October 6, 2025
Joint A&A/ECE Seminar
Opportunities And Challenges in Space Technology
Dr. Tom Cwik, Chief Technologist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
October 23, 2025 – 4:00 – 5:00 pm.
Guggenheim 305
Abstract: Over the last several years we have seen rapid change in the space technology and space exploration fields. Advances in technologies related to robotics, autonomy, electronics, AI, and machine learning are accelerating and disrupting the field. Driven also by new space companies along with the insertion of non-space focused technologies and venture capital, space engineering and technology development is continuously evolving. Advanced space-rated electronics that withstand radiation and temperature swings are enabling onboard processing and autonomy that allow us to rethink what we can achieve. Integrating AI with robotics may extend robotic presence beyond scripted operations. Applying quantum technologies can bring new sensitivities in observational instruments. Each of these areas will bring opportunities for creating exciting space missions and new discoveries. In this talk we will look at the current state of the field and highlight several key technologies that are driving change and have opportunities for radical development.
Bio: Dr. Tom Cwik is Chief Technologist for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In this role he provides strategic leadership for research in advanced technology and serves as the focal point for technology interactions with NASA, companies, universities and the external research community. He is responsible for guiding the infusion of new technology into the Laboratory mission portfolio. Tom has been a co-founder of a startup company, consults, and is an Affiliate Professor at the ECE Department, University of Washington. He was named a distinguished alum at the University of Illinois, is an Associate Fellow of the AIAA and a Fellow of the IEEE.