Significant advancements in NASA’s crewed space exploration occurred in 2020, marked by the formal launch of the Commercial Crew Program in collaboration with SpaceX, and the ongoing Artemis program designed to land astronauts on the Moon again. Kathryn Lueders, NASA’s Associate Administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate, has been central to these developments, having previously served as the Commercial Crew Program Manager – making her uniquely qualified to discuss the agency’s accomplishments and objectives for human spaceflight.

Ms. Lueders will participate in TC Sessions: Space this year, scheduled for December 16th and 17th. This event is entirely virtual and will showcase prominent figures and programming from the space industry, the public sector, and the startup community. She will be interviewed by Emily Calandrelli, a scientist, engineer, and the host of the popular Netflix series Emily’s Wonder Lab.

The discussion will focus on NASA’s successful validation of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Dragon systems for crewed launches, which eliminates the need for the United States to depend on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft for travel to and from the International Space Station – and represents the first instance of a commercially built and operated spacecraft being approved for human spaceflight.

The Dragon spacecraft is poised to make history once more with its inaugural operational crewed mission, scheduled to transport three NASA astronauts and one astronaut from JAXA to the ISS this weekend.

Ms. Lueders will also provide insights into the continuing efforts to establish a second commercial crew provider with Boeing, who are currently working to certify their Starliner spacecraft, as well as NASA’s plans to land the next man and the first woman from the United States on the lunar surface through the Artemis program. She is also well-positioned to address the agency’s future collaborations with commercial companies and startups in the realm of human space exploration.

Early Bird Tickets are available for $125 until 11:59 p.m. tonight, Friday, November 13th. We also offer reduced pricing for groups, students, active military personnel/government employees, and early-stage space startup founders interested in presenting their ventures and increasing their company’s profile.