News — “Doing Business with NASA and Their Primes” was presented by CONNSTEP, Aerospace Component Manufacturers, Connecticut Office of Manufacturing, Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, and the U.S. Commercial Service.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome NASA, their prime contractors, and CT industry partners to campus for this event,” said Hisham Alnajjar, the dean of UHart’s College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture and interim director of the NASA CT Space Grant Consortium.
Alnajjar delivered the day’s opening remarks in Wilde Auditorium. He was joined by Connecticut Chief Manufacturing Officer Paul Lavoie, who served as event emcee.
“Since 1991, the University of Hartford has been proud to be the lead institution for the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium, whose office is located on our campus,” said Alnajjar. “This fruitful partnership has led to hands-on learning opportunities that position our students and faculty to be leaders in the aerospace technologies of the future.”
This fruitful partnership has led to hands-on learning opportunities that position our students and faculty to be leaders in the aerospace technologies of the future.
Hisham Alnajjar, Dean of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture and interim director of the NASA CT Space Grant Consortium
“NASA, I’m proud you’re here to say ‘hi’ to some of the best folks we have in aerospace and advanced engineering,” said Governor Ned Lamont, who also gave morning remarks. “We want to be part of Team NASA and everything that means.”
NASA representatives delivered overviews of a number of the agency’s programs, including the Artemis campaign missions, where dozens of Connecticut companies are already contributing to the effort to return humans to the moon, and laying the groundwork for missions to Mars.
NASA’s David Brock, Small Business Specialist at Marshall Space Flight Center, detailed the roles of contractors and suppliers in the aerospace supply chain, highlighting the importance small businesses play.
Representatives from the prime contractors including Aerojet Rocketdyne, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Amentum, and Teledyne Brown Engineering were on hand to meet with attendees and share insights into the world of aerospace and technology.
Later in the Hursey Center for Advanced Engineering and Health Professions, manufacturers were able to network with industry experts, exploring the potential for growth and collaboration through partnerships with NASA and its prime contractors.
“Connecticut has a long and deep history of innovation in aerospace and defense, and we have numerous companies that are ready to help NASA achieve their goals by tapping into our supply chain companies,” said Lavoie.
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