Garrett Reisman

Dr. Garrett Reisman was selected by NASA as a mission specialist astronaut in 1998. His initial mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2008 took him to the International Space Station for 95 days, after which he returned to Earth on the Space Shuttle Discovery. His second mission, in 2010, involved travel on the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which also took him back to the International Space Station.

During these missions, Reisman performed three spacewalks, operated the Space Station Robot Arm, and was a flight engineer aboard the Space Shuttle. After leaving NASA in February 2011, Reisman transitioned to SpaceX, where he was responsible for preparing the company's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft for astronaut transport as the Director of Space Operations. He also focused on the human interfaces in the crew vehicle at SpaceX. Since then, he has provided valuable insights into the launch into space, living and working in space, spacewalks, and re-entering Earth's atmosphere.

Currently, Reisman is a Professor of Astronautical Engineering at the University of Southern California and serves as a Senior Advisor at SpaceX. He offers presentations on a range of topics including the recent advancements and the future outlook of the American space program, the differences in innovation approaches between NASA and SpaceX, and the essential lessons learned from spaceflight tragedies such as Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia. His talks not only cover technical aspects but also focus on leadership, innovation, and risk management in high-stakes environments.