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DTSTAMP:20260610T202351Z
CREATED:20260514T164836Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260610T202351Z
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SUMMARY:NASA Office Hours
DESCRIPTION:NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday\, join us for NASA’s office hours\, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators\, entrepreneurs\, and startups with NASA’s elite experts\, capabilities\, and technology.  \n\nLicense the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.\nPartner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.\nBuild the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.\n\nCome with a vision\, leave with a partnership. \nJust come walk up and say hello\, or sign up in advance here.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-office-hours-13/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/32-Image-Placeholder.png?ver=1777486289
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260723T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260723T190000
DTSTAMP:20260717T184413Z
CREATED:20251215T174738Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260717T184413Z
UID:10004383-1784829600-1784833200@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Tech Talks: Optimizing Sensorimotor Performance During Space Exploration
DESCRIPTION:We want HOU! Join us to discover NASA’s toughest tech challenges—and apply your skills and expertise to solve them. \nLiving in an altered gravity environment\, such as microgravity or the lunar surface\, drives adaptative changes in how the brain utilizes sensory information to maintain spatial awareness and control of movement. Dr. Scott Wood will describe how these challenges may impact critical mission tasks astronauts are required to complete\, and some of the technology that has been developed to optimize their performance while mitigating these sensorimotor risks. The development of assessment and interventional tools has benefitted from clinical developments to support patient populations. The need for more autonomous operations during exploration missions will also motivate future opportunities for technology sharing with terrestrial medicine. \nPlease join us after the talk for drinks and networking at Second Draught! \nAbout the Speakers \nScott Wood is a neuroscientist for NASA’s Human Health and Performance Directorate at the Johnson Space Center in Houston\, TX. He has been the Co-Lead for the Crew Health Countermeasures portfolio for the Mars Campaign Office charged with developing technologies and countermeasures for exploration missions. He is also the Sensorimotor Discipline Lead for the Health and Countermeasures Element with the Human Research Program (HRP). As part of the Neuroscience Laboratory\, he has participated in numerous flight studies and supports neurological functional tests used for medical assessments. Dr. Wood began his research career at NASA while completing his doctorate at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston\, TX. In addition to his spaceflight research\, he has also conducted research in clinical and military aerospace laboratories. \nMontgomery B. Goforth   has more than 40 years of experience as both Engineer and Manager in a variety of highly technical space and defense-related efforts.  After working for a small defense contractor specializing in anti-submarine warfare\, he joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 1990.  He has held leadership positions in multiple JSC Directorates and Program Offices. In his previous role as Assistant Director of the JSC Engineering Directorate\, he established a framework to better focus Engineering’s efforts towards Human Spaceflight technology and systems development consistent with JSC and Agency goals for exploration. Mr. Goforth is now serving as Acting Director of the Business Development & Technology Integration Office at JSC\, and as the JSC Chief Technologist.  In these capacities he will be helping to expand the Houston Aerospace Community through the identification of opportunities to develop space/terrestrial technologies of interest to JSC and Human Space Exploration.  Mr. Goforth was born in East Texas\, raised in Southern California and Arizona\, and graduated from Rice University (BSME 1982\, MSME 1987). \nAbout NASA Tech Talks \nIn these presentations\, occurring the fourth Thursdays of the month\, Mr. Montgomery Goforth and other aerospace subject matter experts will discuss the technology development challenges faced by NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the surrounding Aerospace community in our ongoing efforts as the hub of human spaceflight. Presentations will focus on the ways in which these challenges\, and the associated opportunities\, can be leveraged by Houston’s innovation community. We will continue to identify potential space/terrestrial technologies of interest to Human Spaceflight.  Past NASA Tech Talks have included topics such as: \n\nFrom Space to Startup: Leveraging NASA Technology and Innovation to Propel Your Growing Enterprise\nDisruptive Filter Technology for Spacecraft Water Treatment:  The New Promise of Graphene\nLunar dust capture using novel multiplexed inertial filter\nLunar Passive Fuel Cell Technologies:\nMicrobes in Space
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-tech-talks-20/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
CATEGORIES:Aerospace,Founders & Startups,General Community
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DSC_0352-scaled.jpg?ver=1765820213
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260730T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260730T100000
DTSTAMP:20260731T225043Z
CREATED:20260706T210118Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T225043Z
