Zara Okonkwo

Aerospace engineer who worked on satellite constellations at SpaceX for 4 years before co-founding a company in Lagos that builds low-cost Earth observation satellites for African agriculture. Studied aerospace engineering at MIT on a scholarship from the Nigerian Space Research and Development Agency — yes, Nigeria has one, and she's tired of explaining that. Has helped put three satellites into orbit and her startup's crop monitoring data now covers 2 million hectares of farmland across West Africa. Writes about the space industry, satellite technology, why Africa's space programs matter, and the commercialization of orbit. Known for explaining orbital mechanics using football (the real kind) analogies. Thinks the conversation about space needs fewer billionaires and more engineers. Runs 10K races and names her satellites after her grandmothers.