Emma Louden is an astrophysicist, strategist, and speaker. Raised in Park City, UT, she spent many nights outside looking up at the Milky Way through the crisp and clear mountain air. After falling in love with the NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity, Emma’s astrophysics pathway took off quickly. Since then, Emma has attended the Summer Science Program, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Princeton University, and been selected as a Brooke Owens Fellow and a Quad Fellow. As a fourth-year astrophysics Ph.D. candidate at Yale University, Emma studies the geometry of exoplanetary systems. Emma uses the thinking spurred by this inquiry to help humanity develop a consciousness that puts the Earth in context and advances space exploration for the common good.

Her unique interests lie at the intersection of the space industry and astrophysics. Emma’s objective is to lead the creation of strategic programs, policies, and practices that guarantee that the next stage of astrophysics is grounded in proactive thinking and partnership with industry. This is a core principle that underpins her involvement in the space community and her research. Emma is developing a predictive model of the effects of satellite constellations based on planned launches that focuses on the impact on NASA’s astrophysics goals as well as a ranking metric to evaluate the impact of satellites on astronomical cases based on three key factors: threat level, timescale, and significance to the community.

Emma also is a part-time analyst at BryceTech and a contributor to Metaculus. She co-founded the Ask-A-Brookie Mentorship program and serves on the American Astronomical Society Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy. Emma is deeply committed to sharing her passion for astronomy to spark curiosity and excitement in future scientists, especially minorities in STEM. She serves as a Young Professional Mentor for the Zed Factor Fellowship and a lead for the SSP Connect mentorship program for alumni of the Summer Science Program. Her expertise has been featured in talks at TEDx, Yale Law School, NPR, and the Jasper Dark Sky Festival. She was named one of the STEM Reinventors of the Year for 2021. As a sought-after speaker, Emma travels around the world as a steward of the story of the next phase of space exploration, empowering the next generation of students in STEM and connecting the public to the transformative power of space exploration.