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Priyanka Dhopade

@drpriaero.bsky.social
392 followers 115 following 39 posts

Aerospace Engineer | Research @ Uni of Auckland & Uni of Oxford | 👩🏽‍🚀 She/her | ssi.org.nz @ssinz.bsky.social

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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
The Conversation AUNZ @aunz.theconversation.com · 05/10/2026
As geopolitical tensions rise, dual-use satellite technology could threaten the many benefits of the space services New Zealand relies on.
theconversation.com
The same satellite can have military and civilian functions. This creates a dilemma for NZ
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Sending you and Ada all our love, Michele. I've been thinking of you lots.
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
George Slim @bureauchem.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
This cause is close to my heart - please sign: our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/e-...
our.actionstation.org.nz
E Tū E Kī: They Don’t Speak for Us - Block the Definition of Woman Bill
The Government is progressing a Bill through Parliament that aims to limit the rights of transgender, non-binary, and intersex New Zealanders in the name of cis women, by defining “man” and “woman” (a...
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Dr Space Junk (Alice Gorman) @drspacejunk.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Could this be my finest moment? '"Your average space billionaire probably doesn't give a rat's arse about future generations," she said'. I'm not sure I was expecting this to be quoted! 🧪
abc.net.au
Mining on the Moon is closer than ever, but challenges remain
A scientist, an engineer, an archaeologist and a lawyer break down some of the physical, environmental, ethical and legal challenges of mining on the Moon.
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Sustainable Space Initiative @ssinz.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
🛰️ Space strategy isn’t just policy, it’s storytelling. Behind growth, security, and innovation sit deeper metaphors shaping how we imagine space. 🧵👇 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.es...
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
The Conversation AUNZ @aunz.theconversation.com · 10/04/2026
NASA’s Artemis II mission has revived lunar ambition – and a potential new race between nations. Very different visions now complicate the human future of space.
theconversation.com
Artemis II: as humans return to the Moon, which of these 4 futures will we choose?
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Earth System Governance Journal @esg-journal.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
🛰️ How do governments shape the future of the #space economy? Ronda Geise & Priyanka Dhopade map 12 national space strategies across 4 scenarios, showing divergent visions from market expansion to sustainability and outlining pathways for more equitable outcomes. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Examining possible future trajectories of global space sectors
Governments have a significant influence in shaping the trajectory of the space industry as investors, operators, regulators and customers. This resea…
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
GREAT IDEA! 💡
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Astro Ecologies @astroecologies.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
On Nov 8, we met at Space Place and online to plant seeds for Te Wānanga o Hina, a gathering for lunar futures across Aotearoa, Australia, Vanuatu, Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. An event in collaboration with Taipōrutu (Māhia), AELA, Te Herenga Waka–VUW & @astroecologies.bsky.social. hinawananga.nz 1/12
Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) coastal landscape at dusk with full moon. The moon rises above the mountains across the harbour.Exterior of Te Ara Whānui ki te Rangi / Space Place at Carter Observatory. The white domed planetarium with a deep blue banner reading “Space Place at Carter Observatory, Travel the southern skies.The in-person group for Te Wānanga o Hina at Space Place, sitting on the grass outside Space Place on a sunny day.
Inside the planetarium, the Te Wānanga o Hina group smiling and waving on the seats beneath the dome, lit by blue light.
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Veronika Meduna @veronikameduna.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
I'm late to this - not unexpected but baffled by the reasoning which seems to disregard cost of inaction. "In its formal reasons for rejecting the commission's advice, the government said it had weighed the benefits of climate action against the economic costs. share.google/xpGmoYeggZtP...
share.google
'Pitiful' decision on emissions targets will cost the country, former climate commissioner says
Critics say the government has placed short-term economic growth ahead of the long-term consequences.
