Emerging Opportunities in Space Technology:
Developing New Products for Earth and Space
March 24, 2021 at 1:00 PM ET
Hosted by:
U.S. Department of Commerce
Minority Business Development Agency
NASA Johnson Space Center
Larta Institute
This event has now ended.
CLICK HERE TO REWATCH THE EVENT.
EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES IN SPACE TECHNOLOGY:
DEVELOPING NEW PRODUCTS FOR EARTH AND SPACE
NASA aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon by 2028. These ambitions demand innovative solutions across business and industrial sectors – from aeronautics to electronics, medicine to mechanical systems, human health to autonomous systems, in-situ resource utilization to surface mobility, and beyond. Progress will seed a new generation of inventions and space commerce startups.
Join the MBDA InVision Tour for an inside look at ways to engage and partner with Johnson Space Center (JSC). Hear about NASA’s top priorities for human space exploration and discover what solutions you can provide to sustain human presence in space. Learn about the untapped potential of existing space technologies, including how to leverage and commercialize NASA apps and patents.
The event will include sessions on the following topics:
What’s New at Johnson Space Center: Get a glimpse into the inner workings of JSC and explore engagement opportunities via contracts, patent licensing, partnerships, and more.
The Future of Space Commerce: NASA is committed to moving technologies and innovations into the mainstream of the U.S. economy. With the help of the SBIR/STTR program, we’re stimulating technological innovation by encouraging small, high-tech companies—particularly minority and disadvantaged businesses—to partner with NASA to help meet its research and development needs in key areas. At the same time, this program strengthens small companies by enabling them to bring cutting-edge new products into the U.S. economy.
Accelerate Commercial Success with Larta Institute: Learn how to avoid common pitfalls in the commercialization review process and prepare a winning go-to-market proposal.
MEET THE SPEAKERS:
Rupak Doshi is the Founder and CEO of OmniSync. Their product, TurboSBIR is a software solution that helps startups find and affordably apply for govt. grants and contracts like SBIRs and STTRs, with PhD-level guidance and support. Prior to OmniSync, Rupak worked at InhibRx, a biotherapeutics company that IPO’d in 2020. Rupak has a PhD from the University of Cambridge and has had a long life in academia through postdoctoral research at The Scripps Research Institute and UC San Diego. Rupak has built 2 companies in the past prior to OmniSync, with successful exits and retail to big name clients like the Levi’s Stadium. Rupak has helped people and companies win >$25 M in grants and contracts across several Federal agencies, such as NIH, NSF, Air Force, DoD, DHA, etc.
Rupak Doshi
Founder & CEO
OmniSync
Sam Gunderson is the Lead for Partnership Development at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). He is working with JSC leadership to enhance stakeholder relationships to “Propel the Space Economy” using JSC competencies to help industry manage the risk in support of meeting NASA missions. Prior to returning to JSC he was a director at Blue Origin for the business development team from 2012 to 2020. He worked early in the product lifecycle with the Advanced Programs and Engines businesses to establish relationships. He also worked closely with customers and community stakeholders to shape the environment to find balance in customer and Blue Origin objectives. Prior to joining Blue Origin, Sam was a minority owner of Cimarron, a small business supporting the space community. He was also a senior manager at Boeing in the ISS program and worked in business development for new human spacecraft and services. Sam began his career as a program analyst in the Lunar and Mars Program Office at NASA JSC. Sam earned two B.B.A.’s in finance and accounting from Texas A&M University and a master's degree in studies of the future from the University of Houston - Clear Lake. He is a CPA in the state of Texas.
Sam Gunderson
Lead for Partnership Development
NASA Johnson Space Center
Carlos Gutierrez is Chief Strategy Officer at Larta Institute, a Los Angeles-based mission-oriented nonprofit that advises & mentors emerging technology-based founders, startups, and institutions (public and private) developing solutions that Feed, Fuel, and Heal the world. Larta has designed and deployed national-scale commercialization and translational research programs with an applied focus that have been adopted by leading agencies (NIH, USDA, DOE, NSF, NOAA, NIST, DARPA, etc.) to support thousands of grant awardees to maximize ROI of publicly-funded R&D. In the course of its 25-year existence, Larta has built systems to generate science-to-market outcomes and an entrepreneur-in-residence network of 120+ subject matter/operational specialists in various sectors: bioscience, agricultural technology, energy, environment & sustainability, healthcare, IT, ed-tech, and materials science. Carlos launched Larta’s industry liaison network, which includes technology scouts, alliance, and corporate VC leaders across various technology sectors.
