Bob Smith, chief executive officer of space company, Blue Origin, and Mary Rezac, dean of the Voiland College of Engineering & Architecture will discuss “Gradatim Ferociter,” the company’s ferocious and step-by-step quest to make space travel accessible to humanity in a fireside chat on Friday, Oct. 20, 11 a.m. in the Honors Lounge on the WSU Pullman campus.
The free event is open to WSU faculty, staff, and students. The talk will also be livestreamed on Zoom.
Blue Origin is a private space company developing reusable launch vehicles and in-space systems with the goal of enabling millions of people to live and work in space for the benefit of Earth.
“Gradatim Ferociter,” Blue Origin’s motto, means “step-by-step, ferociously.” Smith, who is retiring in January, will reflect on the company’s dramatic growth over his six-year tenure, share his outlook on future space exploration, and make the case for why students of all disciplines should be thinking about a career in space.
Smith came to Blue Origin from Honeywell Aerospace, where he was the vice president of advanced technology, the chief technology officer and vice president of engineering & technology and, finally, the president of the mechanical systems & components business. In those roles, he was responsible for basic research, 12,000 engineers and technologists worldwide, development of major systems, production, and business operations.
Prior to Honeywell, he served as executive director of the Space Shuttle Upgrades Development Program for the United Space Alliance. There, he managed projects that ranged from major modifications that replaced the orbiter’s auxiliary power and data handling systems to the development of new shuttle tiles and landing systems. He also worked at the Aerospace Corporation, where he served as a guidance, navigation and control analyst and a program manager for various Department of Defense and national security programs. He was the leader for all of aerospace’s NASA business and the site manager for Aerospace’s Houston operations.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M, a master’s degree in engineering/applied mathematics from Brown University, a doctorate from the University of Texas in aerospace engineering, and a business degree from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
