Find out how were working toward living and working in space at TC Sessions: Space 2020 – TechCrunch

The idea of people going to live and work in space, outside of the extremely unique case of the International Space Station, has long been the strict domain of science fiction. Thats changing fast, however, with public space agencies, private companies and the scientific community all looking at ways of making it safe for people to live and work in space for longer periods and broadening accessibility of space to people who dont necessarily have the training and discipline of dedicated astronauts.

At TC Sessions: Space on December 16 & 17, well be talking to some of the people who want to make living and working in space a reality, and who are paving the way for the future of both commercial and scientific human space activity. Those efforts range from designing the systems people will need for staying safe and comfortable on long spaceflights, to ideating and developing the technologies needed for long-term stays on the surface of worlds that are far less hospitable to life than Earth, like the moon and Mars.

Were thrilled to have Janet Kavandi from Sierra Nevada Corporation, Melodie Yashar from SEArch+, Nujoud Mercy from NASA and Axioms Amir Blachman joining us at TC Sessions: Space on December 16 &17 to chat about the future of human space exploration and commercial activity.

Janet Kavandi is executive vice president of Space Systems at the Sierra Nevada Corporation. She was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1994 as a member of the fifteenth class of U.S. astronauts. She completed three space flights in which she supported space station payload integration, capsule communications and robotics. She went on to serve as director of flight crew operations at NASAs Johnson Space Center and then as director of NASAs Glenn Research Center, where she directed cutting-edge research on aerospace and aeronautical propulsion, power and communication technologies. She retired from NASA in 2019 after 25 years of service.

Melodie Yashar is a design architect, technologist and researcher. She is co-founder of Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), a group developing human-supporting concepts for space exploration. SEArch+ won top prize in both of NASAs design solicitations for a Mars habitat within the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. The success of the teams work in NASAs Centennial Challenge led to consultancy roles and collaborations with UTAS/Collins Aerospace, NASA Langley, ICON, NASA Marshall and others.

Nujoud Merancy is a systems engineer with extensive background in human spaceflight and spacecraft at NASA Johnson Space Center. She is currently the chief of the Exploration Mission Planning Office responsible for the team of engineers and analysts designing, developing and integrating NASAs human spaceflight portfolio beyond low earth orbit. These missions include planning for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, Space Launch System, Exploration Ground Systems, Gateway and Human Landing System.

Amir Blachman is chief business officer at Axiom, a pioneering company in the realm of commercializing space and building the first generation of private commercial space stations. He spent most of his career investing in and leading early-stage companies. Before joining Axiom as the companys first employee, he managed a syndicate of 120 space investors in 11 countries. Through this syndicate, he funded lunar landers, communication networks, Earth-imaging satellites, antennae and exploration technologies.

In order to hear from these experts, youll need to pick up your ticket to TC Sessions: Space, which will also include video on demand for all sessions, which means you wont have to miss a minute of expert insight, tips and trend spotting from the top founders, investors, technologists, government officials and military minds across public, private and defense sectors. There are even discounts for groups, students and military/government officials.

Youll find panel discussions, interviews, fireside chats and interactive Q&As on a range of topics: mineral exploration, global mapping of the Earth from space, deep tech software, defense capabilities, 3D-printed rockets and the future of agriculture and food technology. Dont miss the breakout sessions dedicated to accessing grant money. Explorethe event agendanow and get a jump on organizing your schedule.

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Find out how were working toward living and working in space at TC Sessions: Space 2020 - TechCrunch