Anita Sengupta

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Anita Sengupta
Born
Glasgow, Scotland
EducationUniversity of Southern California
Alma materBoston University
University of Southern California
Known forCold Atom Laboratory[1]
Mars Science Laboratory[2]
Deep Space 1[3]
Ion propulsion[4]
AwardsBest technical paper by the Electric Propulsion Technical Committee of the AIAA [5]

ASEI Woman Engineer of the Year Recipient
Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award
ASEI Engineer of the Year
NAA Stinson Trophy
Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Hall of Fame
SheRoes Trail Blazer USPAACC

Reuters 2026 Trail Blazing Women in Energy
Scientific career
FieldsAerospace engineer

Electric Propulsion
Entry Descent and Landing
Supersonic Parachutes
Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Hydrogen Aviation
InstitutionsNASA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
University of Southern California
Virgin Hyperloop One
Hydroplane_Ltd.
United Nations CEET
ThesisExperimental and Analytical Investigation of a Ring Cusp Ion Thruster Discharge Chamber Physics and Performance (2005)
Dan Erwin
Websiteanitasengupta.com

Anita Sengupta is an American aerospace engineer.[6][7][8] She is a graduate in aerospace engineering (MS '00, Ph.D. '05) of the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California. She was the lead systems engineer of the team that developed the parachute system that was deployed during the landing of Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity.[9] She also led the development of testing of the NASA Orion (spacecraft) drogue parachute used for the NASA Artemis program Re-Entry[10]. She was subsequently the project manager of the Cold Atom Laboratory at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech.[1] She was then the Senior Vice President of Systems Engineering at Virgin Hyperloop One.[11] She is currently CEO and Founder of Hydroplane Ltd.[12][13]. She is also a member of the United Nations Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) [14]. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Astronautical Engineering at USC [15]. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including: induction into the Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Hall of Fame in 2022 [16], she was awarded the National Aeronautics Association (NAA) Stinson Trophy in 2022 [17], and in 2024 she was named a SheRoes Trailblazer by USPAACC [18] In 2026 she was named a Women Trailblazer in Energy by Reuters [19].

Anita Sengupta is also a science communicator and has delivered multiple TEDx lectures [20][21], Royal Institution lectures [22], keynote addresses [23][24], podcasts[25], and media appearances across the globe [26][27][28][29]. She has appeared in the film Geek Girls[30], in two episodes of Killers of the Cosmos.[31] She also delivered the 47th University of Oxford Lubbock Lecture in 2022 [32]. Most recently she delivered the keynote for the Beach Women in Engineering conference[33]. She is also featured on numerous BBC Radio programs including Discovery Life Changers[34], World Wise Web[35], and most recently Puffed Up [36].

Early life and training

Sengupta was born in Glasgow, Scotland before emigrating to New York where she was raised thereafter.[37] Her father hailed from West Bengal, India, and was a mechanical engineer who studied at the Indian Institute of Technology. Her mother was an expert in French and German. Her parents met at the University of Liverpool. Sengupta is an avid science fiction fan including Doctor Who[38] and Star Trek.[39]. She is also a FAA commercial pilot, PADI scuba diver, sport motorcyclist, mountain biker, and avid hiker [40][41][42].

Cold Atom Laboratory

Anita Sengupta was the CAL Project Manager from the projects inception, for which she and the team was awarded a Popular Mechanics Prize [43][1] CAL is a facility for the study of ultra-cold quantum gases in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS). It will enable research in a temperature regime and force free environment that is inaccessible to terrestrial laboratories. In the microgravity environment, up to 20 second long interaction times and as low as 1 picokelvin temperatures are achievable, unlocking the potential to observe new quantum phenomena. The CAL facility is designed for use by multiple scientific investigators and to be upgradable/maintainable on orbit. CAL will also be a pathfinder experiment for future quantum sensors based on laser cooled atoms.

Hydroplane Ltd.

Anita Sengupta founded Hydroplane Ltd. in 2020 on a mission to decarbonize aviation with Hydrogen fuel cell based aviation powerplants [44]. The company has been awarded multiple SBIR/STTR contracts with the US Air Force [45], US Marine Corps [46], and US Army [47]. The company was a winner of Army xTech 8 [48] and is a Finalist in the US Army xtech Humanoid [49]. The company also received a CA Energy Commission CalTestBed Voucher grant [50]. The company was named a Titan Innovation Company and Top Company for Women in 2022 [51]. The company was named Minority Emerging Technology and Industries Firm of the Year in 2023 [52] . The company was named a Top 50 Global Resiliency Company by the QBE Foundation in 2025 [53]. The company has received numerous government Small Business Innovative research contracts including an Air Force Phase 2[54], Marine Corps Phase 1[55], and Army Phase 2[56].

