Head of Mechanisms
Varda Space Industries
El Segundo, California
Jordan Croom leads payload development at Varda Space Industries, an in-space manufacturing company focused on leveraging the unique environment of space to produce goods and services impossible to replicate on Earth. Varda is developing pharmaceutical development platforms applicable to novel form discovery, isolation, and scaled manufacturing. Varda’s first launch is scheduled for early 2023 with missions planned on a regular cadence thereafter.
Prior to joining Varda in 2021, Jordan worked in frontier tech fields including robotics, satellites, drones, additive manufacturing, and self-driving cars. He developed several robots on (or on their way to) Mars, the Moon, and Earth orbit, including on flagship missions such as the Mars Perseverance Rover, Mars Insight Lander, and multiple in-orbit servicing and manufacturing missions. Jordan deployed the first ever structural 3D printed parts on a commercial satellite and was responsible for major architectural changes to satellite design as a result. In addition to his work as a technologist, Jordan is an investor at Side Door Ventures, where he focuses on frontier tech investments in verticals including energy, transportation, robotics, and space. He earned his BEng in Mechanical Engineering and Math from Vanderbilt University and his MS in Space Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.
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Tuesday, October 18, 2022
3:15 PM – 3:30 PM ET