"Don't Drop the Baton: Why Continuous Presence in Space Matters for Life on Earth" explores the critical transition from the ISS to commercial LEO destinations. This presentation will cover the technical and political challenges of maintaining a human footprint in space, the high-stakes policy debate surrounding it, and how space R&D contributes directly to terrestrial advancement and the orbital economy.

About the Speaker

Robyn Gatens is globally recognized for her 40-year career of leadership and contributions to NASA’s human spaceflight missions. 

Robyn recently retired from NASA as director of the ISS and Commercial Spaceflight divisions where she led strategy, policy, integration, and stakeholder engagement for low-Earth orbit (LEO), including the ISS, commercial LEO development, and commercial crew programs. 

A 1985 chemical engineering graduate from Georgia Tech, Robyn spent the first decades of her career in the development and management of life support and habitation systems for the International Space Station (ISS) and other human spaceflight missions. She was inducted into Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering Hall of Fame in 2025. 

Since retirement, Robyn is staying active through advisory and consulting roles, including serving on the Georgia Tech Space Research Institute’s External Advisory Board.  Robyn also has a passion for global student engagement including speaking to and mentoring students of all ages interested in pursuing careers in STEM and the space industry. 

The Meg & Sam Flax Lecture Series 

The Meg & Sam Flax Lecture Series invites top scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to speak to a wide audience of Georgia Tech students and faculty on issues of urgent importance in public policy. Our goal is not just a better understanding of current issues, but to get diverse perspectives on the proper role(s) of government in solving crucial problems. Because they practice at the cutting edge of their fields or on the front lines of government policy, the Flax Lecturers speak not from philosophy or theory but from facts, data, and experience. Topics range from science & technology policy to energy and the environment, from pandemic threats to sustainable development, from artificial intelligence and cyber-security to monetary policy, and even outer space. All Flax lectures are free of charge. Members of the broader Georgia Tech and Atlanta community are welcome to attend. Started in the Fall of 2019, the series is still ongoing.