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles @siouxsiew.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
Exciting day today. Not only is it Halloween, but my crowdfunding campaign is also live! Please support me by making a pledge and/or sharing on all your socials and with your friends, family, and colleagues. Thanks to everyone offering rewards. You rock! www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...
pledgeme.co.nz
Support Dr Siouxsie After She Supported Us! | PledgeMe
Support Dr Siouxsie to recover some of the money she spent fighting her legal case to protect employees experiencing online abuse
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Dr Cassandra Steer @cassandrasteer.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
To replace the self-fulfilling prophecy that space is “congested, contested and competitive”, we need a new mantra, one that offers solutions: “Communication, cooperation and collaboration”. Check out my Substack this week and say the mantra with me. open.substack.com/pub/spacecit...
open.substack.com
Communication, Cooperation and Collaboration in Space
Why these words matter
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
Oh that would be amazing! 🚀👩🏼‍🚀🌱
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
Reading this with my 7-month-old 🚀 Told him the astronaut growing plants in space was @sakessans.bsky.social 👩🏼‍🚀
Book cover of How a Rocket Works in association with the UK Space AgencyOther astronauts living in space: one fixing a leak on the international space station and another growing plants in space
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
Hey folks - if you missed it at the Writer's Festival #TheCovidResponse is heading back to Auckland. Join Toby Manhire, @siouxsiew.bsky.social and me to hear about the book and what the future holds at Auckland Uni on August 25 from 6pm (doors open at 5.30) www.bwb.co.nz/events/the-c...
bwb.co.nz
'The Covid Response' by Shaun Hendy - BWB Talks, Auckland! - BWB Bridget Williams Books
Bridget Williams Books invites you to a BWB Talk in Auckland with Shaun Hendy in conversation with Siouxsie Wiles and Toby Manhire, discussing hi...
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
Happy International Moon Day! 🌕👩🏼‍🚀 📸 taken with my 🔭
Photo of the moon against a blue background with labels for "Sea of Tranquility" and "Approx location of Apollo 11 landing site"
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
Spaceportopia now officially has a Wikipedia page! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacepo... P.s. If you haven't read "Astrotopia" by Mary-Jane Rubenstein, I highly recommend it.
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Sustainable Space Initiative @ssinz.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Their comments arise from our latest findings on Aotearoa NZ's aerospace sector and sustainability with @sarahhbickerton.bsky.social & team: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Sustainability within Aotearoa New Zealand’s aerospace sector: current state and implications for the future
Aotearoa New Zealand's rapidly growing aerospace sector is still in its infancy, which presents us with the unique opportunity to incorporate sustainability as a key performance parameter from the ...
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Sustainable Space Initiative @ssinz.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Our members @drpriaero.bsky.social and @catherineq.bsky.social quoted in @thespinoff.bsky.social on NZ's MethaneSat involvement: thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin...
thespinoff.co.nz
What went wrong with MethaneSat – and who should answer for it?
New Zealand’s first publicly funded space mission has ended with a lost satellite and a debate about how we spend our money in space.<br />
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Sustainable Space Initiative @ssinz.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Read the latest paper on successful launch site planning co-authored by our lead @drpriaero.bsky.social 🗞 csps.aerospace.org/papers/space...
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
8/ 🔗 Read the full paper here: csps.aerospace.org/papers/space... 📍Published by the Center for Space Policy & Strategy @ Aerospace Corporation With support from: Sustainable Space Initiative @ University of Auckland #spaceports #spacesustainability #spacestrategy #AotearoaInSpace
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
7/ ✅ Looking offshore? Floating launch/landing platforms could relieve land-use pressures — but they come with serious engineering & cost challenges.
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
6/ ✅ Spaceports don’t succeed in isolation. They need ecosystems: ⚙️ Supporting infrastructure 👩‍🔬 Talent pipelines 📜 Regulation 🤝 Public-private partnerships (NZ is doing some things right here!)
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
5/ ✅ Trust is key. Opaque processes & poor consultation — especially with Indigenous communities — can derail projects before they launch.
