Aerospace Experts Lead Panel Discussion at Space Soirée
For the second time since the pandemic, Tech Square ATL (TSQATL) Social Club hosted another hybrid (both in-person and virtual), safely-distanced, out-of-this-world event. On Wednesday, September 30, astronauts and aliens alike gathered at mission control (The Clubhouse) for the TSQATL Space Soirée – a themed evening full of complimentary refreshments, guest speakers, networking opportunities, games, prizes, and more.
With the garage doors open once again for steady air flow, attendees suited up (wore masks) and had their vitals checked (temperature taken) before launching into the evening’s festivities.
Of course, no one should enter orbit on an empty stomach, so guests were provided with dehydrated space food (just kidding, it was hot and fresh pizza!) – but not before answering the question of “If you could visit any planet/moon in our solar system, which would it be and why?” The range of responses were as expansive as our galaxy:
“Jupiter, because it looks gorgeous and I wonder if I would feel even smaller than on Earth.”
“Europa – there might be signs of life there.”
“Pluto. It really is a planet.”
While in-person attendees networked and noshed, the official countdown for blast-off started, which also notified those that wished to attend virtually that the discussion was about to start. Even with no oxygen in space, you could still feel the excitement in the air as our four premier panelists boarded the launchpad, or as we call it, the stage:
Phil Clifton - Graduate Research Assistant at Georgia Tech Space Systems Design Lab
Phil is an Aerospace Engineering Masters student at Georgia Tech, who is passionate about the commercial space industry. During his undergraduate years, Phil served as president of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space at Georgia Tech, as well as in several roles at the Space Frontier Foundation. He has interned at a variety of space industry companies, including SpaceWorks Enterprises and Analytical Graphics.
Rohan Sohani - Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering Student, Former NASA Software Development Intern
Rohan is a third-year Aerospace Engineering student at Georgia Tech. Born and raised in Johns Creek, Georgia, Rohan has been interested in planes and spacecraft since a young age. During high school, he received his Private Pilot license and is currently working on his Instrument License! Along with his NASA internship, Rohan just completed an internship at Tesla as an Interior Engineering Intern. Outside of academia, he enjoys playing golf and has even recently picked up cooking during quarantine.
Blake Tiede - Graduate Research Assistant at Georgia Tech Aerospace Systems Design Lab
Blake is an Aerospace Engineering Masters student at Georgia Tech, who also completed his undergraduate there as well. With a background in Spacecraft Communications and Guidance Navigation and Controls (GNC), Blake has been funded for his research on electrical propulsion for small aircrafts from NASA. Additionally, his senior design and grad research is centered around missions to Titan, one Saturn’s many moons.
Gary O'Neill - Senior Aerospace and Defense Specialist-COI Aerospace, Georgia Department of Economic Development
Gary is a Senior Research Engineer with the Georgia Tech School of Aerospace Engineering. He is currently serving as the Senior Aerospace and Defense Specialist of the Center of Innovation for Aerospace (COIA), a unit of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. As part of his focus on technology for COIA, he is the coordinator for the state’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Working Group. He has a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Masters of Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School. He joined Georgia Tech as a research faculty member after a 25-year career in the US Navy as an operational helicopter pilot and acquisition logistics and maintenance expert with two command tours in the Naval Air Systems Command.
For over an hour, our in-house livestream moderator asked the panelists a variety of questions around how they got interested in their respective fields, upcoming space missions they’re excited about, the future of the space program, and more:
“When we went to the moon before, we left a trace there, but did not establish a permanent presence. If we want to be able to venture further into the solar system, it’s imperative that we have the ability to use the moon as a launch platform to send missions from. Think of it as a hub for space transportation.”
“The interesting thing with private space companies is that they’re driving prices down for multiple aspects of the aerospace industry. Smaller companies are now able to make satellites very small in size and cheap, making the capabilities crazy. Now you have something so small, you can just tack it onto another mission. There’s now more accessibility for companies to send things to space.”
“As NASA and other companies explore who they want on the crew of their missions, it’s really important to take a look at the man/woman dynamic. Naturally, certain bodies may be better at certain tasks. I think that having a mix of male and female crews is the way to go. When you’re out in space or on the moon, you have limited resources. Having multiple diverse perspectives is paramount to make sure you can get past problems.”
“The real economic benefit of space isn’t in the launch vehicle, and it’s not even in the satellite. It’s in the data brought down by the satellites to users for a specific purpose. There are companies here in Atlanta doing hundreds of millions of dollars a year, in just moving data enabled by the satellites that are out there. So the small constellation satellites that are being launched now will have and extreme impact and spur all sorts of economic development that we haven’t even thought about yet. That’s the exciting part about the space program.”
During the discussion, virtual attendees commented throughout the livestream with their specific questions for the panelists to answer, including:
“What do you see as the biggest challenge in the aerospace industry right now in 2020?”
“What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about the aerospace industry, whether that’s in commercial flight, space travel, or any other facet of the discipline?”
“What is your biggest piece of advice for an undergraduate student who is looking to set themselves up for success within the aerospace industry?”
To learn those answers – and to watch the full livestream – check out youtube.com/c/TechSquareATL or view it below.
Eventually the panel discussion concluded, but the entertainment did not! Guests continued to explore their surroundings by participating in a space-themed guessing game, putting together a solar system puzzle, and testing different launch angles for our rocket stomp challenge.
Networking continued throughout the evening, which was a common theme amongst the panelists, who consistently urged and encouraged those interested in aerospace of any kind to get involved – whether it be through private, local chapters at a university or via public groups and social clubs, like TSQATL.
Engaging and interacting with others who have similar interests, like aerospace, for example, is especially important right now. With the pandemic causing some people to feel as isolated as being on a different planet, we are proud we could once again successfully curate an environment where like-minded individuals could come together – safely – to connect and collaborate with each other in a setting that only further drives growth and innovation.
And we’ll continue safely hosting these types of events for our community members. In fact, for those interested in the advancements of the space program and future missions, please join our upcoming Power Meal “The Meaning of Space Exploration” on Thursday, October 15. Only six tickets are available, so be sure to RSVP to secure your spot today. Lunch will be included as our host George N. Tzintzarov discusses the expansion of the human race's space exploration enterprise.
DID YOU KNOW?
A local startup in Atlanta focused on hypersonic jets, Hermeus, is developing a Mach 5 aircraft to connect people faster and bring much needed innovation to commercial flight.
What about the aerospace industry do you find most fascinating? Let us know in the comments below.