Mishaal Ashemimry is an aerospace engineer, aerospace entrepreneur, commercial pilot, speaker, and influencer. She is the first female aerospace engineer in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Ashemimry is a consultant in her field and was a professor at the University of Miami Mechanical and Aerospace Department. Currently, Ashemimry is the Managing Director for the Center for Space Futures, a collaboration between the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Saudi Space Agency (SSA), which is part of the WEF Centers for the 4th Industrial Revolution (C4IR) network. She is also an International Astronautical Federation Vice President for Diversity Initiatives. Previously, she was a special advisor to the CEO of the Saudi Space Agency with a strong focus on developing Saudi’s role in the global space market. Prior to joining the Saudi Space Agency, Ashemimry was a Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion Consultant for Northrop Grumman in the US. Moreover, she is living her passion everyday by educating and inspiring others through conferences, webinars, and her social media channels. While based in Miami, Florida, she founded MISHAAL Aerospace at age 26, to pursue her ultimate dream of building rockets. Her company’s objective was to design and build their own rockets to launch small satellites (500 kg) or less to Low Earth Orbit. Previously, she worked for Raytheon Missile Systems’ Aerodynamics Department and contributed to twenty-two different rocket programs. Her professional experience and areas of expertise include aerodynamics, wind tunnel testing, vehicle design, predictive simulation and analysis and rocket stage-separation analysis, with a strong focus on computational tool development.
She earned a Master of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, and two Bachelor of Science Degrees in Aerospace Engineering and in Applied Mathematics, also from Florida Institute of Technology. Her academic focus included: experimental and analytical aerodynamics, rocket design and nuclear thermal propulsion.
