Spotlight: Priyanka Vasu Aviation Week's 20 Twenties Winner 2026

Priyanka Vasu is a 2026 20 Twenties winner and a graduate student at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she earned her Bachelor of Engineering in Aeronautical Engineering from Anna University, Class of 2023, and is completing her M.S. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences, Class of 2026. Her groundbreaking research focuses on protecting astronaut health and performance during critical spaceflight operations.

Vasu develops nonpharmaceutical countermeasures to address astronaut motion sickness during high-stakes landing operations, a challenge that can compromise crew safety and mission success. Funded by NASA's Human Research Program, her work evaluates the effectiveness of visual and anticipatory cues using advanced motion platforms and virtual reality systems to identify interventions that enhance spatial orientation and reduce discomfort without medication. As lead graduate research assistant at BioServe Space Technologies, she supports hardware development for payloads destined for NASA's Lunar Gateway, conducting critical analysis, testing, and integration work that advances deep space exploration capabilities.

Grounded in both rigorous research and mission-driven service, Vasu centers her work on protecting human performance during the most operationally demanding phases of spaceflight, ensuring astronauts can perform at their best when it matters most.

She is committed to advancing human-centered engineering solutions for future exploration missions and aims to develop technologies that enable safe, sustainable human presence beyond Earth.