(March 16, 2025) As a child, Dr. Kavya K Manyapu would stare at the night sky from her terrace, wondering if dinosaurs, sharks, or even aliens might be lurking on the Moon. “I’ll go to the moon one day and figure it out myself,” she would tell her parents. Years later, she isn’t just closer to the Moon — she’s helping astronauts get there.
As a NASA space scientist, she is shaping the Artemis program, developing next-generation spacesuits that will take humans back to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. Space, for her, isn’t just a career—it’s an obsession. She has spent years testing technologies in extreme environments, working alongside astronauts, and forging a deep friendship with Sunita Williams, whom she fondly calls her “space mom.” Her groundbreaking contributions to space exploration have earned her prestigious recognitions, including the Karman Fellowship (2024), NASA Superior Achievement Award (2023), and a spot among the Top 100 Global Women of the Future in Emerging Tech (2023).
Dr. Kavya Manyapu
From designing suits for lunar exploration to training astronauts for the journey, Kavya has made space her mission —and she’s just getting started.
The Making of a Space Scientist
Growing up, she loved spending hours staring at the moon but had no inkling that one day, her life would revolve around the cosmos. “Exploration in general has been the biggest motivating factor for me, whether it is space, under water or mountains,” smiles Indian-American aerospace engineer and NASA space scientist, Dr Kavya K Manyapu, in a chat with Global Indian.
Dr Kavya has dedicated over 19 years of her career contributing to a diverse portfolio of human spaceflight programs, ranging from Low Earth Orbit to Lunar/Mars exploration, design and launch of spacecrafts testing spacesuits and innovating technologies. She has also undertaken extreme environment field expeditions, space analog missions, and international collaborations to democratise access to space technology.
Currently, Dr Kavya leads the development of Exploration Spacesuits for the Artemis program within the Flight Operations Directorate at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas. “My work involves designing, developing, testing, and training our new exploration spacesuits Artemis program,” informs Dr Kavya.
The Artemis program is a Moon exploration program intended at re-establishing a human presence on the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The program’s long-term goal is to establish a permanent base on the Moon to facilitate human missions to Mars.
Starliner & ‘Space Mom’
Prior to this, Dr Kavya previously spent 10 years developing CST-100 Starliner Spacecraft for Boeing in several high responsibility roles. “I was the space suit lead and was leading the flight crew operations, flight testing and training the astronauts,” informs Dr Kavya, who served as the flight test detector for the very first orbital flight test.
During her stint with Boeing, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams was named as one of the crew members. “I first met Sunny (Sunita) at the 66th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in India in 2007. Then we met again while I was working at Boeing years later. We were excited to work with each other,” recalls Dr Kavya, who refers to Sunita as her “space mom.”
At IAC, Dr Kavya presented her research, titled “Feasibility of Multi-Technology Integration Strategy for Dust Mitigation of Planetary Spacesuits.” Her research was in collaboration with Dr. Pablo de Leon, Department Chair, Professor Space Studies at the University of North Dakota. She was awarded the “Best Interactive Presentation Award” by the IAC in recognition of the research quality and originality.
Both Dr Kavya and Sunita have been good friends ever since. “We also met at President Barack Obama’s White House Astronomy Night where I was invited as an ambassador for Boeing. She is my role model,” says Dr Kavya, who serves as an Adjunct Professor, Department of Space Studies, University of North Dakota.
“Sunny is having a great time in space, I have been communicating with her,” says Dr Kavya when asked how the astronaut has been doing at the International Space Station, where she and another astronaut Barry Wilmore have been stranded for past nine months.
From Hyderabad to the Stars
Dr Kavya grew up in Hyderabad and moved to the US with her family at the age of 16. The shift opened up a door of opportunities leading her to receive her bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2006, followed by an M.S in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT in 2010. In 2017, she completed her Ph.D becoming the first ever PhD graduate in space studies at the University of North Dakota.