UID:10005172-1785400200-1785405600@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Stories at the Ion: Building the Moon Base: Challenges and Opportunities at the Lunar South Pole
DESCRIPTION:Building the Moon Base: Challenges and Opportunities at the Lunar South Pole \nAccess the full presentation here. \nIn this presentation\, Moon Base Principal Systems Engineer Shatel Bhakta shares the many challenges NASA must overcome to realize an enduring presence in the lunar South Pole region. He’ll also talk about his journey at NASA\, the importance of human space exploration\, and what NASA needs from the next generation of aerospace engineers. \nAbout the Speaker \nShatel Bhakta serves as the principal systems engineer for NASA’s Moon Base. In that role\, he takes a system-of-systems view of Moon Base infrastructure\, ensuring that all components work together to support NASA’s goal of an enduring human presence in the lunar South Pole region. \nPrior to working on the Moon Base\, Bhakta served as NASA’s lunar architecture lead\, guiding a multidisciplinary team across NASA centers to develop a roadmap for crewed exploration of the Moon. This included developing associated conceptual reference missions\, concept of operations\, site planning guidance\, trades and analysis\, system element conceptualization\, and system-of-systems integration. \nBhakta earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and his graduate degree in space architecture from the University of Houston. He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Texas. \n 
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-stories-at-the-ion-building-the-moon-base-challenges-and-opportunities-at-the-lunar-south-pole/
LOCATION:Ion – Forum Stairs\, 4201 Main St.\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
CATEGORIES:Aerospace,Founders & Startups,General Community,Keynote,Networking
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/26-ION_NASAStories_July-2026_V2_PowerPoint-1920x1080@2x-scaled.jpg?ver=1784650378
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260731T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260731T120000
DTSTAMP:20260721T181006Z
CREATED:20260721T181006Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260721T181006Z
UID:10005206-1785492000-1785499200@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Office Hours
DESCRIPTION:NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday\, join us for NASA’s office hours\, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators\, entrepreneurs\, and startups with NASA’s elite experts\, capabilities\, and technology.  \n\nLicense the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.\nPartner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.\nBuild the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.\n\nCome with a vision\, leave with a partnership. \nJust come walk up and say hello\, or sign up in advance here.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-office-hours-18/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/32-Image-Placeholder.png?ver=1777486289
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260814T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260814T120000
DTSTAMP:20260803T174414Z
CREATED:20260610T202506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T174414Z
UID:10005119-1786701600-1786708800@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Office Hours
DESCRIPTION:NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday\, join us for NASA’s office hours\, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators\, entrepreneurs\, and startups with NASA’s elite experts\, capabilities\, and technology.  \n\nLicense the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.\nPartner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.\nBuild the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.\n\nCome with a vision\, leave with a partnership. \nJust come walk up and say hello\, or sign up in advance here.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-office-hours-15/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/32-Image-Placeholder.png?ver=1777486289
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260827T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260827T190000
DTSTAMP:20260820T010431Z
CREATED:20251215T174830Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T010431Z
UID:10004384-1787853600-1787857200@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Tech Talks: Rice University’s Space Humanities Initiative
DESCRIPTION:We want HOU! Join us to discover NASA’s toughest tech challenges—and apply your skills and expertise to solve them. \nThis month\, NASA Tech Talks will feature Rice’s new Space Humanities Initiative\, co-led by Alexander Regier\, the William Faulkner Professor of English and chair of the Department of English and Creative Writing\, and David Alexander\, director of the Rice Space Institute and professor of physics and astronomy. \nLong before rockets\, satellites or space stations\, humans were already in a relationship with outer space. People looked up and named constellations. They told stories about the moon. They wrote poems\, mapped stars and built myths around lights in the sky they could not touch. Across cultures and centuries\, outer space functioned as more than a scientific mystery; it was a mirror for human longing\, fear\, imagination and hope. \nThe Rice Space Initiative brings scholars across disciplines together to examine how culture\, language\, ethics and imagination shape space exploration\, and how space exploration shapes them in return.  