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The Martian

Apr 18

2026

Belcourt Theatre Nashville, TN

Tickets
with

Chris Crumbly

Systems Engineering Technology Instructor, Calhoun Community College

and

Tracie Prater

Aerospace Engineer

The Martian— Systems Engineering and Risk Management in Human Spaceflight

In The Martian, intrepid explorer Mark Watney and the crew of the Hermes experience a cascade of failures they must navigate to return home safely. Our speakers will discuss the events of the story within the context of risk management strategies and systems engineering for spaceflight. How do engineers assess and mitigate risk on space missions? How can we use systems engineering (and a systems engineering mindset) to more effectively manage risk and resolve technical issues? What technologies and skill sets might crews need on future long duration, long distance missions to help keep them safe and sustain the mission, even when the unexpected occurs?

Belcourt Theatre Nashville, TN

Tickets

Film Synopsis

When astronauts mistakenly leave Mark Watney behind on Mars, the stranded visitor must use his wits, spirit, and scientific know-how to find a way to survive on the hostile planet.

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit, and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring "the Martian" home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible, rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney's safe return. Based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, The Martian was nominated for three Golden Globes.

About the Speaker

Chris Crumbly had a 27-year career at NASA, managing the Space Launch System (SLS) Program’s Spacecraft/Payload Integration and Evolution Office at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. In that role, he managed the development of spacecraft and payload interfaces for SLS, including technical innovations to improve performance and cost of next-generation heavy-lift rockets for human and scientific exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. He also served as Special Assistant to NASA’s Deputy Administrator and Senior Space Policy Analyst at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Crumbly is currently an instructor of Systems Engineering Technology (SET) at Calhoun Community College in Huntsville. He also chairs the board of the Institute for Digital Enterprise Advancement (IDEA) and IDEA’s professional education entity, DigitalWERX. These nonprofits organizations were created in part to bring Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) into community colleges and accelerate digital engineering practices across the engineering community through creation of the SET curriculum.

Crumbly has also served as a principal research engineer at Auburn University, the vice-president for Digital Enterprise at Victory Solutions, the senior director for Space and Defense Programs at the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI), the executive director of the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation (VCSI), and vice-president for for business development, civil and commercial space at Teledyne Brown Engineering.

A native of Rome, GA, Mr. Crumbly holds bachelor and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from Auburn University and is a graduate of the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School. He speaks frequently on the space program with audiences ranging from TEDx to school groups and professional societies. He serves on several professional and civic boards including the National Space Club (Huntsville), the Tennessee Valley Corridor and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He is an associate fellow of AIAA and a fellow of the American Astronautical Society (AAS).

Tracie Prater has 14 years of experience in the aerospace industry, where she has supported efforts related to launch vehicle manufacturing, space habitation, in-space manufacturing, advanced materials, commercial partnerships, and crowdsourcing. She is a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In her free time, she enjoys reading, film, traveling, and SCUBA diving. She has a B.S. in physics from Eastern Kentucky University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University.