BusinessPayload Pioneers 2023

Payload Pioneers 2023: Apoorva Nori

Data collected in orbit is only as good as the systems to quickly downlink the information to Earth. That’s where Apoorva Nori comes in as a technical product manager at Microsoft’s Azure Space, working to connect satellite operators to the cloud. 

“One of my key areas of focus is enhancing the speed and security of space data transfer,” the 25-year-old said. “The innovative approaches I have worked on for space data transfer have had positive impacts on industry standards and have empowered satellite operators worldwide to achieve more with fewer resources.”

How she got here: Nori got started in the space industry with an internship at Microsoft’s Azure Orbital. After graduating from NYU, she rejoined the Azure space team to work on developing cloud services specifically designed for the space industry, including the company’s Azure Orbital Ground Station program.

Helping the next generation: Nori mentors underrepresented students at George Mason University and the University of Maryland who are working on space and computing. She also is part of the Women+ of Strategic Missions and Technologies Mentoring Circle at Microsoft.

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