See also

References

  1. "Cold Atom Laboratory:People". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Caltech. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  2. "Curiosity's Seven Minutes of Terror". NASA.gov. June 22, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  3. "Deep Space 1". NASA.gov. June 22, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  4. "Ion Propulsion". jpl.nasa.gov. September 3, 2002. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  5. "AIAA award". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. USC. Retrieved 10 June 2005.
  6. WYSK (August 27, 2012). "Women Talk: 10+ Questions With Rocket Scientist, Dr. Anita Sengupta". Women You Should Know. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  7. "Landing a rover was career highlight, says Anita Sengupta". The Hindu. August 21, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  8. Andy Meek. "What It's Like To Be One Of The Few Female Aerospace Engineers". Fast Company. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  9. "NASA-JPL Systems Engineer and Viterbi School Alumna on Early Influences and Designing Curiosity's Parachute". USC - Viterbi School of Engineering. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  10. "Sub-scale Drogue Chute Testing - NASA". Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  11. "Team". Hyperloop One. 2018-10-20. Archived from the original on 2018-10-20. Retrieved 2019-03-07.
  12. "Meet The Team". Hydroplane. 2026-03-24. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  13. "Anita Sengupta is on a Mission to Decarbonize Aviation". USC Viterbi. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  14. "Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET)". Sustainable Development Solutions Network. 2025-12-09. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  15. "USC - Viterbi School of Engineering - Viterbi Faculty Directory". viterbi.usc.edu. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  16. "2022 Hall of Fame". Women And Drones. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  17. Jetpack. "Dr. Anita Sengupta Named Recipient of 2022 Stinson Trophy". Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  18. "#sheroes #womenshistorymonth #womenownedbusiness | Dr. Anita Sengupta". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  19. "Reuters Events Trailblazers 2026".
  20. Sengupta, Anita (2018-09-05). Engineering at the Speed of Light - from Cold Atoms to the Hyperloop. Retrieved 2026-03-29 – via www.ted.com.
  21. Sengupta, Anita (2019-01-29). How Complexity Arises in the Universe. Retrieved 2026-03-29 – via www.ted.com.
  22. Mars Exploration: Curiosity and Beyond - with Anita Sengupta. The Royal Institution. 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2026-03-29 – via YouTube.
  23. The Flight Plan to Emission Free Aviation • Anita Sengupta • GOTO 2023. GOTO Conferences. 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2026-03-29 – via YouTube.
  24. The Future of Mars Exploration • Anita Sengupta • YOW! 2017. GOTO Conferences. 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2026-03-29 – via YouTube.
  25. Hydrogen Powered Helicopters: Dr. Anita Sengupta - The Helicopter Podcast - Episode #142. The Helicopter Podcast. 2025-08-31. Retrieved 2026-03-29 – via YouTube.
  26. "BBC World Service - Discovery, Life Changers - Anita Sengupta". BBC. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  27. "BBC World Service - Discovery, Life Changers - Anita Sengupta, How Dr Who inspired me". BBC. 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  28. "Will Americans return to the moon?". CNN. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  29. "Media Coverage". USC Viterbi. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  30. "IMDB Geek Girls". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  31. "IMDB Profile for Anita Sengupta". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  32. "47th Maurice Lubbock Memorial Lecture - Dr Anita Sengupta". eng.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  33. "CSULB Beach Women in Engineering Conference 2026 | California State University Long Beach". www.csulb.edu. 2026-01-14. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  34. "BBC Audio | Discovery | Life Changers - Anita Sengupta". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  35. "BBC Audio | World Wise Web | Nasa's Curiosity rover parachute". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  36. "BBC Radio 4 - Puffed Up: Inventions Out of Thin Air, Space Inflations". BBC. Retrieved 2026-04-11.
  37. "Soft Mars landing thanks to engineer from Bishopbriggs". HeraldScotland. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  38. "Doctor Whoa: Anita Sengupta". USC Viterbi. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  39. "At home in space - Scientist hooked on Spock as 6-year-old". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
  40. "How Hydroplane founder is drawing on her stellar engineering talent". FlightGlobal. 2023-11-27. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  41. "Women in Aviation Week: Meet Dr. Anita Sengupta, hydrogen aviation business leader". Vertical Mag. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  42. "Beach Women in Engineering Conference Keynote 2026". California State University Long Beach. 2024-10-29. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  43. "The 2016 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards". Popular Mechanics. 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  44. Kozlowski, Denise (2022-06-20). "Hydroplane Debuts Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology to Decarbonize General Aviation Travel". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  45. Anonymous (2022-05-04). "Hydroplane Secures Second Air Force Contract to Fund Development of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powerplant for Aviation and Mobile Energy Storage - Fuelcellsworks". fuelcellsworks.com. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  46. "23.4 NAVY SBIR SELECTIONS". navysbir.com. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  47. "Hydroplane wins US Army funding for H2 fuel cell for vertical lift applications". Revolution.aero. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  48. "xTechSearch 8 – xTechSearch". xtech.army.mil. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  49. "U.S. Army xTech Humanoid Competition Announces Hydroplane as Finalist". Aviation Pros. 2026-01-07. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  50. "Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP), UC Irvine". www.apep.uci.edu. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  51. "Women and Drones Honors Leaders and Companies With "Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Awards"". www.commercialuavnews.com. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  52. "Hydroplane wins Minority Emerging Technology and Industries Firm of the Year". Revolution.aero. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  53. Fluxio. "QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge". leadingcities.org. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  54. Anonymous (2022-05-04). "Hydroplane Secures Second Air Force Contract to Fund Development of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powerplant for Aviation and Mobile Energy Storage - Fuelcellsworks". fuelcellsworks.com. Retrieved 2026-04-03.
  55. www.defenseandmunitions.com https://www.defenseandmunitions.com/news/hydroplane-wins-small-business-innovation-research-funding-from-us-navy-hydrogen-ground-power-powerplant-development/. Retrieved 2026-04-03. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  56. "Hydroplane awarded Phase 2 SBIR contract to advance hydrogen fuel cell electric propulsion for Army aviation". Vertical Mag. Retrieved 2026-04-03.