Kavya Manyapu
{{Short description|Indian–American engineer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kavya K.Manyapu
| birth_place = India
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date |28 |2016|05|26}}
| alma_mater = Georgia Tech (BS)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS)
University of North Dakota (Ph.D)
| employer = NASA
}}
Kavya K. Manyapu is an Indian–American aerospace engineer and space scientist. She currently works at NASA in the Extravehicular Branch for Lunar Exploration missions (Artemis program) within the Flight Operations Directorate at JSC. She was part of the Boeing team that developed the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for nearly 10 years. She developed a novel technology for self-cleaning space suits that uses carbon nanotubes to repel dust for use in future lunar and Mars missions.
Early life and career
Manyapu grew up in Hyderabad, India.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/one-giant-leap-for-the-skies/article5587370.ece|title=One giant leap for the skies|last=Reddy|first=R. Ravikanth|date=2014-01-17|work=The Hindu|access-date=2019-11-07|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}} When she was 16, her family moved to the United States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.airspacemag.com/space/taxi-to-the-space-station-261647/|title=Should the chief builder of the International Space Station be the company that offers taxi service there? Boeing thinks so.|website=Air & Space Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-11-07}} She received a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2006 and a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT in 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://alum.mit.edu/slice/these-engineers-starliners-crew-top-priority|title=For These Engineers, Starliner's Crew Is Top Priority|website=alum.mit.edu|date=11 October 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-11-07}}{{Cite web|url=https://aero.und.edu/space/faculty-and-staff/kavya-manyapu.html|title=Kavya Manyapu {{!}} Department of Space Studies|website=aero.und.edu|language=en|access-date=2019-11-07|archive-date=2019-11-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107201239/https://aero.und.edu/space/faculty-and-staff/kavya-manyapu.html|url-status=dead}} She also holds a Diploma in performing arts (Bharatanatyam) from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University. She served as a crew member on multiple Analog/simulated Mars Missions. She joined Boeing in 2005 as an intern and since 2010 she has been working on the CST-100 Starliner, a spacecraft that would transport crew to the ISS. She held multiple roles in this project, including Spacesuit Lead, Flight Test Engineer, Flight Crew Operations and Flight Test Director.
She received her PhD in 2017 under the supervision of Pablo de León, becoming the first ever PhD graduate in space studies at the University of North Dakota.{{Cite web|url=https://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Fabric-from-UND-developed-spacesuit-to-spend-year-in-space-508816551.html|title=Fabric from UND-developed space suit to spend year in space|last=KVLY|website=www.valleynewslive.com|date=19 April 2019 |language=english|access-date=2019-11-07}} During her doctoral studies, she developed patented novel technology, a smart fabric for planetary space suits to address the problem of lunar dust that proved to be a major issue during Apollo missions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2189658-self-cleaning-spacesuits-could-help-astronauts-cope-with-martian-dust/|title=Self-cleaning spacesuits could help astronauts cope with Martian dust|last=|first=|date=|website=www.newscientist.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-07}} The fabric contains carbon nanotubes, which repel dust when an electric current is applied to them.{{Cite web|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Self-cleaning-space-suit-could-help-NASA-13799258.php|title=Self-cleaning space suit could help NASA astronauts avoid harmful dust on moon, Mars|last=Stuckey|first=Alex|date=2019-04-26|website=HoustonChronicle.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-07}} She holds eight patents on this technology. Early-generation pieces of this fabric were launched into space for testing in April 2019 Manyapu became an adjunct professor of the Space Studies Department at the University of North Dakota in 2019.
Manyapu has received a number of awards for her work. In 2014, she received the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Stellar Award.{{Cite web |date=2014-04-24 |title=2014 RNASA Stellar Award winners announced |url=https://www.chron.com/life/health/article/2014-RNASA-Stellar-Award-winners-announced-9888977.php |access-date=2019-11-07 |website=Houston Chronicle}} In 2016, she was one of nine people who won a Future Space Leader award.{{Cite web |title=2016 Future Space Leaders {{!}} Iaf |url=http://www.iafastro.org/2016-future-space-leaders/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107203511/http://www.iafastro.org/2016-future-space-leaders/ |archive-date=2019-11-07 |access-date=2019-11-07 |website=www.iafastro.org}} She was listed in 40 under 40 by Georgia State University in 2020 and in 2022 recognized as 40 under 40 by Georgia Institute of Technology {{Cite web |title=Five AE School Alumni Make the 40 Under 40 List | Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering | date=19 July 2022 |url=https://ae.gatech.edu/news/2022/07/five-school-aerospace-alumni-make-40-under-40-list#:~:text=Kavya%20Manyapu%20serves%20as%20a,Boeing%20CST%2D100%20Starliner%20program.}}
Personal life
Manyapu is a certified scuba diver and has a pilot's license.{{Cite web|url=https://www.boeing.com/features/2013/08/bds-cst100-08-12-13.page|title=Astronaut Dreams|last=Boeing|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-07}} She is also an Indian classical dancer and received an award from the President of India and title 'Balashree' for excellence in performing arts. She is an amateur mountaineer and avid hiker. {{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/14/sport/project-shakthi-virgin-peak-nasa-everest-spt-intl/index.html |title=Conquering the unknown so others can be educated |website=CNN |date=14 November 2022 }}{{Cite web |title=Kavya Manyapu |url=https://ae.gatech.edu/directory/person/kavya-manyapu |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=ae.gatech.edu |language=en}}
Selected publications
- {{cite journal | last = Manyapu | first = Kavya K. | display-authors = et al. | doi = 10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.05.005| title = Proof of concept demonstration of novel technologies for lunar spacesuit dust mitigation | journal = Acta Astronautica | volume =137 | year = 2017 | pages = 472–481| bibcode = 2017AcAau.137..472M }}
- {{cite journal | last1 = Manyapu | first1 = Kavya K. | first2 = Leora | last2 = Peltz| first3 = Pablo | last3 = De Leon | doi = 10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.12.019| title = Self-cleaning spacesuits for future planetary missions using carbon nanotube technology | journal = Acta Astronautica | volume = 157 | year = 2019 | pages = 134–144| bibcode = 2019AcAau.157..134M | s2cid = 115525594 }}
References
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Category:Year of birth uncertain
Category:Indian aerospace engineers
Category:University of North Dakota faculty
Category:MIT School of Engineering alumni
Category:Indian women engineers
Category:American aerospace engineers
Category:American women engineers
Category:American women academics
Category:21st-century American women
Category:University of North Dakota alumni