Tag: Michael Gazarik

AIAA Announces 2023 ASCEND Guiding Coalition Comprised of Prominent Leaders Across the Aerospace Community and Adjacent Industries

June 26, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is proud to announce the 44 members of the 2023 ASCEND Guiding Coalition who represent a diverse mix of leading aerospace companies, government agencies, and academic institutions, each with a shared commitment to the mission of ASCEND to Accelerate Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery.

The ASCEND Guiding Coalition is an advisory board of technology, science, engineering, and business leaders selected to help maximize ASCEND’s reach and impact, including the design and content of its centerpiece annual event. 2023 ASCEND is scheduled for 23–25 October, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, focused on building our sustainable off-world future through collaboration.

“The members of the ASCEND Guiding Coalition bring a wealth of experience and expertise as leaders in commercial space operations, government space policy, science and technology policy, new entrepreneurial ventures, and business strategy. We are thrilled for their involvement so we can build our off-world future faster,” said Julie Van Kleeck, ASCEND Executive Producer and AIAA Space Domain Lead.

The members of the 2023 ASCEND Guiding Coalition are:

  • Sirisha Bandla, Vice President, Government Affairs, Virgin Galactic
  • Bill Beckman, Director, NASA Programs, Boeing Global Sales and Marketing
  • Tejpaul Bhatia, Chief Revenue Officer, Axiom Space
  • Robert (Bobby) D. Braun, Head, Space Exploration Sector, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Tory Bruno, CEO, United Launch Alliance
  • Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear, United States Space Force*
  • Steven (Bucky) J. Butow, Director, Space Portfolio, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)*
  • Johnathon Caldwell, Vice President and General Manager, Military Space, Lockheed Martin
  • Ahsan Choudhuri, Associate Vice President for Aerospace Center and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso
  • Carissa Christensen, CEO, BryceTech
  • Sandra Connelly, Deputy Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA*
  • Michael Costas, General Manager, Defense and Space, Bechtel Nuclear, Security & Environmental
  • Laura Crabtree, Chief Executive Officer, Epsilon3
  • Kara Cunzeman, Lead Futurist, Strategic Foresight, The Aerospace Corporation
  • Robert Curbeam, Senior Vice President, Space Capture, Maxar
  • Dan Dumbacher, Executive Director, AIAA
  • Ariel Ekblaw, Director, Space Exploration Initiative, MIT Media Lab
  • Carol Erikson, Vice President, Digital Transformation, Space Systems, Northrop Grumman*
  • Debra Facktor, Head of U.S. Space Systems, Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, Inc.
  • James Free, Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA
  • Michael Gazarik, Vice President, Engineering, Ball Aerospace
  • Bill Gerstenmaier, Vice President, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX
  • Phillip Ingle, Manager Director, Morgan Stanley
  • Lt. Gen. Larry James, USAF (Ret.), Deputy Director, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory*
  • Steve Jurczyk, Co-Founder and CEO, Quantum Space*
  • Janet Kavandi, President, Sierra Space*
  • Joe Landon, CEO, Crescent Space
  • Sandra Magnus, Principal, Astroplanetview, LLC
  • Clare Martin, Executive Vice President, Astroscale U.S.*
  • Jim Maser, Senior Vice President, Space, Aerojet Rocketdyne
  • Rob Meyerson, CEO, Delalune Space
  • Mark Mozena, Vice President, Government Affairs, Planet Federal*
  • Todd Nygren, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Technology Group, The Aerospace Corporation
  • Shawna Pandya, Director, Space Medicine Group, International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS)
  • Lt. Gen. John Shaw, Deputy Commander, U.S. Space Command*
  • Wanda Sigur, President, Lambent Engineering LLC
  • Lauren Smith, Senior Program Manager, Satellite Servicing, Northrop Grumman
  • Melanie Stricklan, CEO & Co-Founder, Slingshot Aerospace
  • Russ Teehan, Principal Solutions Architect, Government Satellite Systems, Amazon
  • Derek Tournear, Director, Space Development Agency
  • Julie Van Kleeck, ASCEND Executive Producer and AIAA Space Domain Lead
  • Matthew C. Weinzierl, Senior Associate Dean and Chair, MBA Program; Joseph and Jacqueline Elbling Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School*
  • Vanessa Wyche, Director, NASA Johnson Space Center

Registration for 2023 ASCEND is open now. Journalists from around the world are invited to cover the event; press passes are available for credentialed media by request.