Carlos Gutierrez
Chief Strategy Officer
Larta Institute
Kris Romig is currently serving as the Technology Transfer Officer for the Exploration Technology Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Mr. Romig and his team are responsible for curating the intellectual property developed at Johnson Space Center from the disclosure of new innovations through the patent process and eventual licensing of those inventions. Additionally, Mr. Romig guides the team to enhance cross-talk between NASA innovators while improving technology development collaborations through knowledge exchange. He also provides strategic leadership for the Exploration Technology Office for the improved integration of JSC’s advanced technology development activities, technology transfer, and strategic partnerships.
Mr. Romig previously functioned as the Branch Chief for the Energy Conversion Systems Branch at Johnson Space Center where he oversaw In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies, the design, development, and testing of advanced power generation systems, and pyrotechnic devices for human spaceflight applications. He also served as an Associate Branch Lead for Instrument and Payload Systems Engineering (IPSE) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). IPSE provided systems engineering support to both outside and in-house GSFC instruments while hosting payload projects through all phases of the project lifecycle. One of Mr. Romig’s focus areas within the branch was the development and coordination of Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools and capabilities for GSFC.
Mr. Romig has also worked at NASA Headquarters (HQ) as the Deputy Chief Engineer for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) in the Office of Chief Engineer (OCE). In this capacity, Mr. Romig was responsible for providing program lifecycle and systems engineering expertise for human exploration programs and projects such as the Constellation and Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. Prior to his work at NASA HQ, Mr. Romig spent more than nine years working as a propulsion engineer and project manager/systems engineer at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). He supported the Space Shuttle Program and worked to develop cryogenic propulsion component and system level technologies for future exploration missions.
Kris Romig
Technology Transfer Officer
Exploration Technology Office
NASA Johnson Space Center
Breakout Session Presenters:
Dr. Sharmi Watkins is the Assistant Director for Exploration in NASA’s Human Health and Performance Directorate. Sharmi has served as a NASA Flight surgeon providing medical care to astronauts aboard the International Space Station, as the lead scientist for the NASA Human Research Program’s Exploration Medical Capability element, and as a medical subject matter expert for NASA’s exploration Programs and Commercial Crew Program.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Her residency training in internal medicine and aerospace medicine was completed at UTMB, where she also served as the Chief Resident of the Preventive Medicine Residency programs. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Preventive Medicine and a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association.
Sharmi Watkins, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Director for Exploration
Human Health and Performance Directorate
NASA Johnson Space Center
Ron Diftler is a Technology Partnership Specialist in the Exploration Technology Office at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Dr. Diftler facilities collaborations between JSC technology development organizations and external entities that include sister government agencies, industry, and non-profit research institutions. In his previous role as Chief of the Robotics System Technology Branch, he was responsible for projects in the areas of Humanoid Robotics, Wearable Robotics, and Mobility Systems. Dr. Diftler holds a B.S.E. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University, a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University.
Ron Diftler, PhD
Technology Partnership Specialist
Exploration Technology Office
NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Mr. Araghi serves as NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and advance energy storage Fuel Cell & Electrolysis domain manager for developing technologies for human Lunar and Mars missions. He is also the lead in Advance Fuel Cell Technologies at NASA/JSC to enhance intellectual as well as leadership capabilities. He also holds experience as space shuttle subsystem manager for 24 space shuttle missions.
Mr. Araghi also serves as a technical advisory member in several Technical Committees. He has published number of papers, some of his publications are listed below.
Araghi, K. R. (2011). NASA Non-Flow-Through PEM Fuel Cell System for Aerospace Applications.
