OTT joined NASA, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commerce, and the commercial space industry at the 2019 SpaceCom Expo.
Office of Technology Transitions
December 4, 2019
minute read time
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) joined NASA, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commerce, and the commercial space industry at this year’s SpaceCom Expo from November 20-21, in Houston. SpaceCom offers participants the exciting opportunity to connect with government agencies and space industry leaders to further American development and competitiveness toward the trillion-dollar space economy. Department experts participated in every aspect of the event, highlighting the extensive and innovative work DOE researchers do that directly impacts commercialization of space.
DOE Showcase
DOE shone on the showcase floor, with representatives from OTT and seven of our “crown jewel” National Labs showing off the newest developments for space applications. Event participants connected with Department representatives and Lab experts to find new opportunities to collaborate and partner.
Participating DOE Laboratories:
- Idaho National Laboratory
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Sandia National Laboratories
- Savannah River National Laboratory
OTT also highlighted the launch of the new space portal featured on Energy’s Lab Partnering Service (LPS). LPS is an innovative online search tool providing a way for investors to leverage and connect with the Department’s unrivaled research expertise.
Click here to explore the LPS space portal.
Taking the Stage
Representatives from DOE and the National Labs were out and about throughout the event, participating on panels, leading breakout sessions, and presenting remarks.
OTT Director Conner Prochaska spoke on a panel with Tom Cremins of NASA, Kelvin Coleman of the FAA, and Kevin O’Connell of the Department of Commerce to discuss the all of government approach to building the trillion-dollar space economy. He also hosted a discussion with NASA Technology Transfer Strategist, Steve Gonzalez, unpacking and exploring the countless opportunities to bring our agencies’ incredible tech toward the market.
Scientists from Savannah River National Laboratory (L) and Lawrence Livermore National Lab (R) showed off their impressive work on space-related projects, including thermal- and radiation- resistant foam and miniature CO2 measuring satellites.
A keynote by Under Secretary of Science Paul Dabbar opened the final day of SpaceCom, highlighting DOE’s important role in the space economy. He noted the groundbreaking work coming from DOE’s National Labs that will greatly impact future space applications, including new exascale computers and quantum networks.
As a bonus for this year's attendees, Planetary Society CEO and science advocate Bill Nye delivered the final keynote, taking a few minutes with OTT and Under Secretary Dabbar to discuss innovation and DOE's work in the fast-moving space economy. Overall, SpaceCom 2019 was an out of this world success. Thank you to SpaceCom, NASA, Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commerce, industry leaders and participants for a great week showcasing America’s unrivaled commercial space sector.
