How ERT’s Vir Thanvi Blends Curiosity with Space Enterprise Support

Vir Thanvi is measured and soft-spoken, but behind the steady exterior is a fiery curiosity that drives him to look beyond the status quo.

Thanvi joined ERT as vice president of enterprise engineering in May, bringing over 25 years of experience in space exploration and communications across multiple government agencies and in industry. 

Most recently, he was an executive leader with the Exploration and Space Communications Projects Division at NASA where he led the Near Space Network, under the auspices of the Space Communications and Navigation Program within NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate.

He received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, multiple NASA honors and industry recognitions for leadership excellence.

But even before Thanvi began imagining his future career, he had a childhood penchant for facts and data that complemented his drive to look beneath the surface. He longed to discover the unknown.

“That curiosity to date has not left me,” he said. “I’m always still wondering.”

After high school, Thanvi earned a degree in engineering and an MBA. On his job hunt, he found success applying for an opening with NOAA supporting ground stations for polar, geosynchronous and defense meteorological satellites. Strong mentors helped him establish his career, and broad bottom-up experience built a foundation for his next steps.

Years later, he joined NASA, where he led the communication and navigation network that defined and expanded his career. 

Leading NASA’s Communications Network

Thanvi still speaks of leading that network as a privilege that touched multiple fronts. His team was responsible for building resilient, scalable and future-proof systems that supported both space relay and direct-to-Earth bi-directional transmissions. It did so through radio frequency and optical communication,  and by integrating commercial capabilities.

“It’s a matter of pride to enable sustained human presence on the moon and beyond, which will be defined by the foundation that was laid while I was there,” Thanvi added.

While leading the communication and navigation network at NASA, Thanvi supported numerous launch vehicles, science, and human space flight missions, including the International Space Station and Artemis missions.

With every launch, every astronaut communicating with the Earth, and every new discovery of planets, stars and galaxies, Thanvi received confirmation his work mattered. The message is clear, he said, that this is his calling.

At ERT, his contributions continue in a similar vein as the company prepares to grow and expand its capabilities while leveraging its legacy of contributions.

Drawn to ERT’s Expertise and Collaboration

ERT has over 30 years of experience as a trusted partner to its customers, offering capabilities in space and Earth science, enterprise and digital engineering, and satellite mission operations to government and civilian customers.

“When bold vision is matched with transformative innovation, resilient strategy, vigorous collaborative execution based on facts and data, then growth and progress become inevitable,” he said. “It’s going to happen.”

After a natural turning point in his career, Thanvi encountered an opportunity with ERT he believed would bring his unique experience to the mission. 

Thanvi was drawn not just to ERT’s tagline — “From sensor to solution – we are All In ” — but also to the opportunity to work with experts from diverse fields, learn something new and contribute toward a shared goal.

“We need to be a trusted partner that pulls in the same direction and helps the government achieve the mission objectives, work toward the same goals and have open conversations to solve complex challenges,” he said. “It’s not always easy. You will run into some things that require collaboration, focus and partnerships. But we can accelerate progress when industry and government join hands, combine forces and work together.”

In the coming months and years, ERT will build on its legacy of partnership to expand into new horizontals and verticals, broadening its customer base as the scope of space exploration continues expanding beyond its government-only origins.

“We are poised to offer innovative solutions in more areas,” he said. 

‘Bring a Bold Vision’

Thanvi has always thought beyond easy solutions. He thrives on finding a challenge, understanding a vision and helping the client bring it to reality.

“Once you know the end vision, you will run into peaks and valleys, but all those things can be solved in a collaborative manner with a trusted partnership,” he said. “We have worked with our customers as trusted partners for over three decades now, and we have helped them solve complex challenges.”

That’s true across the entire space enterprise — from digital engineering to satellite mission operations to space and Earth science and information technology. Part of working with customers, he said, is helping them see the forest through the trees by bringing applied expertise to the solution stack.

The next frontier of space technology may involve technology that doesn’t yet exist, he added, because it starts in the imagination.

“That type of bold vision to explore the heavens or get to new scientific discoveries, when that gets matched with the state of innovation, that’s what excites me the most,” he said. “I like for people to bring a bold vision and we will help you realize it.”

In the last two decades, space technologies matured exponentially, and space exploration entered the commercial sector.

Public-private partnerships in AI, quantum, space exploration, data processing and distribution, operations, maintenance, sustaining space missions and more will all play a role in the future.

“I am intrigued by those advances that will enable interplanetary architecture,” he added.

‘The Risk Was Worth It’

Even outside of work, Thanvi describes himself as an explorer. He enjoys traveling, meeting new people, understanding cultures different from his own, trying new cuisine and building relationships. 

And he has an unexpected sense of adventure — like the time he decided to ride on top of a moving train. He had traveled the route many times before, but on this particular day, he felt he could no longer just watch from the window as the train crossed a bridge. 

“The view was unbeatable,” he said. “The adrenaline was free. The risk was worth it, and I’m still here. I’ll never forget it.”

For Thanvi, the future remains open with possibilities. ERT will continue bringing expertise in space enterprise through science, digital engineering solutions, operations and more for civilian and defense customers, he said, but it’ll do so through modular solutions that are vendor agnostic and collaborative.

“I’m confident 2026 is going to be pivotal for aligning and growing our capabilities with the evolving need of civilian, defense, and intel space enterprise,” Thanvi said.