Meet our members:
Dr. Andrea Cabello
Manager
Dr. Cabello holds a PhD in Economics and is a professor and researcher specializing in applied economics, public policy, and economic development. Her work spans teaching, research, and outreach, with active involvement in projects and research groups focused on economic analysis and development dynamics.She has published in Brazilian and international journals and presented at academic conferences, and has extensive experience teaching and mentoring students at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Her work focuses on the intersections of economics, public policy, and development, contributing to both academic and policy-oriented debates.
Dr. Michele Melo
Manager
Dr. Melo holds a PhD in Economics and works at the intersection of industrial policy, economics, and the space sector. She currently serves as Coordinator for the Aerospace, Defense, and Nuclear Industries at Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, with a focus on the New Industry Brazil initiative.She has extensive experience in the public sector, having worked at the Brazilian Space Agency, the Office of the Attorney General, and the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (Inep), as well as academic experience as a professor and researcher.She is a member of technical committees of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and a collaborating researcher at the University of Brasília, with publications in international journals. Her work focuses on space economics and policy, the aerospace industry, governance, and the development of the space sector in Brazil and Latin America.Her work focuses on space economics and policy, the aerospace industry, governance, and the development of the space sector in Brazil and Latin America.
Ms. Danusa Pegoraro Szimanski
Manager
Holder of a Master’s degree in Economics, with a career focused on public management, skills development, and institutional coordination within the Brazilian space sector. She has experience working at the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), dealing with international cooperation, science education, institutional strengthening, and support for strategic projects related to the popularization of space science and technology. Her academic background contributes to an integrated approach combining public policy, institutional development, and education and innovation initiatives in the space sector. She also worked at the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea), coordinating capacity-building initiatives, personnel development, and the promotion of actions focused on leadership, inclusion, and institutional strengthening in the public sector. Her work concentrates on science education, public policy, personnel management, institutional cooperation, and the enhancement of strategic initiatives for the development of the Brazilian space sector.
Associated Researchers
Meet our associate researchers:
Gabriel Frazão
Researcher
Master’s in Economics and Bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Brasília (UnB). He conducts research on development policies for the Brazilian space sector, space economics, science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies, and the regulation of space activities, with a primary focus on analyzing the factors that influence STI investment decisions in the space industry. He is the author of the book Manual do Empresário Júnior (The Junior Entrepreneur’s Manual), a comprehensive guide on managing junior enterprises that brings together processes, methodologies, and insights on how volunteer work serves as a powerful tool for leadership development and professional growth. Currently, he serves as a Technologist at the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB). In this role, he works within the areas of licensing, regulation, and commercialization of space activities, contributing directly to the improvement of the regulatory framework and the institutional strengthening of the Brazilian space program.
Johnny Hsu
Researcher
Bachelor’s student in International Business at the School of Economics and Management (EEG) of the University of Minho, Portugal, and a member of Space@UMinho. He holds executive education credentials in Space Project Management from Beihang University (Hangzhou Campus, China) and completed the New Space Economy: Technologies, Products, Services, and Business Models program through MIT Professional Education. Additionally, he was selected for an elite training program hosted in Beijing by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in partnership with the Ministry of Emergency Management of China (MEM). He is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Atlama, a territorial intelligence company focused on tropical supply chains. The venture is currently pre-incubated at the Porto Digital technology park in Recife, Brazil, with further support from Cais Digital in Aveiro, Portugal, as part of the same innovation ecosystem. His current research focuses on the global space business ecosystem, with a particular emphasis on emerging actors across the Atlantic and the strategic synergies between them.
Lucia Helena Michels Freitas
Researcher
Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Brasília (UnB), with research focusing on governance, space economics, industrial policy, and the development of the Brazilian space sector. She actively contributes to studies addressing institutional and regulatory challenges within the space industry, as well as strategies to expand Brazil’s integration into the global space economy. Currently, she serves as a Coordinator within the Directorate of New Business at the Secretariat of Green Economy, Decarbonization, and Bioindustry of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce, and Services (MDIC). She possesses extensive expertise in public management, strategic planning, and budgetary management. Her professional background includes key roles at the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) and the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), where she was actively involved in initiatives related to strategic intelligence, space sector development, and engagement with the innovation ecosystem.
Luiz Fabricio Thaumaturgo Vergueiro
Researcher
Federal Attorney at the Office of the Attorney General of Brazil (Advocacia-Geral da União – PRU3, São Paulo/Mato Grosso do Sul), holding a Ph.D. in International Law from the University of São Paulo (USP, 2012) and a Postdoctorate in Complex Systems Modeling from the School of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities at USP (EACH-USP, 2022). He was also a Visiting Fellow in Hemispheric Defense and Security at the Inter-American Defense College in Washington, D.C. (2023). Working at the intersection of law, science, and technology, his research focuses on the legal framework governing space activities, the geopolitics of the aerospace domain, and the development of dual-use technologies. He is the co-author of the paper “Geopolítica e o domínio aeroespacial: da supremacia da aviação militar à exploração espacial por fusão nuclear” (Brazilian Journal of Defense Studies, 2019) and presented his work on the Brazilian General Space Activities Law and its impacts on the private space sector at the IISL Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space during the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2025, Sydney). Additionally, he has published research on dual-use technologies in Latin America and the Caribbean as a driver for regional integration (Technology and Investment, 2025) and has managed a technological development project linked to the Brazilian Navy’s Submarine Development Program (PROSUB). His fields of academic expertise encompass Public and Private International Law, Space Law, National Defense and Security, emerging technologies, and international legal cooperation.
Thais de Araújo Pedrosa
Researcher
Ph.D. Candidate in Economics and Master’s in Economic Management of Technological Innovation from the University of Brasília (UnB), with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the Centro Universitário de Brasília (UniCEUB). A federal public servant since 2009, she began her career at the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, and in 2016, joined the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) as a Science and Technology Analyst.At AEB, she held key roles across strategic divisions, including the Federal Legal Counsel, the Executive Office, and the Directorate of Strategic Intelligence and New Business (DIEN). Her expertise spans public management, institutional advisory, and the alignment of legal, strategic, and institutional agendas. Currently, she is on a special assignment at the Ministry of Racial Equality, serving as the Head of the Cross-Cutting Actions Division within the Ombudsman’s Office. Her current work focuses on developing educational and institutional strategies aimed at combating racism, enhancing public grievance channels, handling complaints, and fostering an inclusive, anti-racist organizational culture within the public service.
Vinicius Guedes G. de Oliveira
Researcher
Ph.D. in Space Law and Policy and a Researcher at the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources at the University of Adelaide, where his work focuses on the legal and ethical frameworks governing space activities and long-duration human habitation in deep space. He serves as the Latin American representative for the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) as a Global Fellow, participating in cross-disciplinary projects that span defense, space, cybersecurity, geopolitics, and law. Additionally, he is a Contributing Researcher at the University of Brasília (UnB) and the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, where he analyzes strategies for small and medium powers to advance their strategic objectives in the space sector within an increasingly polarized international landscape. An widely published scholar in both national and international peer-reviewed journals, he teaches International Law and Space Law across several prominent institutions, including the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), Flinders University, the University of South Australia, and the Centro Universitário de Brasília (UniCEUB).