Please join us for a discussion of how the Initiative came to be\, and how it might provide a sustained space where questions about ownership\, settlement\, commercial use and planetary responsibility can be addressed in an interdisciplinary manner. \nPlease join us after the talk for drinks and networking at Second Draught! \n  \nAbout the Speakers \nDr. David Alexander is an astrophysics professor at Rice University and a faculty scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy. He also serves as the Director of the Rice Space Institute. Alexander was awarded an OBE by her majesty Queen Elizabeth in 2018 for services to the space industry and was named a Chevalier of the National Order of Merit by the French Republic in 2026.  He received a Presidential Early Career Award in 2004 and was appointed a Kavli Frontiers Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences in 2006. Alexander has served on many professional committees including the NASA Advisory Council’s Heliophysics Subcommittee\, and the NASA Solar Heliospheric Management and Operations Working Group.  He was named a GlobalScot by the Scottish government and served as an elected member of the Board of Directors of the American Astronautical Society from 2018-2022. He served as Chair of the Aerospace Industry Committee of the Greater Houston Partnership\, been on the Board of the Houston Spaceport Development Corporation since 2021 and was recently appointed to the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium Executive Committee.  Alexander received his Bachelor’s degree and doctorate from the University of Glasgow. \nAlexander Regier is the William Faulkner Professor of English in the Department of English and Creative Writing. He also holds a full appointment in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages\, Literatures and Cultures. Regier is the author and editor of multiple books and articles on literature\, art\, and culture. His publications cover a range of subjects\, from eighteenth-century philosophy and Romantic literature to outer space\, awkwardness\, fragmentation\, ruins\, and sports. In recent years\, Regier has received an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers\, as well as Fellowships at the National Humanities Center\, the Center for Research in the Arts\, Social Sciences\, and Humanities at the University of Cambridge\, and a Visiting Fellowship at the University of Exeter. He has also won multiple awards\, amongst others\, from the National Endowment for the Humanities. From 2023 to 2026\, he was chair of the Department of English and Creative Writing at Rice and is now co-director of the Space Humanities Initiative. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDario Robleto is an artist\, writer\, and filmmaker based in Houston\, Texas. His work has been exhibited widely and is held in prominent collections\, including the Harvard Art Museum\, the Whitney Museum of American Art\, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington\, D.C. He has held research fellowships and residencies at institutions including the Smithsonian Museum of American History\, the SETI Institute\, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. From 2018 to 2023\, he served as Artist-at-Large at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering and the Block Museum of Art. In 2020\, he served as a research consultant for the popular science television series Cosmos: Possible Worlds. In 2016\, Robleto was appointed Texas State 3-D Visual Artist\, and in 2025\, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Middlebury College. He is currently working on his first book\, The Heartbeat at the Edge of the Solar System: Science\, Emotion\, and the Golden Record\, co-authored with Harvard art historian Jennifer Roberts. It will be published by Scribner in 2027. \nRyn Delpapa is a change-maker who believes in impact. A neuroarts tech founder\, interdisciplinary artist\, and speaker on a mission\, they honor life’s biodiversity\, from plants to people. Ryn is a recent 2026 TEDxHouston Countdown speaker\, 2025 4.0 Tiny Fellow\, and CXC Changemakers for the Planet Fellow\, bridging creativity\, health\, and environmental stewardship within their venture\, AR+E COMETS\, a global health studio. As a 2024 City of Houston City Initiative grant awardee\, their Art for Climate Resilience community arts-in-health program shaped community health in Houston’s Third and Fifth Wards. With a B.S. in International Nutrition from the University of Texas at Austin and a kaleidoscope career from Houston to Chengdu\, China\, their global health background\, 8 years in B2B SaaS tech\, and arts-in-health research enable them to bridge creativity and planetary health. Work they share through their venture\, consultancy\, and Earthly Bonds podcast\, where they explore health\, from brain to biosphere\, for creative\, resilient living. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMontgomery B. Goforth has more than 40 years of experience as both Engineer and Manager in a variety of highly technical space and defense-related efforts.  After working for a small defense contractor specializing in anti-submarine warfare\, he joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 1990.  He has held leadership positions in multiple JSC Directorates and Program Offices. In his previous role as Assistant Director of the JSC Engineering Directorate\, he established a framework to better focus Engineering’s efforts towards Human Spaceflight technology and systems development consistent with JSC and Agency goals for exploration. Mr. Goforth is now serving as Acting Director of the Business Development & Technology Integration Office at JSC\, and as the JSC Chief Technologist.  In these capacities he will be helping to expand the Houston Aerospace Community through the identification of opportunities to develop space/terrestrial technologies of interest to JSC and Human Space Exploration.  