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Sahba El-Shawa is a Jordanian-Canadian interdisciplinary researcher and social entrepreneur originally from Palestine. She is the Founder of the Jordan Space Research Initiative (JSRI), which aims to bridge sustainable development with space exploration and establish an analogue research facility in Jordan. Sahba holds several roles in the Space Generation Advisory Council, including National Point of Contact for Jordan, as well as Co-Lead of the Ethics & Human Rights project group and the Space for Climate Action policy division. She is also a National Coordinator in the Moon Village Association and its Participation of Emerging Space Countries program, as well as the Implementation Support Officer for its Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA). Sahba has won numerous awards, including the Space Generation Leadership Award and the Women in Aerospace Europe Young Professional Award.

Sahba holds a BASc in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Space Studies and is currently pursuing her PhD in Sustainable Development and Climate Change. Her PhD research centers around the neuropsychological basis of the Overview Effect and how making it more accessible using Virtual Reality can help drive sustainability on Earth. During her studies, she collaborated with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) on robotics research and completed an internship at the European Space Agency’s Clean Space initiative focusing on the environmental impacts of space activities. Sahba is a vocal advocate for decoupling defense and space.

She is committed to creating opportunities for underrepresented communities and helping guide the industry towards a more equitable, ethical, and sustainable future.