In today’s interconnected world, where secure cloud computing, energy innovation, and space exploration converge, Harshvardhan Chunawala emerges as an industry leader. His work spans pioneering cost-effective space missions, such as the Iris Lunar Rover at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and leading collaborative efforts for the Transactive Energy Service System (TESS) project at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) to transform energy distribution in the United States of America. Additionally, as a Cloud Infrastructure Architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Harshvardhan Chunawala leads critical projects across various industries, driving innovation and operational excellence. His current role at AWS as a Technical Lead and AWS Prescriptive Guidance Bar Raiser, and recipient of the quarterly AWSome All-Star Award, highlights his leadership in mission-critical projects, collaboration with C-Suite executives, and securing essential cloud infrastructure globally. This blend of expertise positions him at the forefront of technological innovation, showcasing his ability to lead and innovate in prestigious corporations.

Pioneering Achievements with the Iris Lunar Rover

The Iris Lunar Rover, developed by CMU’s students and researchers, represents a pioneering moment in space exploration. As the world’s first nano lunar rover to go to space, Iris was designed to validate the potential of small, cost-effective space missions. Harshvardhan Chunawala played a crucial role in this initiative as Space Mission Engineering Lead at CMU INI. The Peregrine Mission One is NASA’s first Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) mission with a goal to land the first U.S.-built lunar lander — “Peregrine Lander” — on the Moon since 1972, when over 50 years ago NASA launched Apollo 17. The Iris rover, about the size of a shoebox and weighing just 2.2 kilograms, was bolted on Peregrine Lander and intended to explore the moon’s surface.

Despite a malfunction that prevented a successful lunar landing, Iris succeeded in proving that commercial off-the-shelf components and sporting a carbon-fiber chassis could endure the rigors of space travel, including high radiation and vacuum conditions. This innovation challenges the traditional paradigm of space missions, making exploration more accessible and cost-efficient.

Harshvardhan Chunawala served as a mission operator, executing commands at lunar distance and receiving data despite the rover’s exposure to extreme space conditions, setting a new standard for low-cost missions. Showcasing his extensive expertise in computer science and secured cloud computing, his work proved that compact and resource-efficient efforts can yield valuable scientific data and operational experience, thus paving the way for more accessible space exploration solutions globally.

Educational Impact and Leadership at CMU

One of his significant achievements at CMU was his role as early initiators of the Carnegie Mellon Mission Control (CMMC), a state-of-the-art facility that will be central to future space missions at CMU. Harshvardhan Chunawala, the first CMU INI student to operate a lunar rover from 233,000 miles away, has established himself as a key figure in space exploration, demonstrating his vision and commitment to advancing space technology through academic collaboration.

Beyond his technical achievements, he has been instrumental in enhancing educational opportunities at CMU’s Information Networking Institute (INI). He recognized the value of hands-on experience and collaborated with Directors of CMU, and Robotics Institute, to create practical pathways for students. These initiatives include the Practicum program, where students tackle real-world space challenges, contributing to projects like IRIS and future missions such as MoonRanger. By facilitating these opportunities, Harshvardhan Chunawala has not only enriched the academic experience of students but also continues to prepare the youth of the United States for future careers in computer science, space technology and engineering.

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Leadership and Excellence at Amazon Web Services (AWS)

In his critical role at AWS, Harshvardhan Chunawala has further proven his ability to lead and innovate in top-tier organizations. As a Cloud Infrastructure Architect at AWS, he spearheads mission-critical projects across various industries, including Financial Services, Media, Games & Entertainment, and Healthcare & Life Sciences. His expertise in resolving high-impact security vulnerabilities and safeguarding critical infrastructure underpins his commitment to excellence in secured cloud computing.

Harshvardhan Chunawala’s role as a Tech Lead and AWS Prescriptive Guidance Bar Raiser reflects his leadership in driving operational excellence and innovation. He is recognized for his ability to work closely with C-Suite executives, delivering tangible business value and contributing significantly to revenue growth. His success in closing over $40 million in deals and contributing to over $120 million in incremental platform revenue in 2023-2024 showcases his impact and the trust placed in him by one of the world’s leading cloud service providers. Continue reading on Technology.org.