Mr. Goforth was born in East Texas\, raised in Southern California and Arizona\, and graduated from Rice University (BSME 1982\, MSME 1987). \nAbout NASA Tech Talks \nIn these presentations\, occurring the fourth Thursdays of the month\, Mr. Montgomery Goforth and other aerospace subject matter experts will discuss the technology development challenges faced by NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the surrounding Aerospace community in our ongoing efforts as the hub of human spaceflight. Presentations will focus on the ways in which these challenges\, and the associated opportunities\, can be leveraged by Houston’s innovation community. We will continue to identify potential space/terrestrial technologies of interest to Human Spaceflight.  Past NASA Tech Talks have included topics such as: \n\nFrom Space to Startup: Leveraging NASA Technology and Innovation to Propel Your Growing Enterprise\nDisruptive Filter Technology for Spacecraft Water Treatment:  The New Promise of Graphene\nLunar dust capture using novel multiplexed inertial filter\nLunar Passive Fuel Cell Technologies:\nMicrobes in Space
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-tech-talks-21/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
CATEGORIES:Aerospace,Founders & Startups,General Community
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DSC_0352-scaled.jpg?ver=1765820213
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260828T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260828T120000
DTSTAMP:20260803T174301Z
CREATED:20260803T174301Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T174301Z
UID:10005287-1787911200-1787918400@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Office Hours
DESCRIPTION:NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday\, join us for NASA’s office hours\, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators\, entrepreneurs\, and startups with NASA’s elite experts\, capabilities\, and technology.  \n\nLicense the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.\nPartner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.\nBuild the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.\n\nCome with a vision\, leave with a partnership. \nJust come walk up and say hello\, or sign up in advance here.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-office-hours-20/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/32-Image-Placeholder.png?ver=1777486289
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260911T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260911T120000
DTSTAMP:20260804T012022Z
CREATED:20260804T011642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260804T012022Z
UID:10005290-1789120800-1789128000@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Office Hours
DESCRIPTION:NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday\, join us for NASA’s office hours\, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators\, entrepreneurs\, and startups with NASA’s elite experts\, capabilities\, and technology.  \n\nLicense the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.\nPartner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.\nBuild the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.\n\nCome with a vision\, leave with a partnership. \nJust come walk up and say hello\, or sign up in advance here.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-office-hours-21/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/32-Image-Placeholder.png?ver=1777486289
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260924T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260924T190000
DTSTAMP:20260917T002941Z
CREATED:20251215T174853Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T002941Z
UID:10004385-1790272800-1790276400@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Tech Talks: Enhancing Autonomous Onboard Navigation Systems
DESCRIPTION:We want HOU! Join us to discover NASA’s toughest tech challenges—and apply your skills and expertise to solve them. \nMost spacecraft rely on ground communications to navigate robustly\, which poses a risk for loss of mission in the event of extended communication loss. The Orion spacecraft has an Optical Navigation system that uses an onboard camera to estimate vehicle position based on measurements of Earth/Moon limb. This enables onboard navigation even in PCL scenarios\, but only at intermediate ranges where the limb is visible. A Target & Range-adaptive Optical Navigation system (TRON) has been developed at NASA JSC that incorporates additional types of Optical Navigation to estimate position from crater images at near ranges and from unresolved planets at far ranges\, enabling onboard navigation over a wider variety of mission profiles. This talk will provide an overview of this new tool suite\, its release as an integrated software application\, and details on two upcoming test flight demonstrations. \nPlease join us after the talk for drinks and networking at Second Draught! \nAbout the Speakers \nJorge Chong got his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2017 doing research on smart materials for in-space thermal control systems. He then went to work for the Aeroscience & Flight Mechanics Division at NASA Johnson Space Center on the Orion Optical Navigation team (supporting both Artemis I & II) and more broadly as a GNC test engineer. In 2024\, he started Project TRON and has been the project manager for that team since then. \nMontgomery B. Goforth   has more than 40 years of experience as both Engineer and Manager in a variety of highly technical space and defense-related efforts.  After working for a small defense contractor specializing in anti-submarine warfare\, he joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 1990.  