About us

OKAPI:Orbits is an innovative German SaaS startup dedicated to making space travel more sustainable through Collision Avoidance Software for satellites. The OKAPI:Orbits team envisions a safe and sustainable space environment, truly accessible to everyone. We are laser-focused on creating innovative and efficient products to enable safe and secure satellite operations and seamless ground segment integration. As experts in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST), we offer platform services based on standardized interfaces with a wide range of flexible modules to meet the specific needs of our customers.

The Team

Kristina Nikolaus
CEO & Co-Founder

M. Sc. (TU Braunschweig)

Technical project management, Sales and Marketing at Daimler AG & Siemens Mobility, Stations in Germany, Malaysia and Russia. Avid sailor.

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Jonas Radtke
COO & Co-Founder

Dipl- Ing. (TU Braunschweig)

Several years as leader of the Space Debris task force at Institute of Space Systems and research in the field of space debris environment. Passionate Barista.

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Christopher Kebschull
CTO & Co-Founder

Dipl- Ing. (TU Braunschweig)

Several years of academic research in the field of space situational awareness and space debris modeling. Swimmer and Salsa dancer.

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Tilmann Packheiser
Chief of Staff
B. Sc. Industrial Engineering
 
Passionate about the development of innovative products and business models in the aerospace and aviation sector. Enjoys cooking and board games.
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Niño Cruz Santos
Vice President of Global Sales

20+ years of Sales experience. Passionate traveler, enthusiastic SPIN and Challenger seller, and obsessed with customers.

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Sven K. Flegel
Product Manager & SST Expert
Ph.D. in Space Debris Engineering (TU Braunschweig)
 
Specific experience in debris environment and sensor observation modelling, object state uncertainty prediction and valuation, and operational collision avoidance support. Woodworker, composer, father and husband.
Luca Himstedt
Front-End Lead

B. Sc. cand. Computer Science (TU Braunschweig)

Experienced full-stack developer and lateral thinker. A firefighter who loves all kinds of sports.

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Adrian Diez Martin
Astrodynamics & SST Specialist

M. Sc. Aerospace Engineering (TU Madrid)

Vast experience in the SST domain. Adventurer, amateur bachata dancer, and piano player.

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Frederik Läuferts
SSA Scientist

B. Sc. Aerospace engineering (TU Braunschweig)

Experienced in programming and applying Machine Learning in the space domain. Loves snowboarding.

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Harleen Kaur Mann
Astrodynamics & SST Specialist

Ph.D. cand. Astronomy (University of Bern)

Specialisation in Space Systems and Initial Orbit Determination of Space Debris. Poet, singer, cook, loves walking, hiking and working for social causes.

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Ashish Aring
Astrodynamics & SST Specialist

Dipl-Ing. (FH) in Aerospace Engineering

Specialisation in Flight-Dynamics & Operations with wide experience in FD-LEOPs,  mission-analysis, procedure-development and -validation. Part-time craftsman, passionate football player, avid sailor and solid programmer.

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Daniel Lück
SSA Scientist

M. Sc. Aerospace engineering (TU Braunschweig)

Experienced in Space Situational Awareness and Fortran programming. Enthusiastic guitarist.

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Alessandra Gallucci
SSA & Debris Mitigation Expert

M. Sc. Aerospace engineering (University of Naples Federico II)

Experienced in Space Situational Awareness and space debris domain. Loves singing, artistic gymnastics, and outdoor walks.

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Christina Unger
Back-End Developer

Ph.D. (Universiteit Utrecht)

Experience in application development and software architecture. Programming polyglot, bug hunter, and scuba diver.

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Daniel Lubián Arenillas
STM Engineer

M. Sc. in Space Systems (TU Madrid)

Experienced in SST/SSA and space traffic management, interested in space data processing for sustainable development. Hiker and sci-fi reader.

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Esfandiar Farahvashi
Project Manager SST

M. Sc. Aerospace Engineering (TU Braunschweig)

Experienced in space debris matters, spacecraft vulnerability assessment, and programming. Loves nature, sci-fi books and movies, and Backgammon.

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Ines Ben Youssef
Java Developer

M. Sc. Computer Science (ENSI Tunisia)

Experienced Full-stack engineer with a passion for object-oriented programming. Software engineer by day, cat lover by night. 

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Jacob Nosel
Orbit Propagation Engineer

M. Sc. Aerospace Engineering (Purdue University)

Experienced in guidance, navigation, and control of aerospace systems. Enjoys hiking as well as football.

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Njord Eggen
AI & Orbital Dynamics Expert

M. Sc. in Aerospace Science and Technology (Polytechnic University of Catalonia)

Mechanical Engineer converted Data Scientist. Enjoys code optimization. Loves chess, cats, and cinema.

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Mohamed Ghanem
Full-Stack Developer

M.Sc. in Data Engineering and Analytics (TU Munich)

Fullstack web developer, curious, and always learning about new technologies.
Fond of old Egyptian movies and video games from the PS2 era.

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Jolin Neuß
Associate Project Manager

B.Sc. Aerospace Engineering (TU Braunschweig)

Mechanical Engineer with a specification in aerospace and a passion for management and planning. Enthusiastic about thriving forward. Outdoor guru, bookworm in every way, and sportaholic.

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Niels Perdijk
SSA Scientist

B. Sc. Aerospace Engineering (TU Braunschweig)

Experienced programmer for analysis and visualization of data in the space domain. Loves to cycle mountains up and skiing them down.

Pavlina Dimitrova
Mission & Flight Dynamics Engineer

M. Sc. in Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Aerospace (University of Strathclyde)

AOCS Engineer in a previous life. Tries to find what works and makes it happen. Loves bouldering, food, and happy satellites.

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Adam Stradomski
DevOps Engineer
M. Sc. Computer Science (WIT Warsaw)
 
Software Engineer experienced in data integration, cybersecurity, and software architecture. Battlestar Galactica fan. Enjoys card games and board games. 
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Andrea Turchi
Orbit Propagation Engineer

M. Sc. Space and Astronautical Engineering (La Sapienza University of Rome)

Experienced programmer for astrodynamics and trajectory optimization. Loves walking, going to the gym, and reading sci-fi books.

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Oliwia Konieczna
UX/UI Designer

Master of Fine Arts (The Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw)

Experienced in wireframing, prototyping, and graphic design. Enjoys drawing portraits and playing video games.

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Carina Fischer
Team Assistant

Provides administrative and accounting support

Loves to be creative with her two daughters and discover the nature with them

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Advisory Board

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Enrico Stoll
Professor Chair of Space Technology TU Berlin
Expert and leading scientist in the field of space debris. As mentor of OKAPI:Orbits he supports the Team with his profound knowledge of space systems.
Dipl.-Ing. Michael Oxfort
Former CTO at eightyLEO

With having built companies from scratch, e.g. RapidEye and KLEO Connect, and his 25+ years’ experience in the space industry domain he provides valuable and wide-spread support to OKAPI on its way to success.

Dr.-Ing. Carsten Wiedemann
Senior Scientist at Institute of Space Systems
As a Senior Scientist at the Institute of Space Systems he supports the team as an advisor with his profound knowledge of the space debris problem and all related fields
Scott Douglass
Independent geospatial consultant

Over 20+ years of hands-on experience in global markets development and geospatial product management at Digital Globe, RapidEye and Planet.