en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has entered into a research partnership with the newly established Texas A&M University Space Institute to explore the transfer of infrastructure technologies developed for lunar and Martian environments to practical applications on Earth.
In a recent special episode of the TTI podcast "Thinking Transportation," titled "Houston, We Have an Opportunity," Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg, director of the Texas A&M University Space Institute and former NASA astronaut, discussed the collaboration with Greg Winfree, director of TTI. The conversation was set against the backdrop of NASA's long-standing practice of spin-off technologies—innovations originally developed for human spaceflight that later found everyday applications. Key questions explored included: how to build durable infrastructure in environments without air, water resources, and with extreme temperature fluctuations, and what insights these solutions could offer engineers to make construction materials on Earth less resource-intensive and environmentally damaging.
Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and Master Army Aviator. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 1990, she logged over 1,000 hours in space as a mission specialist on four Space Shuttle missions. Before joining Texas A&M University in 2017, much of her career was dedicated to supporting NASA's human spaceflight programs and projects. She currently serves as director of the Texas A&M University Space Institute, leading, serving, and supporting the growing space economy by providing strategic planning and research outcomes, workforce development, and training for the state of Texas.
Greg Winfree served at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) before becoming director of TTI in 2016. His career at USDOT began as chief counsel in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, later being sworn in as Assistant Secretary, and also serving as Deputy Administrator and Administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Previously, Greg served as legal counsel for several Fortune 500 companies and as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice.
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