He has held leadership positions in multiple JSC Directorates and Program Offices. In his previous role as Assistant Director of the JSC Engineering Directorate\, he established a framework to better focus Engineering’s efforts towards Human Spaceflight technology and systems development consistent with JSC and Agency goals for exploration. Mr. Goforth is now serving as Acting Director of the Business Development & Technology Integration Office at JSC\, and as the JSC Chief Technologist.  In these capacities he will be helping to expand the Houston Aerospace Community through the identification of opportunities to develop space/terrestrial technologies of interest to JSC and Human Space Exploration.  Mr. Goforth was born in East Texas\, raised in Southern California and Arizona\, and graduated from Rice University (BSME 1982\, MSME 1987). \n\nAbout NASA Tech Talks \nIn these presentations\, occurring the fourth Thursdays of the month\, Mr. Montgomery Goforth and other aerospace subject matter experts will discuss the technology development challenges faced by NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the surrounding Aerospace community in our ongoing efforts as the hub of human spaceflight. Presentations will focus on the ways in which these challenges\, and the associated opportunities\, can be leveraged by Houston’s innovation community. We will continue to identify potential space/terrestrial technologies of interest to Human Spaceflight.  Past NASA Tech Talks have included topics such as: \n\nFrom Space to Startup: Leveraging NASA Technology and Innovation to Propel Your Growing Enterprise\nDisruptive Filter Technology for Spacecraft Water Treatment:  The New Promise of Graphene\nLunar dust capture using novel multiplexed inertial filter\nLunar Passive Fuel Cell Technologies:\nMicrobes in Space
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-tech-talks-22/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
CATEGORIES:Aerospace,Founders & Startups,General Community
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DSC_0352-scaled.jpg?ver=1765820213
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260925T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260925T120000
DTSTAMP:20260804T011911Z
CREATED:20260804T011911Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260804T011911Z
UID:10005291-1790330400-1790337600@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Office Hours
DESCRIPTION:NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday\, join us for NASA’s office hours\, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators\, entrepreneurs\, and startups with NASA’s elite experts\, capabilities\, and technology.  \n\nLicense the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.\nPartner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.\nBuild the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.\n\nCome with a vision\, leave with a partnership. \nJust come walk up and say hello\, or sign up in advance here.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-office-hours-22/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/32-Image-Placeholder.png?ver=1777486289
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261002T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261002T120000
DTSTAMP:20260929T162949Z
CREATED:20260929T162949Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T162949Z
UID:10006192-1790935200-1790942400@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Office Hours
DESCRIPTION:NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday\, join us for NASA’s office hours\, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators\, entrepreneurs\, and startups with NASA’s elite experts\, capabilities\, and technology.  \n\nLicense the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.\nPartner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.\nBuild the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.\n\nCome with a vision\, leave with a partnership. \nJust come walk up and say hello\, or sign up in advance here.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-office-hours-23/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/32-Image-Placeholder.png?ver=1777486289
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261009T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261009T113000
DTSTAMP:20261008T204431Z
CREATED:20261008T204431Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261008T204431Z
UID:10006212-1791540000-1791545400@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Office Hours
DESCRIPTION:NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday\, join us for NASA’s office hours\, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators\, entrepreneurs\, and startups with NASA’s elite experts\, capabilities\, and technology.  \n\nLicense the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.\nPartner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.\nBuild the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.\n\nCome with a vision\, leave with a partnership. \nJust come walk up and say hello\, or sign up in advance here.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-office-hours-26/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/32-Image-Placeholder.png?ver=1777486289
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261022T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261022T190000
DTSTAMP:20261015T200419Z
CREATED:20251215T174927Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261015T200419Z
UID:10004386-1792692000-1792695600@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Tech Talks: NASA Technology Prizes and Challenges
