Kosta Varnavas is a veteran engineer with over 30 years of experience designing high-performance computing systems for space missions, autonomous vehicles, and extreme environments. At AstraQua, he leads system architecture and FPGA development for autonomous intelligence platforms that power exploration across sea, land, and space.
Kosta’s career spans some of the most advanced aerospace programs in the world. At Blue Origin, he led the design of the lunar lander engine controller—developing fault-tolerant systems that pushed the boundaries of safe, autonomous propulsion. At NASA, he architected resilient computing platforms for satellite missions and deep-space avionics, winning multiple internal awards for innovation, including Principal Investigator honors for advanced onboard communication systems.
His portfolio includes the development of Software Defined Radios launched into orbit, full-stack transceivers for FASTSAT-01, and next-generation microprocessor systems for critical avionics. What sets Kosta apart is his deep specialization in real-time embedded systems and radiation-tolerant FPGA design—a discipline essential for operating in the unforgiving vacuum of space or deep-sea pressure zones.
A lifelong systems thinker and hands-on builder, Kosta holds patents in digital space communication and has contributed to publications and technical books on system health management and fault-tolerant computing. His educational background includes a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics from Christian Brothers College and graduate work in Electrical Engineering.
Today, Kosta applies his unmatched experience to helping AstraQua build the next generation of autonomous, intelligent machines—enabling swarms of drones and robots to explore environments once beyond human reach.