Moderator

Francisco (Cla) Córdova is an aerospace executive serving as Chief Operating Officer of the International Space Station National Laboratory, the world’s premier microgravity research facility. He leads a team of scientists, project managers, engineers, and operations personnel that is shaping the future of research in space and partnering with commercial providers to establish a future low Earth orbit economy. Prior to his current role, he served as the director of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center in Puerto Rico, where he held overall responsibility for the site, including operations, business development, research portfolio and engineering activities. He has also served as senior manager for Composite Materials and Fabrication Technology at The Boeing Company, leading the R&D portfolio for composites in the area of superstructure fabrication and next generation materials. Córdova has a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez and an M.S. in civil engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He is a registered professional engineer and is an active member in the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. He also serves as a board member for the Puerto Rico Aerospace Technology Consortium.