Álvaro Romero-Calvo is an assistant professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he leads the Low-Gravity Science and Technology Laboratory. His group engages in a broad range of activities in the fields of microgravity and low-gravity research, supporting the development of next-generation space systems and the study of the fundamental physical phenomena behind them.
As PI and Co-PI of multiple federally-funded projects with NASA, DARPA, and industry partners, Dr. Romero-Calvo’s research has advanced new phase separation, propellant management, life support, adaptive optics, lunar surface, and heat transfer technologies. His team conducts fluid physics experiments across multiple low-gravity platforms, including drop towers, parabolic flights, and suborbital rockets, to bring promising new ideas closer to commercial infusion.
Dr. Romero-Calvo’s contributions have been recognized with his selection as a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Fellow, the ASGSR Thora Halstead Young Investigator Award, and media coverage in Popular Science, Science News, and other international outlets. He also serves as Board Member of ASGSR, Vice-Chair of the AIAA Gravity-Dependent Science and Technology Technical Committee, and Vice-Chair of COSPAR’s Commission G.
Originally from Granada, Spain, Dr. Romero-Calvo holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder, M.Sc. degrees in Space Engineering (Politecnico di Milano) and Aeronautical Engineering (Universidad de Sevilla), and a B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from the Universidad de Sevilla. Outside the lab, he is a trained classical pianist and an outdoor enthusiast with a passion for skiing, hiking, and camping.
Education
- Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, 2022. Ph.D. Thesis.
- M.Sc., Space Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 2019.
- M.Sc., Aeronautical Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, 2019.
- B.Sc., Aerospace Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, 2016.
Honors and Awards
- Technical University of Munich, Global Visiting Professor Program, July 6-26, 2025
- Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences Outstanding Alum for Excellence in Technical Achievement and Leadership, 2025
- NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Fellow, 2024
- ASGSR Thora Halstead Young Investigator Award, 2023
- Outstanding Dissertation Award, College of Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 2022
- Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department Graduate Award for Research 2022
- Rafael del Pino Excellence Fellowship 2021
- ASGSR Ken Souza Spaceflight Research Program Research, 2020
- Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department Excellence Award 2019
- University of Colorado Boulder Engineering School Dean’s Fellowship 2019
- UNOOSA DropTES Program 2019
- La Caixa Fellowship for Postgraduate Studies 2018
- Student European Low-Gravity Research Association Member of the Month 2018
- Erasmus+ Double Master’s Degree Fellowship 2017
- ESA Drop Your Thesis! Program 2017
Society Affiliations and Service
- American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR)
- ASGSR Board Member (2022-2025)
- Student Board President (2021-2022)
- Student Board President-Elect (2020-2021)
- Full Member (2022 – Current)
- Student Member (2020 – 2022)
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
- Vice-Chair of the AIAA Microgravity and Space Processes Technical Committee (2024 – Current)
- Member of the AIAA Microgravity and Space Processes Technical Committee (2022 – 2024)
- Early Career Member (2022 – Current)
- Student Member (2020 – 2022)
- Committee on Space Research (COSPAR)
- Vice-Chair of the Scientific Commission G: Material and Fluid Sciences in Space Conditions
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Early Career Member (2022 – Current)
- Student Member (2021 – 2022)
- American Astronautical Society (AAS)
- Member (2022 – Current)
- Cryogenic Society of America (CSA)
- Student Member (2021 – 2022)
- European Low-Gravity Research Association (ELGRA)
- Student Member (2016 – 2022)
Disciplines
- Aerodynamics & Fluid Mechanics
- Propulsion & Combustion
- Systems Design & Optimization
AE Multidisciplinary Research Areas
- Space Exploration and Earth Monitoring
- Sustainable Transportation and Energy Systems