Gravitics Joins Space Station Leaders to Discuss Future at ISS R&D Conference
August 2, 2023
Seattle, Washington – 8/2/2023 – Gravitics Co-Founder and CEO Colin Doughan was invited to participate in the International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) taking place in Seattle, Washington. Hosted by the Center of the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS), manager of the ISS National Laboratory; NASA; and the American Astronautical Society (AAS).
Gravitics CEO Colin Doughan spoke about next-gen modules and space stations in a panel discussion entitled “Innovating in the Space Landscape,” on August 2nd, 2023. The panel was moderated by Elizabeth Reynolds, of Starburst Aerospace, and included Joshua Western of Space Forge, Kelly Hennig of Stoke Space, Lisa Rich of Xplore, and Justin Bellucci of Privateer Space.
The discussion was centered around how new commercial space companies are changing the larger space landscape. Each panelist had an opportunity to speak about the benefits of commercialization, industry market trends, and how the work done in space will benefit humanity here on earth.
When asked about how the government may benefit from commercialization of space, Colin Doughan cited the ability for further innovation and the growing market need for products like Gravitics’ space station modules. “By the government buying a service or new products, and then continuing to do so, they’re establishing a market that will then justify raising startups to engage.”
Colin Doughan spoke to Gravitics’ strategy building space real estate, saying “We need large volumes in space. We need room on orbit. I can’t wait for the day where more and more things have to be done in space.” He continued “That’s good for my business, but that can’t be the only thing we think of. Sometimes we get our blinders on in this industry, and only think about our own businesses. I think we have to be very creative to grow this market and ask ourselves: is there something clever I can do in space that I can take to the ground to scale?”
A large portion of the ISS R&D Conference still revolves around actual research and development in space. As we look to the future, the conference has increasingly become focused on what happens next in low earth orbit as NASA and partners plan for the decommissioning of the International Space Station. In 2023 the ISS R&D Conference was a valuable forum for space leaders to discuss the future of space stations.
