2/1/2023 Julia Park
Written by Julia Park
Mechanical engineering senior Justin Kao was selected to the 2023 class of the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program for aspiring space industry leaders.
Kao was one of just 30 undergraduate and graduate students – from among more than 250 applicants – selected to participate in the summer internship and executive mentorship program for the next generation of commercial spaceflight leaders. Applicants were chosen for their academic excellence, relevant experience, and a demonstrated passion for innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercial space.
Now in its sixth year, the highly selective program awards exceptional college juniors, seniors, and graduate students pursuing aerospace careers with paid internships at cutting-edge commercial space companies. Fellows also receive one-on-one mentorship from accomplished members of the space community, including astronauts, engineers, entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and others. The program also includes a summit during which the Fellows learn about space start-ups, network with top industry leaders, and develop entrepreneurial skills. Kao’s host this summer will be Relativity Space.
He has had extensive experience in the aerospace world, including internships at Stoke Space Technologies, United Launch Alliance, NASA Johnson Space Center, and Boeing, and an undergraduate research position in the CHESS Center at Illinois. He is also a two-time recipient of an Astronaut Scholar award from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. He is a previous captain of the Eco Illini Supermileage team.
Kao told the Isakowitz Fellowship Program that he is passionate about enabling meaningful, positive change through developing key space technologies. He dreams to one day play a key role in contributing to a sustainable, highly productive space economy that benefits humankind. In his free time, he enjoys exploring the world as a solo traveler, as a scuba diver, and as a hiker.