2023 Technology Showcase

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate sponsored the 2023 Technology Showcase to foster interactions between technologists and the science community, and encourage the use of innovative technologies to dramatically increase science returns on future planetary science missions.

Prior to the event, the showcase organizing committee solicited abstracts from the planetary science community describing expected future planetary science missions, including missions that may be solicited via New Frontiers, Discovery, SIMPLEx Announcement of Opportunities, and directed flagship and medium-class mission concepts identified by the National Academy of Sciences’ “Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023–2032.”

Individuals and organizations developing technologies that could potentially address the needs of those future missions applied to showcase their technologies at the event. Scientists, mission designers, and other interested parties were also invited to attend.

The showcase included presentations, panel discussions, lightning talks, poster sessions, and ample time for networking. The agenda was designed to foster interactions between technologists, scientists, and mission designers about the potential application of featured technologies to specific future missions.

The showcase featured approximately 30 technologies that were matched to the 48 future planetary mission abstracts received. Showcase participants included 275 technologists, scientists, mission coordinators, mission designers, and NASA administrators.

For additional information on the showcase, please email hq-techshowcase@mail.nasa.gov.

“This was maybe the most useful event I’ve attended as a scientist/technologist/mission formulator.”

“We made a lot of connections with potential companies that could help us solve problems with mission design, architecture, etc.”

“Networking!!! Integration between science and engineering has been amazing.”

“I had a LOT of valuable conversations with people I had not met before with really interesting ideas and tech.”

“Thank you so much for an amazing Tech Showcase.  We loved every second of it.”

 “Terrific meeting, great concept, please do annually.”

“I really, really liked the concept for this event, and I really hope you’ll hold it again and for other divisions (helio, astro, Earth).  The idea of a ‘marketplace’ where science/mission teams and technologists can mutually ‘shop’ for each other is excellent and much needed.  I especially liked having a whole day devoted to that networking rather than having to choose between attending talks and networking as you have to do at big meetings like AGU/AAS.  I had a lot of fun with this, and I think others did too.”