Dr. Swati Mohan on Autonomous Spacecraft, Mars Missions & NASA Innovation

Susan Wise: Hi, and welcome to Stars Launch Pod: Space Technology and Research Sciences, brought to you by StarSciences.org, where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. I’m your host, Susan Wise, and I’m happy to have with us Dr. Swati Mohan, an aerospace engineer who has worked on planetary science spacecraft at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It’s such an honor to have you here.
Hi, welcome.

Swati Mohan: Hi. Thank you so much for having me. I’m honored to be on your podcast today.

Susan Wise: Well, I was very excited—especially when I found out you’re a big Star Trek fan.

Swati Mohan: I am.

Susan Wise: I was too growing up. Although you were Next Generation, I’m a tad bit older than you, so I like the original series.

Swati Mohan: I appreciate the original series, but I definitely grew up on Next Generation and Voyager.

Susan Wise: And that’s something that kind of motivated and inspired you, I guess?

Swati Mohan: Not initially. I didn’t recognize it as something that was creating motivation. It was just my hobby—I liked science fiction. Between Star Trek, Star Wars, The X-Files—anything in that realm. It wasn’t until much later, closer to the end of high school, that I actually considered space as a career.

Susan Wise: Well, tell us a little bit about what you’re working on right now to further the space industry—how that’s going.

Swati Mohan: Sure. I focus on robotic spacecraft that go out into the solar system. What I’m working on right now is a technology payload that would go on these spacecraft and allow them to figure out where they are and travel by themselves to any location in our solar system.

So, it has the smarts onboard to determine where it is by looking at different optical targets and getting measurements from the ground through radio signals, then using that to calculate and triangulate its position in space. From there, it determines where it needs to go based on a plan onboard and calculates how to move itself to stay on that plan.

Having this technology onboard would allow spacecraft to be much more autonomous—enabling us to send more spacecraft into the solar system that can take care of themselves as they leave Earth. This supports fleets of smarter spacecraft, especially when we want to conduct science in the farther reaches of the solar system, where communication delays are much longer.

The more intelligence you have onboard, the more interesting and complex maneuvers the spacecraft can perform.

Susan Wise: So the technology is probably leaps and bounds from when you worked on Perseverance, the rover?

Swati Mohan: Actually, this technology was first demonstrated in space in the 1990s through missions like Deep Space One and Stardust. But it was demonstrated for specific missions—we haven’t yet gotten it into a form that can easily be used across many spacecraft.

That’s what we’re working on now. So it’s kind of an “oldie but goodie,” revamped for the new age.

Susan Wise: That’s exciting. I mean, everyone’s got their eyes on the Moon, and now a lot of people have their eye on Mars—and who knows what else.

Swati Mohan: Exactly. There’s such a reinvigoration of the space industry with the return to the Moon and human missions. This technology is now much more essential—not just for NASA, but for commercial industries as well.

Back in the ’90s, it was mostly large government organizations sending one or two spacecraft every few years. That level was manageable. Now, with many companies launching spacecraft—both crewed and uncrewed—we need this technology to handle the demand.

Susan Wise: I think the private sector getting involved has really helped push things.

Swati Mohan: I have two perspectives on that. First, yes—it helps make the space industry more efficient. Private companies are good at scaling production, reducing costs, and standardizing processes. That lowers the cost of access to space and enables more applications and customers.

The flip side is commercialization. I’m a bit of a space purist—I like the idea of space being a frontier for all humanity, free from politics and profit motives. But there are pros and cons to both sides, and it’s an interesting time to see how it all evolves.

Susan Wise: Looking at your journey, did you have any “aha” moments?

Swati Mohan: I actually have two. One was realizing I wanted to go into space as a career, and the other was a technical breakthrough moment.

Growing up, I wanted to be a pediatrician—from age five through junior year of high school. Space was just a hobby. I thought, “You can’t do that—it’s not real.”

But during a science fair project, I realized something. I had done a complex biology project and didn’t place. The next year, I did a simple physics-based project about growing plants on Mars—and I won.

That made me realize: this is easier for me, more interesting, and something I actually understand deeply. That summer, I went to Space Camp and then had an internship at NASA Goddard. That’s when it clicked—this is what I want to do.

Susan Wise: Even though you didn’t go into medicine, your work still contributes to medical advancements in space.

Swati Mohan: That’s true—and I also married a pediatrician, so I get that connection at home!

Susan Wise: What about your technical “aha” moment?

Swati Mohan: That came while working on the Perseverance landing system. We added a camera-based navigation system, and it wasn’t working during integration.

After weeks of troubleshooting, we ran a full test expecting failure—and it worked. Completely.

That moment—realizing we had solved it—meant we were going to Mars. It was incredible.

Susan Wise: What would you say has been your biggest challenge?

Swati Mohan: Honestly, communication. I was very shy growing up—terrified of speaking to people.

Over time, I worked on it deliberately: Toastmasters, media training, presentations. It’s been a long process of pushing myself into uncomfortable situations and improving step by step.

Susan Wise: After a long day, do you talk about work at home? Does your husband get it?

Swati Mohan: He does! He’s a space fan too, and he’s incredibly thoughtful—even though he’s in medicine, he can still help me think through technical problems. Our whole family is immersed in it.

Susan Wise: For someone entering the space industry, what advice would you give?

Swati Mohan: I always go back to JPL’s motto: Dare mighty things.

Space is hard. But the discoveries are profound. You have to be willing to take risks, learn from failure, and keep going.

Without that willingness, you’ll never know what could have been.

Susan Wise: That’s so true. Before we wrap, what are you hopeful to see in the next year?

Swati Mohan: There’s so much uncertainty—it could be Moon missions, new spacecraft, or major discoveries from existing data.

Sometimes breakthroughs come from data collected years ago. You never know when that “aha” moment will happen.

Susan Wise: It could be another Friday before a holiday break!

Swati Mohan: Exactly.

Susan Wise: Do you have a passion project you’d like to share?

Swati Mohan: Yes—I’m passionate about helping kids find their interest in STEM. I co-founded a nonprofit called STEAM Superheroes, and recently I launched Arcturus STEM Academy, which connects students with real STEM professionals and curriculum.

Susan Wise: That’s wonderful. How can people learn more?

Swati Mohan: They can follow us on Instagram at Arcturus STEM Academy or visit arcturusstemacademy.org.

Susan Wise: Thank you so much—I’ve really enjoyed this conversation. We’d love to have you back.

Swati Mohan: Thank you—it’s been super fun.

Susan Wise: Thank you, Dr. Mohan. Be sure to join us where we connect, collaborate, and accelerate. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and subscribe. Until next time—keep looking up. Oh, and live long and prosper.

Swati Mohan: Yeah.