Dr. Robie Samanta Roy is the Chief Operating Officer of Electra.aero, a next-gen aerospace company devoted to sustainable advanced air mobility, headquartered in Northern VA.

He most recently was the Vice President of Technology – Government Affairs at Lockheed Martin where he was responsible for supporting corporate engagements with the US Government science and technology community across the United States. Robie also served as Lockheed Martin’s first Corporate Vice President for Technology Strategy and Innovation under the Chief Technology Officer where he developed and provided technical intelligence and strategy for the corporation, engaged the global S&T ecosystem outside the corporation, and fostered cross-enterprise innovation.

Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Robie was a professional staff member with the Senate Armed Services Committee with the portfolio of the Department of Defense’s wide spectrum of science and technology-related activities including test and evaluation. He came to that position from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy where he was the Assistant Director for Space and Aeronautics and was responsible for space and aeronautics activities ranging from human space flight to the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Robie also served as a Strategic Analyst at the Congressional Budget Office and as a Research Staff Member in the Systems Evaluation Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses.

Dr. Samanta Roy earned his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT. He earned a master’s degree in space policy from George Washington University and diplomas from the International Space University and Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris.

Robie is a Fellow and a recent member of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the National Research Council’s Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. He is on the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee and from 2015-2019 chaired the Industry Relations Committee of the International Astronautical Federation. He is a Reservist in the U.S. Space Force.