Our Team

Leadership

Harika Akundi

CEO



Hi everyone, I'm Harika! I'm a rising senior at TJHSST. I've loved Aerospace since I was a little kid, and Caelus Rocketry drew me in because of the chance to reach beyond our grasp and into the stars. The family we've built here, working together motivated by the same passion, is the best in the world, and I wouldn't have it any other way. My favorite Caelus memory is the weekend of HackTJ, when most of our members were at the event, so the remaining ones of us made grilled cheese sandwiches in my garage and took a short walk.

Santiago Criado
Chief Technical Officer

Hello, My name is Santiago Criado and I am the Chief Technology Officer for Caelus Rocketry as well as a rising senior. Since joining the team in 2020, I’ve worked in several areas of the team including being a part of the propulsion subteam and later leading the Structures subteam. I’ve loved working on the design of Callisto, iterations of the engine, the development of the test stand, and the design/testing of the recovery system. Outside of Caelus, I love playing basketball, cooking, and Latin Ballroom Dance

Jessica Chen
Chief Technical Officer

I'm Jessica, a rising senior at TJHSST! I am the Vice President of Technical for Caelus. Every part of Caelus is exciting, but if I had to choose one interest it would be engine design, which is at the heart of what we do. My favorite Caelus memory is learning how to use a drill press for the first time while manufacturing our injector!

Anya Raval
Chief Operating Officer

Hi everyone! My name is Anya Raval and I'm the Chief Operating Officer as part of the Operations team! This is my fourth year on Caelus and I'm so happy to be a part of such a dynamic team. My favorite part about Caelus is how it’s like family. In my free time, I love to take photos, bake, and travel with my family.

Aarushi Bommidi
Chief Operating Officer

Hi everyone! I'm Aarushi, and I am the Vice President of Operations for Caelus Rocketry. I've had a strong passion for aerospace and astronomy since a young age, and being a part of Caelus has helped me grow on that interest. Exploring both sides of Outreach and the engineering behind the rockets has, and continues to teach me so much during my time on this team. My favorite moments on the team are definitely from Space Day with GMU, and launching rockets with kids at events.

Alan Zhu
Lead, Propulsion

Myles Carley
Lead, Propulsion

Tanmay Neema
Lead, Propulsion

Jenny Chen
Lead, Propulsion

Arjun Babla
Lead, Structures

Kritagya Khadka
Lead, Structures

Anish Paspuleti
Lead, Software

Kiran Donnely
Lead, Avionics

Ashwin Pulla
Lead, Outreach

Advaith Gajulapally
Lead, Finance