Matthew Isakowitz Foundation Programs

Couldn't be more proud of Shaurya Luthra for being awarded the inaugural Matthew Isakowitz Foundation Programs Rising Star Award. This award "recognizes an early career individual under 30 years old who demonstrates exceptional promise of becoming a future commercial space industry icon", but to me, Shaur is already an icon. This isn't because he's started an awesome company (go Northwood!), is a killer engineer, or has an unparalleled grasp of customer needs (although all those things are true). For me, Shaur is an icon because he's truly an amazing human. He's the beating heart of the Northwood team, going above and beyond to make sure we have an open, collaborative, and supportive culture. Earlier this year, with LA devastated by fires, Shaur opened his home to teammates, friends, colleagues, family, and even a prospective partner he'd never actually met before. Anyone who's met Shaur will attest to his excitement, generosity, and warmth. I feel very blessed to call him a teammate, friend, and part-time roommate. Very deserved! #RisingShaur

Meet our inaugural "Matthew Scholars"! This exceptional group of ten undergraduate and graduate students has been selected as the 2025 cohort of the Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholarship. They each receive a commercial space policy-focused paid summer internship in the Washington, D.C. area, a $1,000 scholarship, and access to exclusive professional networking opportunities. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/en4GTMxu Sophia Chang, Georgetown University – The Aerospace Corporation Shayna Gersten, Columbia University – Commercial Space Federation Kelsie Jackson, University of Nebraska (Lake Forest College) – SpaceX Michael Myers, Harvard Business School (Boston University) – AE Industrial Partners Elizabeth Sanchez Chang, American University (IE University) – Vast Space Alex Santangelo, Harvard Kennedy and Business Schools (Brown University) – Blue Origin Briana Sparacino, Georgetown University – Bryce Tech Hriday Unadkat, Princeton University – Renaissance Strategic Advisors Polina Verkhovodova, Georgia Institute of Technology (Caltech) – Voyager Technologies Raleigh Wooldridge, Northwestern University (UT Austin) – Firefly Aerospace

Join us in congratulating the recipient of our inaugural Matthew Isakowitz Rising Star Award, Shaurya Luthra! The award recognizes an early career individual under 30 years old who demonstrates exceptional promise of becoming a future commercial space industry icon. As a technology leader and entrepreneur who cofounded Northwood Space, Luthra has taken an innovative approach to addressing critical challenges in space, speaking to the very spirit of Matthew's legacy—passion, ingenuity, and a commitment to creating a better future. Luthra was presented with the Matthew Isakowitz Rising Star Award at Commercial Space Federation (CSF)'s annual conference in Washington D.C. Read more at https://lnkd.in/en4GTMxu

Just a few days left to apply for the inaugural class of Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholars by this Friday, December 20! For current college juniors, seniors, and graduate students, this is an incredible opportunity to earn a paid summer internship focused on space policy at a commercial space company in the Washington DC area. While this program is specifically for students with a career interest in commercial space, eligibility is not limited to those who want to work in policy for the long term. We hope that students from all disciplines will apply as long as they are interested in immersing themselves in a hands-on learning experience about space policy, becoming more well-rounded, and bringing that broader perspective back to their technical work. Spread the word or apply now at https://lnkd.in/e4Tfkc9e.

Today, in partnership with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, we announced two new opportunities for recognizing standout individuals passionate about commercial space: 🌟 The Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholarship is an annual scholarship for college students who demonstrate the passion and attributes to shape the future of the growing commercial space industry through space policies, an area that Matthew was instrumental in impacting from its earliest days. 🌟 The Matthew Isakowitz Rising Star Award recognizes early career individuals with exceptional promise of furthering the commercial space industry and becoming future industry icons. Sirisha Bandla, CSF Chair of the Board of Directors, said “It is an honor to host an award and scholarship named for one of CSF’s earliest employees, Matthew Isakowitz, who was a key leader in expanding the organization’s reach and encouraging many—including myself—to pursue our dreams of democratizing space for all.” These two initiatives are the latest efforts spearheaded by Matthew’s family and several volunteer coordinators following the success of the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program—a summer internship, executive mentorship, and networking program for the next generation of commercial space leaders—which took place from 2017 to 2024. Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/erzWitgw

Ever wondered what it’s like to experience #zerogravity? The Aurelia Institute Horizon Zero Gravity Flight program brought 48 fliers and 24 projects to microgravity across two parabolic flights - including two MIFP alumni representatives! In their own words… Cadence Payne(’20): “Experiencing the absence of gravity forced a sense of vulnerability that moved my perspective towards a deeper appreciation for how our planet protects us. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to experience a small taste of human space flight and extend my support to projects that will help better our world from space on behalf of the Matt Fellowship.” Halen Mattison (’21) : “True weightlessness is unlike anything I’ve done before. Even after working in human spaceflight for years, nothing compares to experiencing it yourself. It was awesome to get to support some of the technology testing and startup demonstrations onboard Aurelia’s flight and further the dream of expanding the commercial space industry.”

Before heading into next month’s #MIFPsummit, former NASA Astronaut and USAF Colonel Cady Coleman, PhD wrapped up our 2024 MIFP class’ Virtual Speaker Series! 👩🚀 Cady shared insights into her adventures in space — including two space shuttle missions and a six-month expedition to the ISS (and even divulged the best / worst food in space:)). PS - Keep an eye out this summer for Cady’s new book, “Sharing Space: an astronaut’s guide to mission, wonder, and making change” - out now!

Next up in the 2024 MIFP class’ speaker series: Alan Stern - planetary scientist and former head of all NASA science missions! As the Principal Investigator of “New Horizons “- the first mission to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, Alan played a critical role in conducting the farthest exploration in the history of humankind. Throwing up our “Pluto Salute” in honor of our favorite dwarf planet 9️⃣

Startup insights and career advice from Melanie Stricklan = the perfect way to kickoff our 2024 virtual talk series, a fun opportunity for the Matthew Isakowitz Fellows to engage directly with commercial space industry leaders. Stricklan spoke about combining her military experience and love of space to co-found Slingshot Aerospace. And just today, she was named inaugural Executive Director of Space Workforce 2030, a first-of-its-kind collaborative effort to build an inclusive workforce! Thank you Melanie for the great discussion—and congrats on the new role!