Artist-Scientist CV

2021  

PhD in Aerospace Engineering
ISAE-Supaéro (DEOS Laboratory), EDMITT (Doctoral School) | Toulouse, France 

• Thesis: Synchronization Performance Limits of GNSS Receivers.

• PhD co-financed by Safran Electronics & Defense (CIFRE contract).

2017

Master of Science in Data Science & Autonomous Systems | Ingénieur Polytechnicien (X2013)
[Dual Degree] Ecole Polytechnique & ISAE-Supaéro | Palaiseau and Toulouse, France

• Studied on a full merit scholarship thanks to Fondation de l'Ecole Polytechnique and GIFAS sponsorships.

• X-CubeSat (QB50 Project): Worked on the comms link of the microsatellite, launched from the ISS in 2017.

• Caltech Space Challenge 2015: Selective space missions planning training under NASA JPL scientists.

• #ActInSpace 2014 (Winning team, Paris area): Proposed an origami-inspired spacecraft solar panel design.

2013

Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Physics
St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi | Delhi, India

• Ranked 88 (all-India) in Physics Joint Admission Test.

• Selected for internships at TIFR Mumbai, IIT-Delhi and IUAC-Delhi.

• Awarded the INSPIRE Merit Scholarship (Dept. of Science & Technology, Govt. of India).

2023/09 - now

Head of Special Projects | Business Development + Project Management
vorteX-io | Toulouse, France

• Entrusted with the Worldwide HYdrological Large-Scale Database (WHYLD) Project, which won the prestigious European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Programme 2023; showcased concrete skills in project management.

• Quick growth in the company, identified as key person and valued as part of the business development squad.

• Contributing to international scale-up strategies, reporting directly to company co-founders and C-level.

2023/03 - now

Founder & Artist
Atelier Arth

• An experimental interdisciplinary art-tech studio, for focussed independant research into projects bridging the gap between cutting-edge space technologies and society | See: "Creative Works" for information on current projects.

• The studio has received support from several institutions, including the French Embassy in India.

2021/07 - 2023/03

Co-Founder & Advisor
The Exploration Company | Mérignac, France

• As co-founder, participated in company structuring, business pitches, fundraising and scale-up.

• Kickstarted the Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) team, performed space missions analysis, gained experience in AGILE project management.

• After 6 months, shifted into an advisory role to focus on independent research on the Indo-French space ecosystem.

• Valued as well in a creative role, charged with design inputs and artistic output.

2017/04 - 2020/12

Systems Engineer (CIFRE PhD)
Safran Electronics & Defense | Eragny-sur-Oise, France

• Pursued an industrial PhD following an internship, studying systems architecture in the aerospace domain.

• Key research topics: Inertial navigation, GNSS signals, delay-Doppler synchronization, Cramér-Rao Bounds, Precise Point Positioning, hybridization algorithms.

• Gained practical experience in management tools in a large company like Safran.

• The research led to 2 journal and 2 conference papers.

• Gained 40h of teaching experience in Master-level courses.

2016/03 – 2016/07

Research intern (Robotics)
Escola Politécnica, University of São Paulo | São Paulo, Brazil

• Studied localization of robots in a Real-Time Indoor Localization System (RTILS), while discovering a new culture.

• Compared Particle and Kalman filter performance, awarded the BRAFITEC research grant.

2015/06 – 2015/07

Software intern (Automation)
CorWave | Paris, France

• First experience in R&D in a startup environment, developing innovative implantable heart pumps.

• Designed an ergonomic interface on LabVIEW to automate labtests for the breakthrough technology.

2025 

Artist
LunARC - Brahmaputra by Sunrise | Mare Crisium, Moon (onboard Blue Ghost I)

• Concept design of a community-based flood resilience system in my homeland, Assam, intersecting the arts with technical solutions towards actionable impact, relevant to the end-user: society.

• Key artwork landed on the Moon in 2025 via the LunARC mission, onboard the Firefly Blue Ghost Lander.

• The concept was a finalist for prestigious grants such as the Lopez-Loreta Foundation (ISAE-Supaéro) and Bertrand Pivin High-Impact Innovation (Ecole polytechnique), as well as gaining recognition by the French Embassy in India.

2022/03 - now

Programme Design
The RiVeins Initiative | Global rivers (starting with India and France)

• Concept design of a community-based flood resilience system in my homeland, Assam, intersecting the arts with technical solutions towards actionable impact, relevant to the end-user: society.