DESCRIPTION:We want HOU! Join us to discover NASA’s toughest tech challenges—and apply your skills and expertise to solve them. \nFor our last NASA Tech Talk of 2026\, we’re going to delve into how we do prizes and challenges at NASA\, and provide an example of an exciting upcoming challenge. \nThrough NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation and Centennial Challenges\, NASA has brought problems\, big and small\, to the public to advance NASA’s mission for 20 years. With these two programs now combined\, NASA continues to provide open innovation as a service to NASA personnel and much of the US federal government\, with opportunity for you to help solve NASA’s pressing needs. \nA new challenge is coming to NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration efforts. The NASA Deep Space Autonomous Robotics Challenge (NASA DSpARC) will challenge participants to create groundbreaking autonomous robotics software designed to advance NASA’s exploration capabilities. There will be RFIs coming out with partnerships opportunities to the community\, in addition to competing. \nPlease join us after the talk for drinks and networking at Second Draught! \nAbout the Speakers \nRyon Stewart serves as the Program Manager for NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI)\, working to increase the use of open innovation tools at NASA and enhance the utilization of crowdsourcing by NASA and much of the federal government. \nRyon has an Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering degree from the University of Washington and has worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center since 2008. He spent the first two years as a Co-op for mission operations facilities\, engineering GN&C\, and engineering robotics. For eight years\, he worked full time in ISS Flight Operations as an Attitude Determination and Control Officer (ADCO) flight controller and instructor. In this role\, he supported more than 2\,200 hours of real time execution supporting activities including visiting vehicle dockings\, undockings\, reboosts\, and more. He also worked as an instructor teaching flight controllers\, instructors\, and astronauts about the ISS motion control system and soft skills required for the job. \nEmma Zemler is the project manager of Dexterous Robotics in the Robotics System Technology Branch (ER4) at NASA Johnson Space Center. In her ten years at NASA\, Emma has lead several robotics software projects within the Software\, Robotics and Simulation Division (ER) ranging from autonomous task planning for in-space robotics to space habitat supervised autonomy robotic maintenance. Her current roles include leading the Deep Space Autonomous Robotics Challenge and is a subject matter expert for moon Base. Emma serves as the chief architect of the iMETRO facility\, a NASA JSC robotics facility for terrestrial robotic technology adaption to space exploration use cases\, including logistics maintenance and science utilization. \nMontgomery B. Goforth   has more than 40 years of experience as both Engineer and Manager in a variety of highly technical space and defense-related efforts.  After working for a small defense contractor specializing in anti-submarine warfare\, he joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 1990.  He has held leadership positions in multiple JSC Directorates and Program Offices. In his previous role as Assistant Director of the JSC Engineering Directorate\, he established a framework to better focus Engineering’s efforts towards Human Spaceflight technology and systems development consistent with JSC and Agency goals for exploration. Mr. Goforth is now serving as Acting Director of the Business Development & Technology Integration Office at JSC\, and as the JSC Chief Technologist.  In these capacities he will be helping to expand the Houston Aerospace Community through the identification of opportunities to develop space/terrestrial technologies of interest to JSC and Human Space Exploration.  Mr. Goforth was born in East Texas\, raised in Southern California and Arizona\, and graduated from Rice University (BSME 1982\, MSME 1987). \nAbout NASA Tech Talks \nIn these presentations\, occurring the fourth Thursdays of the month\, Mr. Montgomery Goforth and other aerospace subject matter experts will discuss the technology development challenges faced by NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the surrounding Aerospace community in our ongoing efforts as the hub of human spaceflight. Presentations will focus on the ways in which these challenges\, and the associated opportunities\, can be leveraged by Houston’s innovation community. We will continue to identify potential space/terrestrial technologies of interest to Human Spaceflight.  Past NASA Tech Talks have included topics such as: \n\nFrom Space to Startup: Leveraging NASA Technology and Innovation to Propel Your Growing Enterprise\nDisruptive Filter Technology for Spacecraft Water Treatment:  The New Promise of Graphene\nLunar dust capture using novel multiplexed inertial filter\nLunar Passive Fuel Cell Technologies:\nMicrobes in Space
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-tech-talks-23/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
CATEGORIES:Aerospace,Founders & Startups,General Community
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261023T113000
DTSTAMP:20261008T204105Z
CREATED:20260929T163016Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261008T204105Z
UID:10006193-1792749600-1792755000@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Office Hours
DESCRIPTION:NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday\, join us for NASA’s office hours\, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators\, entrepreneurs\, and startups with NASA’s elite experts\, capabilities\, and technology.  \n\nLicense the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.\nPartner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.\nBuild the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.\n\nCome with a vision\, leave with a partnership. \nJust come walk up and say hello\, or sign up in advance here.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-office-hours-24/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261028T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261029T183000
