Vice President Kamala Harris Names Rajeev Badyal to National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group

Vice President Kamala Devi Harris, chair of the National Space Council, has named Indian American Rajeev Badyal of Seattle, Washington, to a roster of 30 members to serve on its Users Advisory Group (UAG). The UAG will provide the National Space Council “advice and recommendations on matters related to space policy and strategy, including but not limited to, government policies, laws, regulations, treaties, international instruments, programs, and practices across the civil, commercial, international, and national security space sectors,” according to a White House announcement.

The new members “represent a cross-section of companies and organizations that support the United States’ large and highly skilled space workforce; users of space services, including climate scientists and agriculture providers; individuals focused on developing the next generation of space professionals; and leading experts in space,” read the announcement. The members are currently awaiting their official appointment by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

Badyal, vice president of Technology at Amazon currently leads Project Kuiper, “a long-term initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world,” according to his LinkedIn profile.
Before joining Amazon, he was vice president of Satellites at SpaceX. Before that, he worked at Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. He has a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Oregon State University.