About

Jacob Haqq Misra is the director and senior research investigator at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. He is also the Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of the 501(c)(3) organization Blue Marble Space. His research focuses on understanding the conditions that allow life to survive on Earth and the possibility of detecting signatures of biology or technology on other planets. He also studies the possible futures of life in the solar system and is the author of the book Sovereign Mars: Transforming Our Values through Space Settlement.

Jacob received his Ph.D. in meteorology and astrobiology in 2010 and his M.S. in meteorology in 2007 from Penn State University. His postdoctoral research at the Rock Ethics Institute examined the science and ethics of climate geoengineering. He completed B.S. degrees in astrophysics and computer science from the University of Minnesota in 2005 and an M.B.A. from Southern New Hampshire University in 2021. He works from his home office in Delaware.

Jacob belongs to the American Geophysical Union and the International Astronomical Union and is a corresponding member of the International Academy of Astronautics. He participates in community engagement events and is periodically interviewed for science news, radio, and television. His writing has appeared in publications such as The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and Scientific American.

Jacob enjoys playing music as a drummer and percussionist. He performs as a member of the rock band Mysterytrain and produces recordings with Dolphin Space Program.

Email: jacob@bmsis.org

My legal name is Jacob Haqq Misra. I dropped the hyphen in my last name in 2020, but I continue publishing my research as Haqq-Misra for consistency. Either name is fine for use in the media or daily life. If you must use an honorific, I prefer Dr. Misra. But you can always just call me Jacob.