Who’s Rajeev Badyal? New Indian American chosen to serve in National Space Council

Indian-American Rajeev Badyal has been chosen to be one the 30 members selected by US Vice President Kamala Harris to serve on the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group (UAG) to provide advice on space-related projects and issues.

Rajeev Badyal presently leads Amazon’s Project Kuiper — an initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites to provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world.

As a selected member of the UAG, Badyal will serve to enable the Biden-Harris Administration’s effort to maintain a robust and responsible US space enterprise and preserve space for current and future generations, according to a White House statement.

The UAG will provide the National Space Council advice and recommendations on matters related to space policy and strategy, including but not limited to, government policies, laws, regulations, treaties, international instruments, programmes, and practices across the civil, commercial, international, and national security space sectors, the statement further read.

The candidates selected by Kamala Harris, who is Chair of the National Space Council, represent a cross-section of companies and organisations that support the large and highly skilled space workforce; users of space services, including climate scientists and agriculture providers; individuals focused on developing the next generation of space professionals; and leading experts in space.

The members are currently awaiting their official appointment by Bill Nelson, Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The board will be chaired by retired US Air Force general Lester Lyles, Harris had announced at a space council meeting in September. Lyles also serves as chair of the NASA Advisory Council.

Before joining Amazon, Badyal was the vice president of Satellites at SpaceX. He is armed with a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Oregon State University.