Shiki Mahesh Devan

Hey everyone, Shiki here! You've probably seen me geeking out over orbital mechanics at meetings or trying to convince people that trajectory optimization is actually fun. I've spent the past year as Orbital Mechanics Team Lead, and it's been incredible watching our team grow from napkin sketches of escape trajectories to actual mission design work.

Now I'm running for CubeSat Mission Commander because Svarog is at a really exciting inflection point. We've got brilliant people doing amazing work in mechanical, electronics, and orbital mechanics, but we're all kind of doing our own thing in separate corners. My main goal is to change that. I want us to be one unified team building something extraordinary, not many groups working on the same satellite. That means more inter-team collaboration, shared experiences, and honestly, more fun tackling challenges that span across disciplines.

The other big thing I'm passionate about is getting us ready for an actual LEO launch. There's a gap between where we are and what we need to be launch-ready. I want to bridge that by making sure our work meets real mission standards and that every team understands how their piece fits into the mission.

I also really want to focus on publications and getting newcomers involved in academic work. Everyone who joins Svarog should have the opportunity to contribute to papers and have something tangible to point to. Academic work shouldn't be gatekept by seniority.

I genuinely love this project and excited about where we can take it together!