Dr. Himani Saini is a trailblazing Senior Scientist at UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Bangalore, and one of the few women in India to hold operational command at the forefront of the nation's space ambitions. She holds a Ph.D. in Operations Research and an M.Sc. in Industrial Mathematics and Informatics from IIT Roorkee, with over a decade of expertise in aerospace systems engineering, mathematical optimization, and satellite mission operations, the core domains of the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS) field of interest. 

As Mission Expert, Operations Director, and Mission Director at ISRO, Dr. Saini bears direct responsibility for mission design, analysis, planning, and real-time on-orbit operations across 31 Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites and four scientific missions. Her contributions span Chandrayaan-2/3, and XPoSAT, India's first dedicated X-ray polarimetry satellite, placing the nation among a select group conducting frontier astrophysics from space. Scholarly work includes a publication in Experimental Astronomy (2025) on XPoSAT mission analysis, research on agile satellite constellation scheduling in Acta Astronautica (2024/2025), and a paper on deep reinforcement learning for LEO constellation coverage at IGARSS 2026, Washington D.C. 

Dr. Saini's pioneering work in space safety and situational awareness defines a critical dimension of her technical legacy. She conceptualized the Space Object Proximity Analysis(SOPA) framework, now operationally deployed for real-time collision threat assessment of IRS and LEO satellites, and developed the re-entry prediction methodology adopted for IADC Test Campaign objects, advancing international space debris mitigation standards. Both earned her prestigious ISRO Award for Excellence, reserved for contributions of national significance.

Within IEEE AESS, Dr. Saini is deeply engaged. She serves on the AESS Executive Committee (2026), is a member of TC-29 (Microwave Aerospace Systems), and served on the IEEE MTT-S TCFDC LEO Satellite and Systems Working Group (2022–2025). As an annual reviewer for IEEE AESS conferences, she evaluates research submissions & upholds the Society's scholarly standards. As an IEEE Senior Member, she holds membership across AESS, GRSS, MTT-S, Computer Society, Information Theory Society, and Sensor Council and serves as Region-10 PAC Member, IEEE GRSS Bangalore Chapter Vice Chair, IEEE-SA P7019 Working Group Secretary, IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine Editorial Board Member, and 2024 VOLT Graduate & now VOLT mentor.

Dr. Saini is a passionate architect of India's aerospace future. As an organizing committee member for National Space Day/National Science Day at ISRO, she leads competitions, quizzes, satellite model-making events, and technology exhibitions for students from primary school to undergraduate level, democratizing space science across all ages. She has delivered 40+ keynote addresses at IEEE conferences globally and mentors engineers through IEEE AESS, GRSS, WIE, and Computer Society programs. A woman excelling at the highest levels of space science and IEEE leadership, she embodies what is possible, inspiring women and girls everywhere to pursue aerospace with confidence and purpose. She is the recipient of the Rotary International District 3192 Vocational Service Award (2026), a lifetime member of the Astronomical Society of India, and a QMS-certified auditor for ISRO's Mission Planning and Operations Group.