• Key artwork landed on the Moon in 2025 via the LunARC mission, onboard the Firefly Blue Ghost Lander.

• The concept was a finalist for prestigious grants such as the Lopez-Loreta Foundation (ISAE-Supaéro) and Bertrand Pivin High-Impact Innovation (Ecole polytechnique), as well as gaining recognition by the French Embassy in India.

2024/09

Artist & Exhibitor
Antarctic : Polar Opposites | Perth, Australia

• Invited to exhibit photographs taken during my Antarctica visit in November 2023, and to also give a talk on the journey which was broadcast live.

• Visit sponsored by the French Embassy to Australia on a Science grant.

• All artworks sold, money donated to the gallery.

2024/08

Artist & Exhibitor
Illuminated Lies > Priya/nka | Edinburgh Festival Fringe, UK

• Auditory artwork selected for the Illuminated Lies Exhibition (by Medea Creations) for the Edinburgh Fringe.

• Artwork co-developped with Researcher Priya Gandhi, touching on the topics of stereotypes faced as Indian-origin women living abroad for contrasting reasons. 

2023/11

Antarctic Explorer, Artist
Homeward Bound Projects #TeamHB5 | Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica

• Prestigious selective initiative, aimed at increasing the influence and impact of women-in-science in global leadership, with a month-long expedition to Antarctica in Nov 2023.

• Featured in the largest Assamese newspaper via an art-science informative piece on the journey.

• Artwork in progress on the impact of global warming on the ice continent.

2021 - 2022

Artist and Exhibitor
Moon Gallery - Bhédadipika | International Space Station (ISS), Low Earth Orbit (421km) 

• Among 65 artists of a miniature art gallery that flew to space on the NASA NG-17 ISS resupply mission; the artworks orbited the Earth for a year inside the ISS at 421km altitude.

• Gained valuable insight on strategic storytelling in convincing space agencies to send artworks to space.

2021/04

Artist-in-Residence
European Geosciences Union (vEGU21) | Remote / Vienna, Austria

• Among 4 artists-in-residence at the vEGU21 that provided artists and scientists with opportunities to exchange ideas and collaborate on artworks inspired by technical abstracts. 

• Work was highly acclaimed, with collaborations with top scientists including the Early Career Scientist awardee.

2021

Digital Artist and Exhibitor
V-Art Digital #ArtSpaceship | Remote

• Among 21 artists selected for a virtual art gallery and the first European Digital Art Fair (EDAF).

2018 - now

Member, Association promotion
French Women Pilots Association (AFFP) | France

• Gained basic flight experience on ULM and glider.

• Represented AFFP in various events e.g. Wings India 2022.

• Organized talks with pilots and astronauts

• Honoured as the "Marraine de promo 2023" at ELISA Aerospace.

2023 - now

Founding Member | International Relations
Spaceflight Institute | Toulouse, France

• Initiative on building the world's first Commercial Astronaut Certificate program at ISAE-Supaéro

• Involved in developing relations (e.g. with ISRO on the Gaganyaan Program).

2020 - now

Founding member, X-Inde
Polytechnique Alumni Association (AX) | Paris, France

• Started the Indian chapter of the AX focusing on the assistance of students & alumni from India.

• Organised the first X-India meeting,inaugurated by Gerard Mestrallet.

2019 - 2022

Member, PR&Comm team
Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) | France

• Gained experienced in PR&Communication strategies and event management.

• Founded and curated the SGAC Art Gallery, and curated the SGAC Category of Kinéis IoT constellation art call, "Ton Dessin dans l'Espace".

• Founded the SGAC “Our Giant Leap” initiative dedicated towards diversity & inclusion in space, which has now become the successful Diversity and Inclusion group

_Space_

2025  [Artwork] LunARC: Brahmaputra sunrise | Mare Crisium, Moon (Firefly Blue Ghost I)

2023 [Art curation] Kinéis Partner Category - Send your art to Space | Kinéis IoT constellation art call

2022 [Artwork] Moon Gallery: Bhédadipika | International Space Station

2017 [Scientific work] X-CubeSat | QB50 Project, Low Earth Orbit

Africa

2023 [Speaker] Foire d'innovation scientifique et technologique | Fondation Femmes & STEM (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo)

2022 [Speaker] Indigenous Knowledge: Taking Us to the Stars | Nexus Nairobi 2023 (Nairobi, Kenya)

Antarctica

2023 [Scientific work / Artwork] Expedition #5 The Ushuaia | Homeward Bound Projects (Antarctic Peninsula)

