Hriday Unadkat

Aerospace engineering, law, and the systems in between

• Launched my first rocket at 15 and first experiment to space at 17.
• Collaborated with the NASA GeneLab Research group as a high school intern, with research published at ASGSR.
• Worked on the Starlink thermal engineering team at SpaceX, as a sophomore in college.
• Former Team Lead for Princeton SpaceShot, a two-stage rocketry initiative that taught me the principles of rocket design, hiring, fundraising, and regulatory compliance.
• Authored the first space law review paper published by the Princeton Legal Journal, later featured in a congressional research report. Now writing for my own newsletter, Horizon Highlights, reaching more than 400,000 readers.
• Designed the first bat-inspired robotic wing at Princeton University for my undergraduate senior thesis with the Bioinspired Adaptive Morphology Lab.
• Recently graduated from Princeton University with a dual degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, a minor in Robotics, and a fellowship with the law program.
• Most recently, served as the second regulations hire on the policy team at Reflect Orbital, supporting FCC licensing and launch authorization preparedness.
• Currently building my own startup now.