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
4/ ✅ Not all spaceports deliver promised benefits. Our US & NZ case studies show failed projections, financial shortfalls & community opposition where stakeholder engagement was weak.
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
3/ ✅ Forecasting launch demand is tricky. Satellite filings often overestimate demand — only a fraction of proposed satellites actually make it to orbit.
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
2/ ✅ Spaceport ambitions must be grounded in practical realities. Launch sites should balance space aspirations with regional economic, environmental & social needs.
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
1/ Successful spaceports need to work not just for rockets — but for people and places, too. 🚀🌏 Excited to share our latest paper on spaceport site selection, co-authored with the brilliant Karen L. Jones & Dr. Lindsay DeMarchi @ Aerospace Corporation + expert contributors from across the sector. 🧵👇
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Michele Bannister @astrokiwi.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
New paper day! In 'Near-future rocket launches could slow ozone recovery', we show that scaling up use of launch vehicles 🚀 has a point where the healing of the ozone layer is affected 🧪🛰️ Open access, free to read & share
rdcu.be
Near-future rocket launches could slow ozone recovery
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science - Near-future rocket launches could slow ozone recovery
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Eva Corlett @evacorlett.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Exclusive: New Zealand government sued over ‘dangerously inadequate’ emissions reduction plan www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
theguardian.com
New Zealand government sued over ‘dangerously inadequate’ emissions reduction plan
Exclusive: In the first legal challenge to the plan, top climate lawyers claim the government relies too heavily on forestry and failed to consult the public
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
This was such an interesting project to supervise and I got to work with the best student 😊 Can't wait to see this work published soon. 🛰🚀🌏
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Sustainable Space Initiative @ssinz.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Why should NZ care about space sustainability? Our research lead @drpriaero.bsky.social introduces our work in this research impact video commissioned by Uni of Auckland. youtu.be/gnI8x2UUR1Q?...
youtu.be
Impact stories | Creating research impact with Dr Priyanka Dhopa
YouTube video by University of Auckland - Website video repository
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Thank you 😘 Sleep is scarce but we're working on it.
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
The start of a new adventure! With our newest crew member of Spaceship Earth, William, who landed on 28th January 2025 🥳
Women holding baby while smiling.
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Reposted by Priyanka Dhopade
Veronika Meduna @veronikameduna.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
From Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa's powerful Waitangi speech: 'When there’s an absence of true leadership, voices that represent comparatively simpler and shallower viewpoints, begin to shine through.' ngaitahu.iwi.nz/connect-2/co...
ngaitahu.iwi.nz
Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa Hui Whakaū I Te Tiriti ki Ōnuku Waitangi Day 2025 Commemoration Speech
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Kate Genevieve @kategenevieve.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
Powerful oral submissions opposing the Treaty Principles Bill this morning - listen live: www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic... (Don’t want to share the photo of Seymour feat. on the RNZ link... so here's a 2017 kōrero w. Moana Jackson on constitutional transformation www.converge.org.nz/pma/mjdec201...)
converge.org.nz
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Sustainable Space Initiative @ssinz.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
Spotlight on our recent analysis: "The intersection of space and sustainability: the need for a transdisciplinary and bi-cultural approach" Space sustainability is a complex issue, & as we watch burning rocket bodies light up the sky, space debris mitigation tends to dominate the discussion. [1/9]
The intersection of space and sustainability: the need for a transdisciplinary and bi-cultural approach
C. Varughese, L. Henry, A. Morris, S.H. Bickerton, N. Rattenbury, C. Mankelow, A. Gorman, S. Katavich-Barton, P. Dhopade. 
Acta Astronautica, 2023
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Dr Michelle LaRue @drmichellelarue.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
🧪🌎
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
Comfort watching Contact 🌌🛸
media.tenor.com
Poet Jodie Foster GIF
Alt: Jodie Foster in the film Contact looking to outer space while saying "It's so beautiful. They should've sent a poet."