Linne, D. L., Sanders, G. B., Starr, S. O., Eisenman, D. J., Suzuki, N. H., Anderson, M. S., ... & Araghi, K. R. (2017). Overview of NASA Technology Development for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU).
Sanders, G. B., Araghi, K., Ess, K., Valencia, L., Muscatello, A. C., Calle, C., ... & Iacomini, C. S. (2014). Mars Atmosphere Resource Verification INsitu (MARVIN)-In Situ Resource Demonstration for the Mars 2020 Mission. In AIAA SPACE 2014 Conference and Exposition (p. 4235).
Ryan, A. C., Araghi, K. R., & Farmer, S. C. (2013). Air-Independent Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for NASA's LOX-CH4 Landers.
Araghi, K. R. (2011). NASA Non-Flow-Through PEM Fuel Cell System for Aerospace Applications.
K. Araghi “Regenerative Fuel Cell Energy solution for surviving the lunar night” Planetary Session Speaker, AIAA Propulsion and Energy forum 2018, CINCINATEI , OH
Koorosh R. Araghi
In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) & Surface
Power (Fuel Cell & Electrolysis) Domain Manager
NASA Johnson Space Center
Agenda:
1:00 PM ET | Johnson Space Center & Ways to Engage
1:30 PM ET | Future of Space Commercialization
2:05 PM ET | 10-Minute Break
2:15 PM ET | Federal Funding SBIR: Avoiding Proposal Pitfalls (Larta Institute)
2:55 PM ET | Breakout Sessions
Breakout Sessions:
Optimizing Human Health and Performance during Space Travel Session
Presented By: Sharmi Watkins, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Watkins will discuss the five hazards of spaceflight (altered gravity, distance from earth, isolation and confinement, radiation, and closed environments) and explain how these give rise to approximately 30 identified risks to the human system. She will then briefly examine these risks and their contributions to overall human system risk for lunar and mars missions. Finally, she will discuss the various ways in which human system risks can be mitigated for spaceflight through each phase of the crew health and performance lifecycle: research & technology development, strategy and architecture choices, standards, requirements, and operations.
Robotic and Autonomy Technology Session
Presented By: Ron Diftler, Ph.D., Partnership Specialist, JSC Exploration Technology Office
The NASA/Johnson Space Center has been developing robotic and autonomous systems in support of space exploration for more than two decades. The primary goal is to design and build hardware and software to assist astronauts in performing their mission. This technology includes: rovers, humanoid robots, inspection devices, wearable robotics and the autonomous capabilities needed by robots, spacecraft, habitats, and other systems.
Inspection systems provide external views of space vehicles to search for surface damage and also maneuver inside restricted areas to verify proper connections. New concepts in human and robotic rovers offer solutions for navigating difficult terrain expected in future planetary missions. An important objective for humanoid robots is to relieve the crew of “dull, dirty or dangerous” tasks allowing them more time to perform their important science and exploration missions. Wearable robotics, one of the Center’s newest development areas, can provide crew with low mass exercise capability and also augment an astronaut’s strength while wearing a space suit.
JSC autonomy technology under development provides an architecture for spacecraft in the presence of the long communication time delay between Mars and Earth. Related autonomy technology includes incorporating on-board robots to be part of the vehicle/habitat system, providing additional capabilities for inspection, maintenance and logistics. Additional capabilities in goal management, execution monitoring and re-planning will provide these robots with needed autonomy to be efficient agents. Automated speech recognition will reduce crew workload when interfacing with various vehicle systems.
Using In-situ Resources Session
Presented By: Koorosh R. Araghi, Center ISRU & Advance Fuel Cell & Electrolysis Domain Manager
An overview of NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)/Game Changing Development (GCD) program office Lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) mission roadmaps, technology and capability developments at NASA Johnson Space Center (GCD ISRU Lead Center) in support of early Lunar tech-demo, ISRU pilot plan and full Lunar ISRU plan for production of 10 metric tons of consumables for crew life support and proportion system.
Hosted in partnership with
Questions?
Contact us at invision@mbda.gov.