Space Chemistry Roundtable

The Roundtable discussion was led by experts in space chemistry including James Green (NASA), Ferenc Darvas (InnoStudio), Kenneth Savin (Redwire Space), and Jana Stoudemire (Axiom Space). Along with about 20 roundtable participants, we invited thought leaders and each of the 32 American Chemical Society technical divisions to participate as observers.

Focus areas for discussion included: Chemistry of Advanced Materials for In-Space Manufacturing, Drug Discovery in Space, and Space Chemistry to Support Exploration.

In addition to providing an overview of current space chemistry initiatives, we are shaping the development of a consortium, an advisory committee,  and a framework for a future roadmap for low-Earth orbit (LEO) space chemistry applications. This roundtable will foster growth of the commercial space economy and address future space exploration goals.

Specifically, we seek input on focus areas for proof-of-concept (POC) studies, capabilities required to support in-space manufacturing application development, and thoughts on potential timing/collaboration for missions to the International Space Station (ISS).