Secure World Foundation at IAC 2026

Seoyeon Kim is a master’s student at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies at Waseda University in Japan. Her research focuses on international space law and space security, particularly the legal implications of rendezvous and proximity operations and the prohibition of the threat or use of force in outer space. At the 2026 International Astronautical Congress, she will present in the Young Scholars Session, where she will share research examining how observable satellite behavior may inform the legal assessment of potentially coercive space activities. She hopes to continue contributing to the development of international law and policy for the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space.

Paola Zamudio Torres is a Mexican lawyer specializing in international and space law, with a particular focus on space governance, international cooperation, and emerging technologies. She currently serves as the National Point of Contact for Mexico at the Space Generation Advisory Council and as a Legal Affairs Consultant, advising organizations on legal research, governance, international partnerships, and regulatory matters. She also serves on the Advisory Board of She Orbits, where she leads the Space Law Program and promotes accessible education in international space law.

Paola has conducted legal and policy research with organizations including the Mexican Space Agency, AstroAid Foundation, and the Space Court Foundation, and has presented her research at international conferences, including the International Astronautical Congress. Her work focuses on international space governance, regulatory frameworks for commercial space activities, and fostering greater participation from Latin America in the global space ecosystem. Through her research, teaching, and international collaborations, she is committed to advancing responsible, sustainable, and inclusive space governance.

Fazira Huwaidaa is currently completing a Master’s degree in Space Science and Technology at University College Dublin, focusing on space systems engineering, space debris dynamics, and the atmospheric impact of orbital activity. She co-leads the Space Generation Advisory Council’s Clean Space Initiative, connecting debris modelling to space sustainability.

She currently works as a research intern at GISTDA, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency in Thailand, where she investigates how geomagnetic storms affect satellite drag and orbital decay. Her research has centered on space weather and space sustainability, and she aims to continue working in this field.

Jagriti Luitel is a Nepal-born space researcher and communicator working at the intersection of human spaceflight, disaster resilience, and emerging space ecosystems. She recently graduated with distinction from the University of New Brunswick in Canada, where she pursued interdisciplinary studies spanning media, computer science, and mechanical engineering.

Her experience includes spacecraft engineering at the Canadian Space Agency, satellite systems and product marketing at Wyvern, and space policy and innovation research at the Aurelia Institute. Her interest in space was deeply shaped by the 2015 Nepal earthquake, which led to her long-term focus on how space technologies can strengthen societal resilience and expand access to the benefits of space in developing countries.

In 2026, Jagriti was selected to present her research at the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya and to participate in the Next Generation Plenary on emerging space nations. She is also an advisor to SEDS-Nepal and is committed to broadening conversations around who gets to participate in humanity’s future in space.

Katerina Fialova is from the Czech Republic and studied Physics at New York University Abu Dhabi, where she specialized in Astrophysics and co-authored the first Atlas of Mars in the Middle East. She conducted research on space debris impacts with the Space Economy Evolution Lab in Italy and reported on commercial space incentives for New York State at Empire Space. She also served as Head of Technology for the China-Gulf Forum, where she organized a panel on space cooperation between China and the Gulf.

She is currently finishing a Master of Law in China Studies at Peking University’s Yenching Academy, where her thesis examines sustainability obligations of commercial satellite operators in China. Her research interest is focused on structural inclusivity and sustainability in space governance.

Raoul Cardellini Leipertz is a doctoral researcher in Defence and Security Studies at the School of Advanced Defence Studies and a Visiting Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for Humanity and Space, University of Leicester. Their research examines the nuclear-space nexus, focusing on space security, arms control, escalation risks and international law. They also address diversity, equity and inclusion in the space sector, particularly barriers to space-law education and equitable participation in space activities.

They hold degrees spanning air and space law, international relations and politics, space institutions and policies, European legal studies and law. They have undertaken research at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Leiden University, KU Leuven and Freie Universität Berlin, receiving competitive support from COST, Leiden University, the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency.

Their work has appeared in international outlets, such as Articles of War, and they are a regular contributor to SpaceWatch.Global, where they write the column “Space, Unromanced”. They have presented extensively at international conferences and workshops. At IAC 2026, their paper “From Space Interference to Nuclear Escalation: Strategic Stability Risks and Mitigation Pathways in the Golden Dome Era” will open the session “Mitigating Threatening Actions in Orbit: How to Enhance and Strengthen Space Security,” part of the IAF Symposium on Space Security, Stability and Sustainability of Space Activities.