Jekan Thanga heads the Space and Terrestrial Robotic Exploration (SpaceTREx) Laboratory at University of Arizona. SpaceTREx focuses on research and demonstration of game-changing technologies funded by AFRL, NASA, NASA JPL, NSF and the Intelligence Community. Jekan has a background in aerospace engineering from the University of Toronto. He worked on Canadarm, Canadarm 2 and the DARPA Orbital Express missions at MDA Space Missions. Jekan obtained his Ph.D. in space robotics at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) and did a postdoc at MIT's Field and Space Robotics Laboratory (FSRL). Jekan is broadly interested in the exploration of space and extreme environments, using networks of robots, interplanetary CubeSats and smart sensors. He also works actively to apply advanced space technology for terrestrial applications, including in security, energy and environmental monitoring. His research focuses on developing enabling technologies, that spans system design, propulsion, networking and power to permit smart, fully autonomous operation for long durations. This is achieved through multidisciplinary optimization using a combination of conventional, adaptive and bio-inspired neuro-evolutionary methods resulting in high performance, unconventional design and control solutions that would otherwise not be envisioned by a human designer. His research covers the investigation of fundamental theoretical concepts with simulation using computational tools, culminating with field trials and deployment. He has authored or co-authored 100 peer-reviewed publications and is currently the Engineering PI on two CubeSat missions, CatSat 1 and AOSAT 1, a CubeSat Centrifuge Laboratory. Jekan and his students won a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award in 2016 and a Tech Briefs Top 5 Award in the Aerospace/Defense category for the SunCube FemtoSat platform.