneur and Engineer, Project Execution Manager, Starfish Space; Educator and Citizen Astronaut (US)
12. Masako Shiba, Co-founder & Executive Director, Brooklyn Experimental Art Foundation (Japan, US)
13. Shubhanshu Shukla, Astronaut, Indian Space Research Organisation (India)
14. Aleksandra Stankovic, Founding Director, Center for Space Medicine Research, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School (US)
15. Sheila Xu, Director of Development & Ambassador, AstroAccess (US, Italy)
