Date: Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Time: 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Location: WRW 102

The UT Austin chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is hosting Thomas Pickens III, President and CEO of Astrotech.

Come hear how private companies like Astrotech are changing the face of the aerospace industry! Open to all engineering students; pizza and drinks will be served!! 

“Space:  The Final Frontier for Entrepreneurship”

Astrotech’s mission… to seek out new technologies and innovation… to boldly go where no business has gone before

Tom Pickens started his first successful multi-million dollar business while in college. Now, he is President and CEO of Astrotech Corporation. Established 25 years ago, Astrotech Corporation is a commercial and entrepreneurial force in the space industry providing a full spectrum of products and services to both the government and private sectors. Astrotech Space Operations is a global satellite processing leader with 275 successful spacecraft missions to date providing customers with everything from conceptual design through orbital insertion and command and control. Through other business units such as Astrogenetix, 1st Detect and AirWard, the Astrotech Corporation continues to pave the way in the commercialization of space by translating space-based technology into terrestrial applications. Atrogenetix is working on vaccines for salmonella and staph infections. Since germs are nastier in a zero gravity environment, the International Space Station is the perfect lab for vaccine development. 1st Detect is commercializing a miniature chemical detector that was first developed for the International Space Station, but could revolutionize homeland security. Come hear how private companies like Astrotech are changing the face of the aerospace industry. You’ll also learn about opportunities that exist when engineers across all disciplines look to space for their entrepreneurial pursuits.