Prof. Paulo Lozano

Paulo Lozano is the M. Aleman-Velasco Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Director of the Space Propulsion Laboratory and Faculty Director of the MIT-Mexico Program. His main interests are plasma physics, space propulsion, ion beam physics, small satellites and nanotechnology. His research features the development of highly efficient and compact ion thrusters for applications in space systems, including pico- and nano-satellites. He received the Young Investigator Program Award from the US Air Force for his work on micro-propulsion and the “Future-Mind” award from Quo Science Magazine and the Discovery Channel. Dr. Lozano’s research has been sponsored by NASA, DARPA, AFOSR, AFRL, NSF and other government and private sources. He has received the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award for his contributions to the research experience of undergraduate students at MIT. Dr. Lozano has developed 10 patents and published over 100 conference and journal publications and has delivered over 40 invited talk presentations on his work. He serves as Technical Area Editor for the Journal of Small Satellites and is a Technical Adviser of Accion Systems, a spinoff of MIT’s Space Propulsion Laboratory. He teaches subjects in space and rocket propulsion, fluid mechanics and plasma physics. Dr. Lozano is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and member of the American Physical Society (APS) and of the Electric Rocket Propulsion Society (ERPS). He was awarded the 2016 AIAA’s Technical Achievement Award for his contributions to ion electrospray propulsion and has served as a member on several study committees of the National Research Council at the National Academies, including the Asteroid Threat Mitigation, NASA Technology Roadmaps and Achieving Scientific Goals with CubeSats. Prof. Lozano earned his SM in Aeronautics and Astronautics and PhD degree in Space Propulsion from MIT.