Manel Caballero-Pérez

I am a spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GNC) Engineer working at Astranis in San Francisco, USA. 

My background is in aerospace engineering, and I completed my PhD in electric propulsion in 2026. My research focused on electrosprays for space propulsion, combining both experimental and theoretical work. I found a method improve the specific impulse in capillary electrosprays by a large factor, and I derived physical performance ceilings in specific impulse and efficiency for electrospray propulsion.

During my undergrad, I co-founded Cosmic Research, a student team that designs and manufactures sounding rockets. I led the development of a 10 kN solid rocket motor and several smaller motors. I also authored a free, 10-hour course on the design of sounding rockets, focusing on aerodynamics and stability.

In 2019 and 2020, I interned at the European Space Agency (ESA), working on plasma thrusters, and briefly worked at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), where I was involved in mission analysis and trajectory design.