DTSTAMP:20260923T165205Z
CREATED:20260923T165205Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260923T165205Z
UID:10006169-1793196000-1793298600@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:TiEcon Texas 2026
DESCRIPTION:Register: https://www.tiecontexas.org/tickets \nTiE Houston\, TiE Dallas\, and TiE Austin are hosting TiEcon Texas 2026 on October 28–29 at the Ion. The day-and-a-half conference\, themed “The Future Runs on Automation\,” brings together founders\, investors\, corporate leaders\, researchers\, educators\, and policymakers. They will look at how automation and AI are reshaping energy\, manufacturing\, healthcare\, aerospace\, logistics\, defense\, and technology across Texas. \nOctober 28: Founder Program\nThe conference opens with a half-day program for startups building in the automation economy. It includes startup showcases\, investor meetings\, curated networking\, and the TiE Hatch Pitch Competition\, presented with Hatch Pitch. About 10 automation-focused startups will get four weeks of mentoring and pitch coaching before presenting on stage. The winners will then present to the full TiEcon audience. \nOctober 29: Keynotes and Panels\nA full day of keynotes\, fireside chats\, and panel discussions on AI governance\, intelligent healthcare\, education\, space innovation\, workforce transformation\, and international approaches to public policy. It also covers how founders are building and deploying AI solutions. One featured session covers raising children in the age of AI. \nSpeakers include Steve Kean\, Greater Houston Partnership; Woody Rickerson\, ERCOT; Montgomery Goforth\, NASA Johnson Space Center; Dr. Jakub Tolar\, Baylor College of Medicine; and Prof. David Alexander\, Rice Space Institute. \nWho should attend: corporate executives\, founders\, investors\, academics\, educators\, policymakers\, researchers\, ecosystem builders\, and parents who want to help their children benefit from AI while building resilience to its risks. \nEarly bird registration is open for members and non-members. TiE Charter Members attend free.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/tiecon-texas-2026/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/TiEcon-Texas-2026.jpg?ver=1790147273
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261106T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261106T113000
DTSTAMP:20261008T204048Z
CREATED:20261008T201230Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261008T204048Z
UID:10006211-1793959200-1793964600@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:NASA Office Hours
DESCRIPTION:NASA is bringing its expertise to Houston’s innovation hub! Every other Friday\, join us for NASA’s office hours\, designed to bridge the gap between Houston’s innovators\, entrepreneurs\, and startups with NASA’s elite experts\, capabilities\, and technology.  \n\nLicense the Future: Discover how to utilize NASA-developed technologies and intellectual property for your own projects.\nPartner for Growth: Explore how to grow your own goals and NASA’s mission together by leveraging unique human spaceflight capabilities and expertise from NASA Johnson Space Center.\nBuild the Sector: Help us grow Houston’s commercial space ecosystem.\n\nCome with a vision\, leave with a partnership. \nJust come walk up and say hello\, or sign up in advance here.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/nasa-office-hours-25/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/32-Image-Placeholder.png?ver=1777486289
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261111T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261111T183000
DTSTAMP:20261021T194215Z
CREATED:20261021T194215Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261021T194215Z
UID:10006218-1794418200-1794421800@iondistrict.com
SUMMARY:First Principles: Inside the Texas A&M Space Institute
DESCRIPTION:Register here: https://luma.com/4gxizyq2 \nHouston is about to have something no other city has: football field sized lunar and Martian surface simulations\, built indoors next to Johnson Space Center. \nThe Texas A&M Space Institute is the first tenant of NASA’s Exploration Park. It’s a 400\,000 square foot facility built to let companies and researchers test hardware against the Moon and Mars without leaving Texas. Dr. Rob Ambrose\, the Institute’s Associate Director\, will walk through what’s being built\, how it will operate\, and where startups and industry fit in. \nFew people are better placed to explain it. Rob spent three decades at NASA Johnson Space Center\, where he led development of Robonaut and lunar rover prototypes and retired as Division Chief for Software\, Robotics and Simulation. Today he also directs space programs for the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station. \nFirst Principles is a Houston series on space\, semiconductors\, and robotics\, with technical talks and real Q&A for founders\, engineers\, operators\, and investors. Come with questions. \nWednesday\, November 11 · 5:30–6:30 PM · The Ion\, Midtown Houston. Space is limited; RSVP required.
URL:https://iondistrict.com/event/first-principles-inside-the-texas-am-space-institute/
LOCATION:Ion\, 4201 Main Street\, Houston\, TX\, 77002\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://iondistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/first_principles_rob_ambrose_luma.png?ver=1792609543
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