Aerospace Engineering student Emma Nicolai has received a prestigious Emergent Ventures grant and secured a place to study MSc Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University, California.

One of Emma’s lecturers, Dr Angadh Nanjangud, encouraged her to apply for the grant after she received her Stanford offer. The funding will support her research in space sustainability, focusing on tackling space debris through in-orbit remanufacturing.

Emma’s current third-year research project involves designing a system that captures space debris and remanufactures it into usable parts in orbit.

“I’ll be heading to Stanford because I believe it’s the best place to make this vision a reality,” said Emma. “I’m excited to learn from professors like Debbie Senesky, Marco Pavone, and Simone D’Amico, and to immerse myself in Stanford’s startup-driven environment.”

“I’m very grateful to Emergent Ventures for investing in my work in space technology. My goal is to help lay the foundations for a more sustainable future in orbit, and I can’t wait to continue that journey surrounded by researchers and innovators pushing the boundaries of what’s possible,” she added.

Emma’s achievements highlight the variety of non-traditional funding routes available to high-performing students and the supportive guidance of our academics. As founder of Queen Mary Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (QMSEDS), she has won multiple awards and led the society to many competition victories in under two years.

Emma's story gained international attention when it was featured on Tyler Cowen’s widely-read blog, reaching some of the most influential people in the world. “Such publicity is a strong predictor of long-term positive outcomes for students like Emma,” noted Dr Nanjangud.