Human Endeavors from Earth to Mars — A View into the Coming Decade
Brigadier General Steve “Bucky” Butow with the Defense Innovation Unit, Sassie and Andrew Duggleby with Venus Aerospace, and Deanea LeFlore with The Ion on the Human Endeavors from Earth to Mars keynote session at Fed Supernova.
What you’ll find out
- What does the future hold for the aerospace industry, and how can aerospace startups bring their ideas to life?
- How can startups expect to work with the Defense Innovation Unit? What are the steps?
- How will the Department of Defense leverage venture capital to help integrate these emergent capabilities into mainstream defense portfolios?
Key takeaways
- “We’re ultimately trying to build a space plane. It sounds pretty far-fetched, but we’re zeroing in on three key technologies that help enable it. From propulsion advancements and rocket engines to a new frame of hypersonics, as well some leading-edge cooling, in each one of these along our path. There are some commercialization opportunities as we develop those technologies hopefully within the Department of Defense and commercially.” — Andrew Duggleby, Venus Aerospace
- “It’s about the support, helping with the business plan, and bringing their contacts to the table. I think sometimes people are thinking that, ‘if I could just get the money,’ but your investors bring a lot more to the table than money when you get the right ones.” — Deanea LeFlore, The Ion
- “As I look forward 10 to 20 years, I’m excited for what the entrepreneurial system will generate and what companies will then let us reach out into the solar system, not just getting to Mars, but mine that asteroid, or send solar power satellites… If you go back in history, the things that we learned during the Manhattan Project or the Apollo program of how to do really hard things, we have sort of now relearned in a different setting with new technologies. And it’s super exciting.” — Andrew Duggleby, Venus Aerospace
- “You don’t have to have a fully integrated solution. If you’re working on something, it could be a component, it could be a key supply chain item for this rapidly growing industry that’s doing everything from launching for satellites to in-space transportation and logistics. Be a part of the effort and do your piece and you’ll find there’s money and contract mechanisms for you to bring your best ideas forward.” — Brigadier General Steve “Bucky” Butow, Defense Innovation Unit
Who you’ll hear from
About Fed Supernova
Fed Supernova, presented by Microsoft, is a virtual conference highlighting federal innovation in Texas. This first-of-its-kind interactive experience will draw national attention and connect leading entrepreneurs, investors, thought leaders, corporations, and decision-makers from around the world.
About Capital Factory
Capital Factory is the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas, the number one state for startups in the U.S. Thousands of entrepreneurs, programmers, and designers gather day and night, in-person and online for meetups, classes, and coworking. With boots on the ground in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, we meet the best entrepreneurs in Texas and introduce them to investors, employees, mentors, and customers. According to Pitchbook, Capital Factory has been the most active, early-stage investor in Texas since 2010.