Breaking Barriers in Space Research
An elected Vice Chair to the International Astronautical Federation’s Human Spaceflight Committee, Dr Kavya’s research and technology inventions envelops novel, next generation spacesuit technologies for planetary missions holding 8 patents and 30 international publications. “Spacesuit samples based on my research work were flown on the International Space Station,” says Dr Kavya, whose research has been featured in international platforms such as The Economist, BBC, CNN, Discovery News and Popular Mechanics.
One of the many highlights of her distinguished career is developing a novel technology for self-cleaning space suits that uses carbon nanotubes to repel dust for use in future lunar and Mars missions. She also served as a Regional Officer for Space Generation Advisory Council for North, Central America and Caribbean region.
More Than a Scientist
But there’s much more to Dr. Kavya Manyapu than space exploration. She is a mountaineer, an Indian classical dancer, a scuba diver, an educator, and even a private pilot. “I call myself an explorer because I love exploring both the outer world and inner world,” smiles Dr Kavya.
Her love for the outdoors has taken her to some of the most challenging terrains on the planet. She has climbed two of the Seven Summits — Mount Aconcagua in South America and Kilimanjaro in Africa — along with several other peaks. She even led a first ascent on an untouched 6,012-meter peak in the Indian Himalayas, a feat that caught the attention of CNN Sports. Not one to stop there, she trekked to Everest Base Camp and completed a mountaineering course in Alaska, where she spent 20 days navigating glaciers, climbing mountains, and mastering rope techniques. “I wish I could do more,” says Dr Kavya, who has a five year old daughter.
Scuba diving was another challenge that pushed her limits. As a child, she was fascinated by the underwater world but afraid of water. “I used to watch scuba diving videos on National Geographic and thought it looked incredible, but I was scared,” she says. To chase her dream of becoming an astronaut, Dr. Kavya knew she had to conquer her fear of water. After moving to the U.S. in 2002, she decided to learn how to swim while in 10th grade. “At first, I could barely manage a quarter lap,” she admits. But she pushed herself, and by the end of the summer, she was swimming 40 laps nonstop in a massive pool.
Dancing Through Life
Dr. Kavya’s love for Indian classical dance began at the age of four. Trained under renowned Gurus V.S. Ramamoorthy and Smt. Manjula Ramaswamy, she earned a diploma in Bharatanatyam with distinction from Potti Sriramulu University in Hyderabad.
At 14, she received the National ‘Balashree’ Award from the President of India and went on to win numerous state and national dance competitions. “My father always told me—whatever you do, give it your 100 percent,” she says.
She has performed nearly 400 times at prestigious venues, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, and continued dancing even after moving to the U.S., using her art to raise funds for disaster relief and community initiatives.
Empowering the Next Generation by Giving Back
Three years ago, Dr. Kavya Manyapu turned her passion for empowerment into action by founding Project Shakti. “It’s a non profit which raises funds to educate, empower and elevate underprivileged girls in India,” informs Dr Kavya, who has already helped 25 young girls in Telangana and Tamil Nadu gain access to learning and a brighter future.
But her mission doesn’t stop there. A firm believer in paying it forward, Dr. Kavya has dedicated her time to inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers. Through over 150 outreach programs across regional, national, and international platforms, she has mentored students, championed STEAM education, and shown young minds—especially girls—that no dream is too big, not even reaching for the stars.
Dr. Kavya Manyapu is part of a growing league of Indian-origin scientists shaping the future of space exploration. As a NASA space scientist developing next-generation spacesuits for lunar missions, she is helping astronauts take their next giant leap. But she is not alone. Indians have been making their mark at NASA for decades—Kalpana Chawla became the first Indian woman in space, inspiring millions before her tragic loss in the Columbia disaster, while Sunita Williams has spent over 300 days aboard the International Space Station, setting records along the way. Whether it’s designing spacecraft, training astronauts, or working on missions to the Moon and beyond, Indians are not just reaching for the stars—they are helping humanity get there.
- Follow Dr Kavya Manyapu on LinkedIn
Read a similar story of Sunita Williams, returning home after nine months in space.
