Sahba El-Shawa is the Founder and Executive Director of the Jordan Space Research Initiative, which bridges sustainable development with space exploration through analog research and fosters educational space outreach in Jordan. She also founded and leads the Palestine Space Institute, a think tank and policy research hub devoted to decoupling space from the military-industrial complex and advocating for social justice.

Her educational background includes a BASc in Mechanical Engineering, an MSc in Space Studies, and a PhD in Sustainable Development and Climate Change. During her studies, Sahba worked with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) on robotics research and trained as a Systems Engineer at the European Space Agency’s Clean Space initiative focusing on the environmental impacts of space activities.Eng. El-Shawa is the first Jordanian and the first female Palestinian analog astronaut. She has received several prestigious awards, including the International Astronautical Federation’s Emerging Space Leaders Award in 2023, the Space Generation Leadership Award in 2022, and the Women in Aerospace Europe Award in 2021. Through her interdisciplinary research and pioneering efforts, Sahba is committed to fostering a more ethical, equitable, and sustainable future - both on Earth and in space.