Space 2.0:

The New Space Age Continues

Sunday, May 29, 8:30 AM

The new space age is here—what can we expect in space exploration, development, and the human settlement of the final frontier? Join Ad Astra Editor-in-Chief Rod Pyle as he discusses our next 25 years in space with a panel of some of the brightest minds in NewSpace. The future is here, but it’s a moving target–we’ll help you to know what to expect.

Chair:

Rod Pyle

Author, Journalist, Filmmaker

Chair:

Rod Pyle

Author, Journalist, Filmmaker

Rod Pyle is an author, journalist, television producer, and Editor-in-Chief of Ad Astra magazine. He has written 17 books on space history, exploration and development, including “Space 2.0,” “Innovation the NASA Way,” and “Destination Mars,” and writes for space-related periodicals including Popular Science, Space.com, LiveScience and “Sky at Night.” Pyle co-authored the “Apollo Leadership Experience” for NASA’s Johnson Space Center. He has produced, directed and written for The History Channel, Discovery and National Geographic TV, and is the host of iHeart’s “Cool Space News” podcast. Pyle is a frequent guest on national radio and television on space-related topics. Earlier in his career, Pyle produced television commercials, educational films, and was a visual effects coordinator on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and the reboot of “Battlestar Galactica.” He holds a degree in filmmaking from the Art Center College of Design and a Masters of Arts in communication research from Stanford University.

Speakers

Dr. Erin Macdonald

Astrophysicist
Technical Consultant for Star Trek

Dr. Erin Macdonald

Astrophysicist
Technical Consultant for Star Trek

Dr. Erin Macdonald works as a technical consultant for the entire Star Trek franchise –– all five current shows! She is a recurring writer for the popular YouTube channel Extra Credits and wrote and narrated the audible original The Science of Sci-Fi, which was a top 10 bestseller in March 2020. Erin received her Ph.D. in astrophysics at 25 from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, researching general relativity and gravitational waves. After that, she moved into public education at museums and colleges before consulting for the U.S. Department of Defense and, what is now, the U.S. Space Force.

Tim Alatorre

Cofounder, Chief Operating Officer, and Chair of the Board
Orbital Assembly Corporation

Tim Alatorre

Cofounder, Chief Operating Officer, and Chair of the Board
Orbital Assembly Corporation

Tim Alatorre NCARB, a founder of Orbital Assembly Corporation, brings more than 20 years of experience in business management, engineering, habitat design, and programming to his roles as chief operating officer and chair of the board.

Alatorre was previously CEO of Domum, an internationally recognized architecture firm based in California. There, he increased revenue by 240% and grew the startup firm to a multinational organization overseeing more than $320 million in construction projects annually. He has supervised the design and construction of more than 600 structures and more than $1.5 billion in construction projects.

Alatorre served as a planning commissioner and member of a municipal Architectural Review Committee for the city of Rocklin, CA, for several years, and worked as a consulting subject matter expert for the state of California for more than a decade.

Alatorre earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

Andy Aldrin

Director, Buzz Aldrin Space Institute (BASI)
Associate Professor, Florida Institute of Technology

Andy Aldrin

Director, Buzz Aldrin Space Institute (BASI)
Associate Professor, Florida Institute of Technology

Dr. Andrew Aldrin is the Founding Program Chair of the Master of Space Operations program at Embry Riddle University. Dr. Aldrin is also President of the Aldrin Family Foundation, a charitable 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to harnessing the inspiration of space to ignite a passion for STEAM education in students of all ages and backgrounds. He has served in leadership roles in this organization since 2014, during which time he has overseen the extension of educational programs to over 300 elementary schools and universities.

Dr. Aldrin is also the Director of the ISU Center for Space Entrepreneurship at Florida Tech and an Associate Professor of Engineering Management at Florida Tech. Before moving into academia, Dr. Aldrin had a distinguished career in industry and government research, including executive positions at Boeing, United Launch Alliance and Moon Express.

Dr. Aldrin was also a member of the research staff at the RAND Corporation and the Institute for Defense Analyses. He serves on the board of several charitable organizations, including The Secure World Foundation, Sea Space Symposium, and the Tau Zero Foundation. He holds a Ph.D. from UCLA in Political Science, an MBA from TRIUM (NYU, LSE, HEC), and an MA from George Washington University in Science, Technology and Public Policy.