Aerospace Engineering Student Aayushi Mallik named finalist in Viasat: Space for Good Challenge
Aayushi Mallik, an Aerospace Engineering student at Rutgers, has been selected as a finalist in the national Viasat: Space for Good Challenge, a competition that calls on students to design space-enabled solutions for global sustainability challenges.
Her project, Climalink, explores how small satellite technology can be reimagined to not only observe Earth’s climate but also take action. Drawing from emerging materials and low Earth orbit dynamics, Climalink proposes a new framework for capturing and returning atmospheric carbon in hard-to-reach regions of the planet. While details remain under wraps ahead of the final pitch, the concept offers a bold and infrastructure-light alternative to traditional ground-based carbon removal.
This August, Aayushi will travel to Viasat’s headquarters in Carlsbad, California to present her pitch in the final round. Her work highlights the intersection of aerospace innovation, sustainability, and systems thinking, and reflects the growing impact of Rutgers students on the future of climate and space technology.
