How the Space Industry Will Continue to Move Forward at a Faster Pace
Last month, Epsilon3 Co-Founder/CEO Laura Crabtree was invited to speak with Tom Barton, Founder/CEO of Antaris, at TechCrunch’s Space Sessions about the crucial role of software in the future of the space economy. As founders and entrepreneurs, the two discussed what it really takes to put good code into space, and what the space industry really needs to move forward much faster–including attracting more young people to the industry.
“Launch gets all the press, but satellites and the software behind them are the workhorses of space.” -Tech Crunch Space Sessions
If you were unable to attend Space Sessions, here’s a review of what Laura and Tom discussed with other industry professionals:
How to get more young people interested in STEM and the aerospace industry
Attracting professionals from different backgrounds who can persevere
Embracing both the similarities and differences between generations, genders, and expertise
How to go about integrating new software tools with entire ecosystems
ATTRACTING MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TO THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
Laura remembers her college years with fondness as she was regularly told that she could do whatever she wanted to do. She received a lot of support from teachers, and ignored those around her who simply wanted to get out of college as fast as possible and opted for paths of least resistance.
Young people need to know they can do hard things and persevere. Laura wants them to know that they can push themselves as hard as they want to, and to focus on the path rather than the end result. She wants to see more youth empowered to challenge themselves without feeling anxious or disappointed about the outcomes.
If they’re working hard and deeply engaged in the process, they will find themselves doing meaningful and fulfilling work alongside highly qualified and experienced people.
A 2018 Pew Research Study revealed that the most commonly cited reason for not pursuing a STEM career was cost and time barriers, such as high expenses required for education or a lack of access to resources and opportunities.
A survey conducted by Junior Achievement USA in 2019 found that only 9% of girls between the ages of 13 and 17 are interested in careers in STEM, which went down from 11% the previous year. “The decline of interest in STEM careers is disappointing given how much emphasis is being placed on promoting STEM to girls,” said Jack Kosakowski, President of Junior Achievement.
On the other hand, the survey found that interest in STEM careers for teen boys increased slightly to 27%, up from 24% the previous year.
Organizations like Junior Achievement are trying to increase interest in STEM careers by bringing STEM professionals into classrooms to deliver career-readiness programs.
The exciting things happening in the space industry could be just the thing to ignite the imagination and passion of young people. The more we engage with students, and encourage them to persist, the more certain our success our industry will experience.
DELIGHTING PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS
Laura has been very deliberate about building a team with people from various backgrounds and industries. She believes that moving the space industry forward faster isn’t about finding people who went to the best colleges or got the right degree, but the people who can persevere. “If you can persevere, you can do anything,” she says.
People who have persevered know that things aren’t always going to go their way. They are curious every step of the way, and trust their ability and their team’s competency to solve any problem. We hope to find more ways to encourage and delight people from different backgrounds to make the move into the space industry, bringing with them a whole heap of grit and kindness.
EMBRACING ALL GENERATIONS, GENDERS, AND EXPERTISE
Laura has spent much of her career as the only woman in the room. Though she never really paid much attention to this and shied away from talking about her gender, she realizes now that, as a female founder in the space industry, she is definitely an anomaly. It’s been incredibly rewarding for her to join with other women in engineering, space, and STEM-related industries. As someone who deeply values people’s unique experiences, she embraces different outcomes and perspectives while addressing any elephant in the room, which, at times, is gender.
There’s also a lot of potential of the older and younger generations within the industry coming together to learn from each other, and integrate both tried and true methods alongside the most innovative and cutting edge tools. We see the strengths that all ages and experience levels can bring to the industry to help propel it forward at a thrilling pace.
INTEGRATING NEW TOOLS WITH EXISTING ECOSYSTEMS
Laura and Tom discussed the possibilities that software brings to the launch experience. Most industries have embraced software platforms that have been designed and built specifically for their market. Until recently, there hasn’t been the same kind of software development for the space industry. Now that platforms like Epsilon3 have come on the scene, ecosystems are about to become more integrated and processes more streamlined.
AN INDUSTRY FILLED WITH REMARKABLE PEOPLE
More than anything, Laura’s time at TechCrunch was a reminder that this small industry is “filled with remarkable people who are kind, great, and super smart. I love being surrounded by kind, smart, humble people.”
