Space SMART Think Tank

Servicing, Manufacturing, Assembly, Robotics, and Transportation


We are a community think tank of leaders from industry, government, and academia who are working together to envision a future of space enabled by in-space servicing, manufacturing, assembly, robotics, and transportation (SMART). 

Vision

The SMART vision is fundamentally different from the way we do space operations today. In this vision, SMART capabilities transform space operations from unitary spacecraft in fixed orbits with all of the fuel and instruments that they will ever have to a routinely serviced and updated ecosystem of agile, resilient spacecraft whose capabilities are not limited by what fits in a single launch vehicle. They create an ecosystem of persistent spacecraft that are built and assembled in space, refueled and technologically updated, and have the ability to move and maneuver freely in space. Together they would form a robust in-space infrastructure of supply chain, logistics and construction.

Move and Maneuver

Novel in-space transportation capabilities will enable moving spacecraft between orbits affordably and efficiently, increase agility and resilience of space operation.

Manufacture and Assemble

In-space manufacturing and robotic assembly will enable "building in space for space". Launching raw materials and modular components and producing end-items in-space will enable currently unavailable assets and unachievable goals.

Service and Sustain

​Complex in-space systems with long and evolving lifetimes can maintain their productivity and be upgraded and repaired through refueling, repair and servicing, and responsible de-orbiting at the end of their life cycles.

Organizers

Think Tank Participants
Click on names to see participant biography

Al Tadros, Executive Vice President, RedWire
Allison Barto, Director, Ball Aerospace
Ben Reed, Vice President, IBX
Bernie Kelm, Branch Head, Naval Research Laboratory
Bhavya Lal, Acting Chief of Staff, NASA
Bob Friend, Chief Engineer, Boeing
Brian Weeden, Director, Secure World Foundation
Bryan Benedict, Senior Director, SES
Carol Welsch, Senior Directory, NGC
Chris Kunstadter, Global Head of Space, AXA XL
Dan Hastings, Professor, MIT
Daniel Levack, Program Manager, Aerojet Rocketdyne
Dave Barnhart, CEO and Co-Founder, Arkisys
Dave Fischer, Vice President, Astroscale U.S.
Dave Miller, VP and Chief Technology Officer, Aerospace Corporation
David Whelan, National Academia of Engineers
Deborah Tomek, Senior Advisor for OSAM, NASA STMD
Erika Wagner, Director, Blue Origin
Gary Henry, Senior Director, SpaceX
G.P. Sandhoo, Professor, Naval Academy
Jay Pittman, Assistant Director, NASA GSFC
Jay Santee, Vice President, Aerospace Corporation

Jerry Krassner, Consultant
John Lymer, Chief Architect, MDA
John Vickers, Principal Technologist, NASA STMD
Joseph Anderson, Vice President, Space Logistics LLC
Justin Kugler, Vice President, Made in Space
Karl Stolleis, Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory
Laurie Chappell, Senior Director of Business Development, MDA
Leslie Doggrell, Director, Aerospace Corporation
Lisa May, Chief Technologist, Lockheed Martin
Mason Peck, Professor, Cornell University
Michele Gaudreault, Deputy Chief Scientist, United States Space Force
Mike Kaplan, Vice President, Belcan
Mike Lubin, Vice President, Viasat
Pam Melroy, Director, Nova Systems
Pamela Sullivan, Program Director, NOAA
Rene Fradet, Former Chief Financial Officer, NASA JPL - retired
Robert Ambrose, Division Chief, NASA JSC
Robert Connerton, Division Chief Engineer, NASA SMD/GSFC
Rob Hoyt, CEO, Tethers Unlimited
Shannon Coffey, Program Manager, NRO
Tim Deaver, Director, Airbus
William Carter, Program Manager, DARPA DSO
Copyright (C) 2021, Space SMART Think Tank