On this episode of On Orbit, we welcome the grand prize winner of the 2022 Startup Space entrepreneur pitch contest, Dr. Luisa Buinhas. She is the co-founder of Vyoma Space, a space debris mitigation technology company based in Germany. With a background in aerospace engineering specialized in space mission design and maneuver optimization, Buinhas leads the development of Vyoma’s space program in its ambition to become a trusted partner in protecting satellite operators and space-faring nations from dangerous debris.

To accomplish this, Vyoma is building a constellation of space debris tracking satellites equipped with sensor systems and on-board optical cameras that can observe debris up close and personal in space. The satellites also have an on-board global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver that allows companies to determine the orbit of observed space debris.

During this interview, Dr. Buinhas and I discuss the origin of Vyoma and how its intelligent algorithms and software solutions work. She explains how she prepared to go up against a very competitive field of entrepreneurs at  Startup Space and how she is preparing for the potentially life-changing 30-minute pitch call with investors that she won as a grand prize. Buinhas also shares some valuable advice on establishing short- and long-term goals, hiring, and finding the right investors for new startups.