*New Members in 2023

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About ASCEND
Powered by AIAA, ASCEND, which stands for Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery, is the world’s premier collaborative, outcomes-driven, interdisciplinary community designed to accelerate the building of our off-world future. For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

ASCENDxTexas to Focus on Breaking Barriers and Accelerating the Space Ecosystem

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced the program for its collaborative event focused on pathways for our success – ASCENDxTexas – 29–30 March, South Shore Harbour Resort & Conference Center, Houston, Texas. With the space ecosystem and activities increasing exponentially, this event brings together key global stakeholders in Texas who will share how they’re accelerating our progress toward a sustainable off-world future.

Registration for ASCENDxTexas is open. Journalists who wish to cover this event can request a Press Pass here.

Vanessa Wyche, Director, NASA Johnson Space Center, and member of the ASCEND Guiding Coalition, will deliver opening remarks. The event will feature a keynote address, “Sustaining the Momentum,” by Kathryn Lueders, Associate Administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA. Lueders will focus on defining the next steps to remove barriers and expand on the approaches for success. As innovation and markets evolve continuously, she will discuss how we can keep the momentum going and ensure progress for the whole space ecosystem.

The event also will feature a keynote address entitled, “Charge to Move Forward,” by Michael Gazarik, Vice President, Engineering, Ball Aerospace, and member of the ASCEND Guiding Coalition. He will discuss how we take lessons learned to move toward the future, without inhibiting our potential, and how we let go of the past that’s holding us back.

The ASCENDxTexas program features a diverse group of visionaries and leaders. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

  • Stephen Altemus, President and CEO, Intuitive Machines
  • Ian Christensen, Director, Private Sector Programs, Secure World Foundation
  • Steve Cook, President, Dynetics
  • Erin Defossé, COO, Slingshot Aerospace
  • Dan Dumbacher, Executive Director, AIAA
  • Angela Hart, Manager, Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, NASA
  • Andy Hines, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Foresight, University of Houston
  • Jason Kalirai, Mission Area Executive for Civil Space, Space Exploration Sector, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Catherine Koerner, Deputy Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA
  • Kathy Laurini, Human Space Exploration Strategy, Dynetics
  • Christian Maender, Executive Vice President, In-Space Solutions, Axiom
  • Todd May, Senior Vice President, Science and Space, KBR
  • Nujoud Merancy, Strategy and Architecture Lead, NASA
  • Carie Mullins, Director, Analytics, BryceTech
  • Kirk Shireman, Vice President, Lunar Exploration Campaign, Lockheed Martin
  • Charles Stegemoeller, Director, NASA Business Development and Capture Management, Leidos
  • Dan Tani, Director, Business Development Operations, Human Exploration and Operations, Northrop Grumman
  • Julie Van Kleeck, Space Domain Lead and ASCEND Executive Producer, AIAA

“We are excited to return to Space City with ASCENDxTexas for a second year,” said AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher. “This unique event gives the ASCEND community another opportunity to come together to gain insights on the latest strategies and opportunities for success in both the current global market and our future in space. We look forward to welcoming space industry leaders to learn about new players and partners, identify solutions to barriers, and see how commercialization supports future space capabilities.”

Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About ASCEND
Powered by AIAA, ASCEND, which stands for Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery, is the world’s premier collaborative, outcomes-driven, interdisciplinary community designed to accelerate the building of our off-world future. For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.