Spotlight

Space Technology Hall of Fame® Holds Induction

Written by: developer

Space Technology Hall of Fame® Holds Induction Two diverse technologies and the people who developed them were honored at Space Technology Hall of Fame® events during the Space Foundation’s 27th National Space Symposium.

Commercial Earth-Imaging Satellites, which have broad-reaching applications for national security, logistics and disaster prevention and relief, and Intrifuge CellXpansion technology, which helps a wide variety of diseases, were recognized at a private induction ceremony on Thursday afternoon, April 14, and then later that evening at the Space Technology Hall of Fame® dinner.

The Space Technology Hall of Fame® honors innovations by organizations and individuals who transform space technology into commercial products that improve life on Earth.

Sponsored by Cisco Systems, Inc., the Private Induction Ceremony was hosted by Space Foundation Director – Space Awareness Kevin Cook and CISCO Iris Senior Director Greg Pelton and featured former NASA astronaut Danny Olivas.

The Space Technology Hall of Fame® dinner, featuring speaker P.J. O’Rourke, was sponsored by SpaceX and hosted by Space Foundation Board of Directors Treasurer Lon Levin and SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell.

Commercial Earth-Imaging Satellites
Geospatial technology using Earth-imaging satellites has reshaped our view of the world, improving national security, logistics and navigation, mapping, disease and natural disaster tracking and a myriad of other applications. Featuring highly accurate cameras on satellites positioned in orbit above the Earth, the commercial earth-imaging business grew out of Cold War military applications for reconnaissance missions that photographed classified military installations. Today, commercial satellite imagery providers serve worldwide demand for measuring and monitoring the Earth for security, emergency response, environmental assessment, natural resources, real-estate and news purposes. Applications include agriculture, geology, forestry, biodiversity conservation, regional planning, education, intelligence, cartography, seismology and oceanography, including predicting and monitoring earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, droughts and pandemics.

The 2011 Space Technology Hall of Fame® inductees for commercial Earth-imaging satellites are two companies that successfully adapted the technology and made it viable commercially: DigitalGlobe, Inc., which is based in Longmont, Colo., and  GeoEye, Inc., which is based in the Washington, D.C., area.

Intrifuge CellXpansion
Intrifuge CellXpansion technology is used to expand adult stem cells and assist in tissue engineering and production of human bio-molecules for research and treatment of a range of medical conditions. It is the latest adaptation of a bio-reactor technology originally developed and licensed by NASA to grow three-dimensional cells.

Manufactured for commercial sale by Synthecon, Inc., the bioreactor device uses a rotating chamber to rapidly cultivate tissues that closely approximate those in the human body. Regenetech, Inc., has modified the bioreactor to produce its own Intrifuge System and intellectual property known as CellXpansion to develop a range of therapies for conditions, including cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, skin ailments and orthopedic applications.

In addition to Regenetech and Synthecon, the 2011 Space Technology Hall of Fame® inducted NASA Johnson Space Center for its work on the program. All three are based in Houston, Texas.

The individuals inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame® were:

  • Ray Schwarz, chief engineer and co-founder, Synthecon
  • Tinh Trinh, senior mechanical engineer, NASA Johnson Space Center
  • Dr. David Wolf, NASA Astronaut, chief engineer and consultant to Regenetech

In addition to the inductions, the Space Foundation also gave individual commendations to:

  • Kyle Shanks, president and co-founder, Regenetech
  • Glen T. Odom, director, corporate secretary and co-founder, Regenetech
  • H. Lee Murphy III, vice president and co-founder, Regenetech
  • Charles D. Anderson, chairman, Synthecon
  • William J. Anderson, president and chief executive officer, Synthecon

About the Judges
The panel of judges who selected the 2011 Space Technology Hall of Fame® inductees comprised:

  • Ariane Cornell, executive director, Space Generation Advisory Council
  • Maj. Gen. Robert Dickman, USAF (Retired), executive director, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • Lt. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, USAF (Retired), senior vice president of corporate strategy and development, Orbital Sciences Corporation
  • Dan Lockney, editor, NASA’s Spinoff magazine
  • Mike Mason, director of marketing, Tempur-Pedic North America, Inc.
  • Mike Poore, deputy superintendent, Colorado Springs School District 11
  • Dorin Prunariu, chairman, UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
  • Jeanne Unemori Skog, president and chief executive officer, Maui Economic Development Board, Inc.
  • Jeff Trauberman, vice president, business development, The Boeing Company
  • Philippe Willekens, executive director, International Astronautical Federation

About the Award
The Space Technology Hall of Fame® was created in 1988 by the Space Foundation, in cooperation with NASA, to increase public awareness of the benefits resulting from space exploration programs and to encourage further innovation. To date, the Space Foundation has inducted 63 technologies as well as honoring the organizations and individuals who transformed space technology into commercial products that improve the quality of life for all humanity.

To see a video of the Space Technology Hall of Fame® dinner, click here. To see photos, click here. For more information, click here.

Pictured, top, left to right: SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell; Dr. Walter S. Scott, executive vice president and chief technical officer, DigitalGlobe, Inc.; and Space Foundation Elliot Pulham; middle,
William Anderson, president and chief executive officer, Synthecon, Inc., and John Saiz, chief technologist, NASA Johnson Space Center; bottom, William Schuster, chief operating officer, GeoEye, Inc., and Kyle Shanks, president and co-founder, Regenetech, Inc.

 

This article is part of Space Watch: June 2011 (Volume: 10, Issue: 6).


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