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Dr. Anita Sengupta

CEO/Founder 

Hydroplane Ltd

Dr. Anita Sengupta is an aerospace engineer, commercial pilot, rocket scientist, and veteran of the space program. She has developed technologies that have enabled the exploration of Mars, asteroids, and deep space for 20 years. Her career began with launch vehicles and communication satellites at Boeing Space and Communications. She then worked for NASA for 16 years, where her engineering projects included her PhD research developing the ion propulsion system for the Dawn Mission to the main asteroid belt, the supersonic parachute that landed the Curiosity rover on Mars, and the Cold Atom Laboratory, an atomic physics facility onboard the International Space Station.

After leaving NASA, she moved into the high-tech transportation sector and led the development of the Hyperloop as Senior Vice President of Systems Engineering at Virgin Hyperloop, a ground-based transportation system that operates under vacuum at jet aircraft speeds.

Her most recent venture is as CEO of Hydroplane Ltd., which she founded in 2020. Hydroplane Ltd. is developing hydrogen fuel cell power plant technology for carbon-emission-free aviation and heavy-duty transport and logistics electrification. Hydroplane is an awardee of two prestigious U.S. Air Force Agility Prime contracts and a California Energy Commission grant to develop a novel hydrogen fuel cell power plant for a range of commercial and governmental transport use cases; a Navy contested logistics program contract to develop it for ground power; was an Army xTech 8 winner for Hydrogen-Powered Electric Propulsion for rotorcraft; a winner on an Army xTech 8 contract; and was most recently named a finalist in the Army xTech Humanoid competition. In 2022, she was inducted into the Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Hall of Fame at CES. In 2023, she was awarded the Stinson Trophy by the National Aeronautics Association for her contributions to the field of aerospace. In 2025, she received the USPAAC SheRoes Trailblazer Award. Hydroplane was named Innovation Company of the Year by the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency in 2023, Titan Innovation Company by Women and Drones, and a Top Company for Women, by Women and Drones..

Dr. Sengupta is also a Research Professor of Astronautical Engineering at the University of Southern California, where she specializes in technologies for the human exploration of Mars and Earth re-entry vehicles.

Dr. Sengupta received her MS and PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California. In her spare time, she is an avid mountain biker, sport motorcyclist, advanced open water scuba diver, professional public speaker, and science communicator.@Doctor_Astro

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