Polina Verkhovodova selected into the inaugural class of Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholars.
Polina Verkhovodova is headed to Washington, D.C. this summer to intern at Voyage Technologies and will receive $1,000 as a part of the 2025 Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholarship (MCCS), a scholarship that recognizes and supports promising students in the aerospace industry.
The AE doctoral student is one of 10 students selected for the program, which also provides professional networking opportunities and an executive speaker series to connect students with accomplished members of the space community.
“I am looking forward to a policy-focused internship through which I will learn how commercial space industry fits in the regulatory ecosystem in Washington, D.C.,” said Verkhovodova. “I want to gain more practical experience in this realm to learn how policy will shape the industry.”
The Portland, Oregon native studied at Caltech, receiving her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2022. She knew she wanted to study aerospace engineering as an undergraduate after she had the opportunity to compete in the NASA Big Idea Challenge, which had teams design and develop a lunar dust mitigation solution.
Polina Verkhovodova
It was an area she didn’t have any direct experience in, but it broadened her technical and leadership skills enough to solidify her commitment to pursue aerospace engineering.
I chose to pursue a Ph.D. at Georgia Tech because their aerospace program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to creating innovative technologies, which I appreciate. Here, I have built a strong theoretical foundation in optimization, control theory, and astrodynamics, but have also had the chance to explore other interesting fields such as space policy,” said Verkhovodova.
She conducts research in the Space Systems Design Lab (SSDL) with Professor Koki Ho, studying the logistics of novel In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) infrastructures that provide service to satellites in space.
This research is critical to the public as space systems remain the only complex engineering infrastructure without regular maintenance, repair, and upgrade capabilities. Her work contributes to changing the paradigm of how engineers design and use space systems with reliability and sustainability in mind.
“I am grateful for my advisor, Dr. Koki Ho, who has always been incredibly supportive throughout my education. I would also like to give a shout-out to Dr. Thomas González Roberts, who encouraged me to explore the field of space policy, both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Verkhovodova.
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