ABOUT US
AURORA PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES WAS FOUNDED IN 2018. IN EARLY 2019 WE JOINED EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY BUSINESS INCUBATOR CENTRE PROGRAMME (ESA BIC FINLAND) IN OTANIEMI.
Within a year from founding Aurora grew from 7 founders to 17 employees. A target of delivering our first thruster sample for a satellite was achieved on Q4 of 2019, with flight ready thruster delivery completed in early 2020. Our own spacecraft, AuroraSat-1, is launching in June 2021
Our goals for the future include further scaling of our operations, in terms of production quantities and development of upcoming products and increasing our sales and customer base.
LEADERS
ROOPE TAKALA
CEO
Experienced Business and Innovation leader with background Corporate Research leadership, Strategy and Business Development.
Serial Entrepreneur.
PERTTU YLI-OPAS
CTO
Student of mathematics, Perttu has been active in many projects, ranging from rocket science to AI and robotics.
TIMO MUSTONEN
CFO
Passionate about turning innovative strategies into reality. Experienced in Project and Program management, GTM, Partnerships, Start-up funding and coaching.
JANNE SIEVINEN
Rocket Program Leader
Experienced leader in complex & safety critical high technology product development with a broad knowledge of natural sciences. A keen amateur astronomer.
SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM
ESA EKLUND
Director of Sales and Partner Projects
Space engineer since Envisat-1, ISU alumni and Aalto PhD candidate. Eager to solve the customer needs. Picking up (space) debris at leisure time.
KRISTJAN MIHHELS
Customer Manager
Studying Industrial Engineering and Management, has done multiple projects for companies varying from data analysis to market research.
ROSE VANCRAEYNEST
Sales Director, Benelux & Central Europe
Sales-oriented professional with broad knowledge in B2B/B2C sales, Business Development, Market Research and Account Management in the area of Electrical/Electronics, Distribution, Industrial and SaaS.
HANK KIM
Sales Director, North East Asia
Experienced in business development & GTM (sales) in global trading, licensing of IP assets in ICT and related SW.
ATSUSHI MURAKAMI
Sales Director, Japan
Atsushi is experienced in Business development, Marketing and Project Management. Especially in Satellite propulsion systems and Launch services.
BANU TURKMEN
Head of Business Development of Products
Business leader experienced in planning and commercial projects, customer centric and continuous improvement believer. Industrial engineer, PhD in Mechanical engineering, hobbies of data science and AI.
JOHANNES NIKOLA
Head of Business Development of Technology
My passion is to help in practical level whatever the situation. Despite being rather brief while on this planet I have been in many different situations and places. Besides work I am studying International Design and Business Management in Aalto University. Eager to hear new visions and stories!
PASI KAITILA
Head of Business Development of Services
Experienced business developer with a background in business & industrial management, behavioural sciences and with a little twist of engineering sciences. Pasi’s passion is working together to solve versatile problems that have big impact.
MECHANICS TEAM
JANNIKA VESALAINEN
Micromechanics
Graduate of Micromechanics. Previously an operating-room and emergency-unit nurse, with experience in ops coordination, intensive teamwork and coaching.
PIHLA PIETIKÄINEN
Micromechanics
Graduated micromechanic combining the classic watchmaking skills with modern precision machining and mechatronics.
JAAKKO LAITINEN
Mechanical Engineer
All-round fabricator studying Mechanical Engineering to join theory and practice. A missing link between the researcher and the mechanic.
TOMI HOVATTA
Micromechanics
JANNE MÄKIVIRTA
Laboratory Engineer
Multitalent of all things mechanical and electrical, with specialty in research equipment like vacuum systems and analysers
RUDOLF SILANDER
Satellite Systems Engineer
Student of space tech, member of Aalto Propulsion, involved in Aalto 3, wide experience in aerospace.
ELECTRONICS & SOFTWARE TEAM
ERKKA HANSKI
Electrical Engineer
Master student of space technology; founding member of Aalto Propulsion; involved in Aalto Satellites.
MARCO SANROMÁN
Electrical Engineer
Space engineer with background in Mechatronics oriented to intelligent systems. His experience goes from the mechanical design in the manufacturing industry to the research in nuclear fusion, autonomous spacecrafts and CubeSat propulsion systems.
OLLI OHLS
Software Developer
Software developer experienced in designing and building software for autonomous robots in urban environments.
RESEARCH TEAM
PYRY PEITSO
Research Engineer
Researcher and space weather expert with background in CubeSat projects from the beginning of Aalto-1 development.
EMMALOTTA KITTILÄ
Chemical Engineer
Chemical engineering graduate student and experienced in hybrid rockets. Excited about science and specially about space technology.
VILI VILENIUS
Chemical Engineer
Versatile chemical engineering graduate student with experience in rocket engine design and various smaller projects involving applied chemisty and mathematics.
JOEL TOLONEN
Research Engineer
Master’s student of mechanical engineering focusing on mechatronics. Experience in electronics and product development.
ILPO HÄMÄLÄINEN
Research Engineer
ADVISORY BOARD
PEKKA JANHUNEN
Senior Technical Advisor
Space physicist working at Finnish Meteorological Institute, inventor and leading expert of E-sail and plasma brake propulsion.