Professor Jean Pitot is an associate professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Discipline of Mechanical Engineering in Durban, South Africa. He has served as leader of the University’s Aerospace Systems Research Group (ASReG), which he co-founded in 2010, and has recently co-founded the Group’s successor, the Aerospace Systems Research Institute (ASRI), for which he serves as chief engineer.
ASRI’s fundamental mission, and Jean’s driving passion, is to develop an independent space access capability for South Africa and the African continent. ASRI is pursuing this by developing the rocket propulsion and launch vehicle technologies required for such a capability and growing the human capital necessary to support it. Jean holds a PhD from Stellenbosch University and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, all in mechanical engineering.