Image Caption – Astrobotic Co-Founder & PI of Iris Rover Red Whittaker with Cybersecurity Researcher & Mission Operator Harshvardhan Chunawala.

In a groundbreaking endeavor that harmonizes innovation with exploration, Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Iris Lunar Rover embarked on Peregrine Mission One on January 8, 2024, at 2:18 a.m. from Cape Canaveral SLC-41 that transcended beyond the confines of our world. The initiation of the Iris Rover Space Mission was a deeply emotional moment for the team, who gathered in Florida to witness the rocket launch at Cape Canaveral.

This moment powerfully reflected the team’s unwavering commitment and sense of unity that propelled them from the project’s outset to the day of the launch. This mission unites advanced secure networking with space exploration, robotics, computer science, engineering and the arts, driven by the pioneering spirit of the Information Networking Institute (INI) and collaboration across seven CMU colleges.

As we delve into this space mission and journey of the nano Iris Rover, we celebrate not just a technological feat but a collective leap toward the mysteries of space, driven by the aspirations of alumni, students and faculty alike. Together, they pushed the boundaries of what is possible, marking a new chapter in lunar exploration.

Harshvardhan Chunawala identified the potential opportunities for CMU’s Information Networking Institute (INI) to contribute to the project. He worked with Dena Haritos Tsamitis, Director of the INI, and David Wettergreen, Director of the Ph.D. program at the CMU Robotics Institute, to develop hands-on technical pathways for INI students to contribute to CMU’s space missions and Engineering projects.

This collaboration resulted in INI students contributing to CMU’s space missions like Iris and upcoming rovers like MoonRanger. Through Practicum, a program that engages students in solving real-world challenges, INI students have developed core space systems and advanced ongoing research. This initiative acts as a bridge for INI students, immersing them in the forefront of space exploration by training them to navigate the challenges of the cosmos and continue the CMU space legacy.

H. Chunawala was an early contributor to building the Carnegie Mellon Mission Control (CMMC), which will be leveraged for all future space missions initiated from CMU, and is among the first INI students to work on CMU space missions. H. Chunawala became the first Lunar Rover Mission Operator from the INI on the Iris team to command the rover at a Lunar Distance of ~233,000 miles from The Earth.

“We’ve not just reached space; we’ve pushed the boundaries of our potential, setting a new paradigm for exploration,” said H. Chunawala. “Each bit of data from Iris was a pixel painting a picture of triumph in the canvas of space.” – Harshvardhan Chunawala

Iris became the smallest and lightest rover ever to go to space, and the first university-built lunar rover to travel to space. It marks a pivotal shift toward democratizing space exploration by providing an executed Proof-of-Concept of ultra low-cost rovers. With its budget measured in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, as opposed to millions of dollars, Iris opens up space exploration to broader participation and innovation. The lessons learned and insights gathered from Iris are instrumental for future missions, notably MoonRanger, paving a road for a sustainable, cost-effective model for lunar exploration. Continue Reading on CMU News

Generally, when a rocket explodes on the pad, fails to achieve escape velocity, or otherwise does not complete its mission, it’s a failure. That’s not entirely true, however, for the world’s first nano lunar rover, even though it did not successfully reach the moon’s surface.

Early this year Iris was launched on Peregrine Mission One to explore the moon. Ultimately the mission failed, but there were still some successes.

So what can we learn from what was intended to be the first American-made lunar rover to land on the moon since 1972? Apparently plenty, according to three Carnegie Mellon students who helped build and launch it…

“Our mission was to be ultra low cost and carbon fiber being a strong material which could withstand all of the conditions that you just spoke about … that was one of our reasons to make it of carbon fiber,” says Harshvardhan Chunawala, a member of that team. “It takes off weight which ultimately reduces the overall cost of the launch.”

Interestingly, however, the team was still able to communicate with Iris, transmitting data, running commands and getting responses back while it was in a highly eccentric earth orbit.

One reason why: Iris wasn’t actually inside the lunar lander vehicle: it was bolted to the outside. That means that the team was able to verify that onboard systems were on and functioning well in hard vacuum, exposed to the solar wind as well as cosmic rays. Survival wasn’t a given, because many of the components were not radiation-hardened: they were off-the-shelf components that were cheap and available for a student-led team. Continue reading on Forbes.