DeLaine Mayer
is passionate about the research and deployment of advanced technologies that can address the climate crisis on Earth while enabling sustainable, long-term human development off-Earth.
Today, DeLaine is focused on the global deployment of low-carbon energy solutions as a founding member and Director of External Affairs at Nebula Energy. She leads Nebula’s Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Hub development across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the U.S.
She developed and is teaching New York University’s first graduate course on Astropolitics: the Politics, Policies, and Technologies of Outer Space this spring.
Exploring Space to Save Earth
In the harsh environment of outer space, humanity has conquered impossible tasks with perseverance, data-backed rigor, and innovation. Space offers us a unique vantage point from which to view and understand ourselves.
As we face the climate crisis on Earth, we should be motivated by the commitment of the 1960s-era Moonshot. Landing on the moon was technically complex, financially costly, and had never been done — this same spirit of conviction, commitment, and imagination should be employed to our work achieving a global net zero energy future. We have done “impossible” things before, and with the right resolve, we can do them again.
Unlike the 60s, the climate movement only enables a just transition when it includes those who have been historically excluded: women, people of color, indigenous communities, and LGBTIQ+ people. When solving complex, cross-disciplinary challenges, we need to consider all perspectives and solutions, especially in STEM and other historically exclusionary fields, in order to advance human development on this planet and beyond.
WHERE WE COME FROM INFORMS WHERE WE GO.
Photographed in 1968 from lunar orbit by Astronaut William Anders on Apollo 8, Earthrise was a turning point in our understanding of our place in the universe. For the first time, we saw our planet not as a collection of countries and continents, but as a single, fragile entity. The image highlighted the interconnectedness of our world and its delicate ecosystem.
The image inspired the modern environmental movement. Today, it serves as a reminder that space exploration is not just about studying what is “out there,” but understanding our planet and place within the universe, too.
PREVIOUS & CURRENT WORK
DeLaine’s work in the energy sector contributed to the development of multi-million dollar distributed energy projects in the United States, Mexico, and Jamaica and her work in the emerging Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) industry advanced the development and deployment of bioplastics technology to engender more sustainable supply chains.
RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
DeLaine’s recent accomplishments include speaking at the 2022 Women’s Leadership Center launch in Lake Geneva, winning NASA iTech’s 2021 Cycle 1 Forum and earning inclusion in Kappa Alpha Theta’s 35 Under 35 for women working in science/engineering.
EDUCATION & AREAS OF EXPERTISE
DeLaine earned her M.S. with distinction from New York University in May 2018, studying Global Affairs with a specialization in Energy and Environmental Policy. She earned her M.S. in Space Resources in May 2023, researching astropolitics, technology management, and resource utilization in space at Colorado School of Mines. She has 10 years of professional experience in business development and project management for impact-oriented work.