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Draft:Fernando De La Peña Llaca

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Fernando de la Peña Llaca
Fernando De La Peña Llaca at NASA
BornUnknown
Unknown
EducationMexican university

Fernando De La Peña Llaca is a Mexican American aerospace executive, technologist, and author. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Aexa Aerospace, a Houston based company that develops mixed reality and holographic communication systems for space and terrestrial use.[1]

De La Peña Llaca is best known for leading the industry team that worked with NASA to demonstrate real time holographic telepresence for telemedicine on board the International Space Station in 2021, described by NASA as an innovative three dimensional form of telemedicine and widely reported as the first use of "holoportation" in space.[2][3][4]

Early life and education

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De La Peña Llaca studied engineering as an undergraduate student in Mexico, where he worked on advanced propulsion concepts and patented a spacecraft engine that uses antimatter as a propellant, along with a design for a magnetic levitation space launcher.[1] He received a prize from Discovery Channel in 2010 for his work related to the creation of the Mexican Space Agency.[1]

After relocating to the United States, he enrolled at the University of Phoenix, completing a master's degree in information systems in 2013 and later a doctorate in organizational leadership with a specialization in information systems and technology in 2022.[1] His doctoral dissertation examined the use of holographic teleportation in space as a way to reduce social isolation and stress in astronauts.[1]

Career

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Aexa Aerospace

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In 2012 De La Peña Llaca founded Aexa Aerospace in Houston, Texas. The company initially developed holographic training applications for astronauts and payload specialists that overlay virtual models on physical hardware and allow remote subject matter experts to appear as three dimensional avatars.[1]Aexa's work led to collaborations with NASA centers and commercial spaceflight companies on mixed reality tools for mission operations and astronaut support.[2][5]

Outside his company role, De La Peña Llaca has been active in industry organizations around NASA's Johnson Space Center. He has served as president of the Space City Houston chapter of the National Contract Management Association, chairman of the JSC Small Business Council, a member of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership board of directors and aerospace liaison to the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.[1]

Holographic telepresence

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On 8 October 2021 NASA conducted an experiment in which flight surgeon Josef Schmid and other team members appeared on the International Space Station as life sized holographic images, viewed by European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet through a HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset.[2] The system used stereoscopic cameras on the ground and custom software from Aexa Aerospace to reconstruct and transmit three dimensional images of the participants in real time.[6][7]

Press reports and NASA materials described the session as the first use of holoportation technology in space and highlighted its potential for telemedicine, technical support, and future deep space missions.[2][3][8][9] Several articles identified De La Peña Llaca and Aexa Aerospace as key industry partners in the demonstration.[4][9]

The experiment has since been cited in academic literature on telemedicine and extended reality in spaceflight as an early example of immersive remote presence for astronaut health care.[10]

Awards

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De La Peña Llaca has received multiple recognitions for his work in holographic telepresence and aerospace technology. In 2022 he received the Johnson Space Center Director's Innovation Group Achievement Award as part of the Holoportation Technology Demonstration Team for the International Space Station telemedicine experiment.[1]He has been part of additional NASA awards acknowledging contributions to mixed reality software, space medicine support tools, and neuromodulation and artificial intelligence research, including the NASA JSC Exceptional Software Award and the NASA Brain Boost Award in 2025.[11]Earlier in his career he received a Discovery Channel prize in 2010 for work connected with the establishment of the Mexican Space Agency.[1]

Publications

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De La Peña Llaca is the author of non fiction works on artificial intelligence and future technology, including:

  • AI in a Nutshell: A Guide for Business and Government Leaders (2025)[12]
  • 33 Predictions for the Next 33 Years: What You Must Know About the Future[13]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "University of Phoenix alum Dr. Fernando De La Peña Llaca's holoportation technology and expertise recognized by NASA". University of Phoenix. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Garcia, Mark (8 April 2022). "Innovative 3D Telemedicine to Help Keep Astronauts Healthy". NASA. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Nasa 'holoported' doctors to space station to visit astronauts". The Independent. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  4. 1 2 Dockrill, Peter (19 April 2022). "NASA Beamed a Doctor to the ISS in a World First 'Holoportation' Achievement". ScienceAlert. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  5. ↑ "Aexa's Holographic Teleportation Behavioral". Axiom Space. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "NASA uses "holoportation" in space for first time". Freethink. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  7. ↑ "NASA uses 'holoportation' to transport people to the space station". TweakTown. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  8. ↑ Jimenez Moya, Maria (20 April 2022). "Sci fi becomes real life: NASA doctor 'holoports' to International Space Station" (PDF). USA Today via Phys.org. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Holographic Doctors Can Now Provide Medical Advice on the International Space Station". Universe Today. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  10. ↑ Woodland, Margaret B. (2024). "Applications of extended reality in spaceflight for human space exploration". Acta Astronautica. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.10.021.
  11. ↑ "NASA Brain Boost Award Winners". NASA. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "AI in a Nutshell: A Guide for Business and Government Leaders". Amazon. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Dr. Fernando De La Peña Llaca". All American Speakers. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
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