Ceramics & Glass Research and Manufacturing in Space to Benefit Life on Earth

Sponsored by: ACerS Sapphire Corporate Partner Sierra Space

Tuesday, September 20, 2022; 12 – 1 p.m. Eastern US time

The webinar, Ceramics & Glass Research and Manufacturing in Space to Benefit Life on Earth, will be presented by Dr. Jonathan Volk, the Senior Manager of In-Space Manufacturing and Advanced Materials at Sierra Space.

DESCRIPTION

In this exciting webinar, Sierra Space will present an overview of how researchers and manufacturers can utilize the microgravity environment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to advance innovation in the ceramics & glass industries, including the production of novel materials.

The webinar will discuss the fundamental physics of microgravity enabled research and how that leads toward actual in-space production. Additionally, the benefits of testing ceramic and glass materials in the extreme space environment will also be discussed. Case studies from previous investigators, including those by commercial companies as well as academia will be presented. There will be an overview of possible areas of interest in utilizing the LEO environment for the glass & ceramics community, as well a summary of the current and new commercial platforms in LEO that can accommodate this type of research and manufacturing innovation. Opportunities for accessing these platforms will be provided as well.  

INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Jonathan Volk is the Senior Manager of In-Space Manufacturing and Advanced Materials at Sierra Space, where he leads programs and initiatives in this sector across all Sierra Space vehicles and platforms. Prior to joining Sierra Space, he was the Director of Commercialization Strategies for Space Commerce Matters, where he developed and managed opportunities to drive the commercialization of space through innovation, research, testing, and manufacturing.

Before coming to Space Commerce Matters, he was the Commercial Innovation Manager for Physical and Materials Science at the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which managed the U.S. National Laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS). While there, he lead many Fortune 500 companies get their research to space, including Goodyear, Milliken, Eli Lilly, Procter & Gamble, Delta Faucet, Ecolab, and Colgate-Palmolive. He also led the team that recruited the National Science Foundation to form a sponsored program with CASIS to conduct research on the ISS.

Dr. Volk helped develop the non-profit organization called the Keystone Space Collaborative, which is focused on growing the space sector in the tri-state region of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia through education, commercialization, innovation, economic development. He currently serves on their Board of Directors. He received a B.S. from the University of Notre Dame and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida, both in Chemical Engineering. His Ph.D. research was funded through NASA and focused on thermal transport in life support systems for space vehicles and habitats.

REGISTRATION

Registration cost: Free

Register here

If you have any questions, please contact Erica Zimmerman.

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