Asia

2023 [Podcast] Exploring the role of art in space | NewSpace India Podcast (virtual)

2023 [Interview] Career in Space and Art | Advancing North East, Guwahati, Assam, India 

2022 [Initiative / Artwork] RiVeins Project | Assam, India

2022 [Speaker] TEDx: Hold Onto Your Sketchbooks Even If You Study Science | TEDxKids@NMS (virtual)

2022 [Speaker] Space and Art | Indian Women in Space Conference (virtual)

2021 [Speaker] Benefits and Impact of Space Exploration on the Indian Society | SGIndia (virtual)

2021 [Speaker] Exploring the Moon | Assam down town University (AdtU) - National Science Day Celebration (virtual) 

2021 [Speaker] TEDx: Art and Culture for Successful Space Societies | TEDxSPSGhy

2021 [Speaker] The Importance of Analog Astronaut Missions for Future Human Space Exploration | Nepalese Space Research Association (NESRA) (virtual)

2020 [Speaker] Space Science and Careers | Women Engineers Form of Assam (WEFA) (virtual)

2020 [Interview] Adventure in Antarctica to 'break the ice', forge ties & to grow | OneIndia (virtual)

2020 [Interview] Living in space - Aerospace engineer & artist talks about living her dreams | OneIndia (virtual)

2017 [Speaker] On Pursuing Scientific Careers for Women" | Handique Girls College, Guwahati, Assam, India

Australia

2025 [Speaker] The RiVeins Inititative | International Astronautical Congress (Sydney, USA)

2024 [Business intelligence] French Delegation (representing vorteX-io) | AFAC24 (Sydney, Australia)

2024 [Artwork/exhibition] Polar opposites | The Laneway Artspace (Perth, Australia)

Europe

2025 [Podcast] Episode #24: "Sending art to the Moon" with Dr. Priyanka Rajkakati | Your Friendly Physicist and other Nerds 

2024 [Podcast] Merging Art and Science to Tackle Flood Prediction | Those Space People

2024 [Artwork] Illuminated Lies | Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Edinburgh, UK)

2024 [Speaker] Art & Science | Chamber of Commerce and Industry France India, French Indian Young Talents Program (Paris, France)

2023 [Speaker] Discours de la marraine de la promo 2023 | ELISA Aerospace (Bordeaux, France)

2022 [Art curation] SGAC Art Gallery | SGAC (virtual)

2022 [Speaker] Collective Musings -  Arts, Humanities and Space | Oxford Space Initiative & Karman Project (Oxford, UK)

2022 [Speaker, along with filmmaker Nina E. Schoenefeld] The Artist Speaks Out | ikonoTV (virtual)

2021 [Speaker] AERONAUTIQUE & SPATIAL, une constellation de métiers ? | Women in Leadership, at the Aeroscopia Museum (Toulouse, France)

2021 [Speaker (panel including astronauts)] International Collaboration for Sustainable Space Exploration | Global Space Exploration Conference (St Petersburg, Russia)

2021 [Interview] Journey from India to Space | Indians in France - Toulouse, Gems of India Series (Toulouse, France) 

2021 [Host] Why do we need more women astronauts? | Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC): Our Giant Leap webinar series (virtual)

2021 [Artwork/exhibition] Artist-in-residence| vEGU21 (Vienna, Austria) 

2020 [Host] Shifted Lunar Perspectives, with Barbara Imhof | SGAC Our Giant Leap webinar series (virtual) 

2020 [Speaker] L'art et l'espace | TEDxSaclay Appel à Idées 2020 : Terre, notre vaisseau - 20 selected pitches (Palaiseau, France) 

2019 [Talkshow] "Et si les sciences c'était pour moi ?" | L'Oréal-UNESCO "For Girls in Science", at the City of Science & Industry (Paris, France)

North America

2024 [Business intelligence] Representing vorteX-io | Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Science Team Meeting (Chapel Hill, USA) 

2022 [Speaker] Episode 14: Space Artist Priyanka Rajkakati | Space Prize Speaker Series

2022 [Article] A Space for Art in Space | Journal of Space Philosophy, Kepler Institute (Florida, USA)

2020 [Scientific work / Artwork] EMMIHS-III Astronaut Simulation | HI-SEAS (Hawai'i, USA)

2019 [Scientific work] ESA-Sponsored Students @ IAC 2019 | International Astronautical Congress (Washington DC, USA)

2015 [Scientific work] Team Explorer: EL-DORADO Mission Planning | Caltech Space Challenge (Pasadena, USA)

South America