Dr. Anita Sengupta is an aerospace engineer, commercial pilot, rocket scientist, and veteran of the space program. She has developed technologies that have enabled the exploration of Mars, asteroids, and deep space for 20 years. Her career began with launch vehicles and communication satellites at Boeing Space and Communications. She then worked for NASA for 16 years where her engineering projects included her PhD research on developing the ion propulsion system for the Dawn Mission, the supersonic parachute that landed the Curiosity rover on Mars, and the Cold Atom Laboratory on board the International Space Station.

After leaving NASA she moved into the transportation sector and led the development of the Hyperloop as Senior Vice President of Systems Engineering at Virgin Hyperloop, a carbon emission free ground based transportation system.

She is currently CEO of Hydroplane Ltd. which she founded in 2020. Hydroplane Ltd. is developing hydrogen fuel cell power plant technology for carbon emission free aviation and mobile energy transport and has been awarded contracts from the US Air Force, Navy, and Army. In 2023 she was awarded the Stinson Trophy by the National Aeronautics Association for her contributions to the fields of aerospace. Hydroplane was also named innovation company of the year by the US Department of Commerce, MBDA in 2023.
Dr. Sengupta is also Research Professor of Astronautical engineering at the University of Southern California (USC). Dr. Sengupta received her MS and PhD in Aerospace Engineering from USC and BS in Aerospace Engineering from Boston University.