Garrett Reisman Keynote Speaker

Mission specialist astronaut, NASA (1998 - 2011)
Flew aboard Endeavour, Discovery and Atlantis during NASA missions
Professor of Astronautical Engineering in the Viterbi School, USC

Garrett Reisman's Biography

Garrett Reisman is the only person alive who has both flown to the International Space Station as a NASA astronaut and helped build the commercial space program from the inside as a senior SpaceX executive.

A NASA veteran who flew on all three Space Shuttles, Garrett Reisman was selected by NASA as a mission specialist astronaut in 1998. His first mission in 2008 was aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour which dropped him off for a 95 day stay aboard the International Space Station after which he returned to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. His second mission in 2010 was aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. During these missions, Garrett performed 3 spacewalks, operated the Space Station Robot Arm and was a flight engineer aboard the Space Shuttle. Not only was he an astronaut, but Garrett was also an aquanaut serving as a crewmember on NEEMO V, living on the bottom of the sea in the Aquarius deep underwater habitat for 2 weeks.

After leaving NASA in early 2011, he joined Elon Musk at SpaceX where he served in multiple capacities most recently as the Director of Space Operations. In this job, he worked with NASA to prepare SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft to carry astronauts. Thus, he is a major player in both the American space program’s past and future.

Garrett stepped down from his full-time position at SpaceX in May of 2018 and in June 2018 he became a Professor of Astronautical Engineering in the Viterbi School at USC. He also continues to support SpaceX as a Senior Advisor. Today Garrett continues to contribute to the commercial space sector by working as an astronaut advisor at Vast.

Garrett gives an insider’s view and describes what it was like to launch into space, see the Earth from orbit, do a spacewalk, live and work in space, and re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Keynotes can also address innovation, leadership, inspiration, determination, risk management, and other lessons learned. To wrap up, Garrett gives you a behind the scenes look at what is coming up next in human spaceflight: a whole new golden age of exploration!

Garrett attended the University of Pennsylvania and Caltech where he received his Ph.D in 1997.

From Zero to Trillions… the RISE of SpaceX

How a Startup That Blew Up Its First Three Rockets Became the Most Valuable Private Company on Earth... ... and What Every Leader Can Learn From It

Includes Themes & Topics Like:

"Fail Fast, Launch Faster" — The Culture That Beat NASA at Its Own Game
"Reuse Everything" — The $1 Trillion Insight Hidden in a Landing Rocket
"The Hardest Customer in the Universe" — Navigating the NASA Partnership That Changed Everything
"Starlink's Lesson for Every Industry" — When Your Side Project Becomes a $10 Billion Business
"The Overview Effect, Applied" — What Seeing Earth from 250 Miles Up Teaches You About Leading Through Uncertainty

An Astronaut’s View of SpaceX

Lessons Learned from 7 Years of Working at SpaceX

From humble beginnings in 2002 SpaceX has become a $150 Billion company today that dominates the global rocket launch industry and is the sole American provider of astronaut launches to the International Space Station. Landing rockets on ships and working towards flying humans to Mars, SpaceX has disrupted the entire aerospace industry. How did SpaceX achieve such incredible success? What could SpaceX do even better?

After leaving NASA in 2011, Garrett Reisman began an intense 7-year period in leadership positions at SpaceX, most recently as Director of Space Operations. He will share his insider’s view of the corporate culture, business practices and other keys to SpaceX’s success. And he’ll also tell you what it’s like to ride a rocket into space.

The Recent Past and Near Future of the American Space Program

Innovation at NASA and SpaceX

Who does it better and why?

Lessons Learned: Inspiration, Determination, Vision, and Innovation

Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia – Failures of Risk Management

Jews in Space!

Simplicity as a Guiding Design Principle

Coping with Confinement and Isolation

Jews in Space!

A perspective from the first Jewish crew member on the International Space Station

A Golden Age of Human Spaceflight

He is uniquely positioned at the intersection of government and commercial space exploration, having served both as a NASA astronaut and senior SpaceX executive.
He translates extraordinary experiences in spaceflight into compelling insights on innovation, teamwork, risk management and high-performance leadership.
He brings exceptional technical credibility through Space Shuttle missions, spacewalks, ISS operations and leadership in the development of commercial astronaut programmes.
He is an engaging storyteller who offers audiences a rare behind-the-scenes view of human space exploration and the future of the space industry.
His insights equip organisations to think boldly, embrace innovation and navigate complex challenges in rapidly evolving environments.