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Dr Space Junk (Alice Gorman) @drspacejunk.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
'In 1956, the National Science Foundation even published an article with the title: “Women are NOT for Engineering.” 🧪
theconversation.com
Pearl Young, the first woman to work in a technical role at NASA, overcame barriers and ‘raised hell’ − her legacy continues today
Many of her male colleagues believed Pearl Young had an attitude problem based on her efforts to advocate for herself and her team.
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Sustainable Space Initiative @ssinz.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Welcome to the Sustainable Space Initiative! We are a multidisciplinary research initiative, formed in 2022, hosted by the University of Auckland. Our work takes a holistic approach to space sustainability across four main areas: systems thinking, policy, public engagement and technical solutions.
A schematic with four arrows around a circular logo: Systems thinking, Policy & incentives, Partnerships & public engagement, Engineering solutions.
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Laurie Winkless @lauriewinkless.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
Submissions for the Regulatory Standards Bill close at 11.59pm TONIGHT, friends. Have you made a submission? Here are some tips / useful resources - the @etangata.bsky.social article below is a great start too #kikorangi
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CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @rami.spaceaustralia.com · 29/12/2024
This is a long, in-depth read into the troubling issues that have emerged in an extreme environment here on Earth: Antarctica. Issues that require resolution, and a huge shift in behaviours/cultures. Imagine wanting to send people to Mars (even for exploration) without resolving these issues. 🔭🧪
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Raphael Viscarra Rossel @ravr19.bsky.social · 26/12/2024
Good piece by @natureportfolio.bsky.social. The erosion of thinking time—driven by admin, bureaucracy, industry agendas, and unrealistic output targets—stifles curiosity-led science. These pressures undermine innovation and the intellectual freedom vital for real progress. 🧪🌱🌍 #ScienceIsNotBusiness
Scientists need more time to think
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 25/12/2024
Merry Christmas if you celebrate and ngā mihi o te wā! Painting practice this holiday based on a gouache artist's work I really love (Sharon Shock)
Painting of a seascape with boats in the foreground, clouds illuminated by the sun rising behind them and a dark landmass. Blue sky and sea, with the sunlight reflected on the water.
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Dr Space Junk (Alice Gorman) @drspacejunk.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
What if space junk could tell its own story? 📚💙🪐🧪
theconversation.com
Space junk comes to life in Ceridwen Dovey’s aching and profound tales of fallen astronauts
The intriguing stories in Ceridwen Dovey’s Only the Astronauts bring obscure historical footnotes to life.
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Dr. Rihana S Mason @drrihana.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
Helpful explanation for types of “disciplinary” research. How difficult has it been for anyone to publish their -inter or -trans disciplinary research #academicsky #booksky #psychology
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Dr Space Junk (Alice Gorman) @drspacejunk.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
The Vancouver Recommendations on Space Mining: to help ensure that space mining, wherever and whenever it takes place, does so in a safe and sustainable manner. 🧪🪐
outerspaceinstitute.ca
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Priyanka Dhopade @drpriaero.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Final push to finish one last research paper for 2024! Note to self, work with co-authors who are actually willing to write and finish sections on time, not just leave unfinished thoughts all over the manuscript 🙃 Wish me strength 🙏🏽
media.tenor.com
a cartoon drawing of a person using a laptop with the words write written around them
ALT: a cartoon drawing of a person using a laptop with the words write written around them
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Dr Lucy Stewart @lcsnz.bsky.social · 15/12/2024
Obviously I come at this from the science perspective foremost and in that light this analysis is so on point - there is huge opportunity to build lasting alliances in the face of everything happening...if we can avoid the temptation to see science/research as special or unfairly targeted.
e-tangata.co.nz
We underestimated the scale of the attack | E-Tangata
“While we underestimated the coalition’s willingness to sacrifice life for profit, we also believe that the government has underestimated how potent a coalition of shared interests to defend Te Tiriti...
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