Day 1  — Tuesday February 5th, 2019

7:00  am 
Registration Opens


Sponsored Breakfast — EXOLAUNCH
 
8:30  am

Interpreting Small Satellite Industry Growth, Value and Size

Full Description
It is clear that the smallsat industry has gained significant momentum, proven its less capital intensive, quicker to market value proposition: it is here to stay. Not only are the applications diverse, but so are the investors, both financial and strategic. Traditional space companies and technology giants are looking at different smallsat solutions as part of their business extension to keep pace with the smallsat revolution. With the rise of smallsats, an entire ecosystem has also evolved, including a broad range of new launch service providers, rideshare arrangers, ground systems and system innovations. Not to mention the multiple planned mega-constellations. This panel will provide insights and predictions for market growth over the next ten years, and how what is being financed and on the drawing board matches up with market demand. Outside of the 4,000 planned broadband communication smallsats and the 1,500 planned earth observations satellites where are the largest underserved opportunities for secondary and tertiary suppliers within this marketplace?

MODERATOR

Chris Baugh

President

NSR - Northern Sky Research

SPEAKER

Carissa Christensen

CEO

Bryce Space and Technology

SPEAKER

Melissa Farrell

Vice President, Commercial Programs

Stellar Solutions, Inc.

SPEAKER

Dr. Ward Hanson

Lecturer in Economics

Stanford University

SPEAKER

Stuart Martin

CEO

Catapult

SPEAKER

Emmanuel Sauzay

Director, Commercial Space

Airbus Defense and Space, Inc.

9:30 am

Three ViewPoints — SmallSat Defense and Government Developments

Steve Jurvetson, Co-founder, Future Ventures & DFJ was to be our Keynote Speaker. Unfortunately he is unable to attend so he will do the introduction of this session via video. In lieu of Mr. Jurvetson's Keynote we have asked three respected speakers to give individual presentations on where smallsat developers should concentrate their efforts to best capitalize on the Government and Military markets.
 
Full Description

According to Euroconsult the following numbers describe smallsat activity: 40% Government. 30% Defense and 30% Commercial. Governments will remain the largest customer of the satellite and launch industries with 1,300+ satellites to be launched over the next 10 years for about 70 countries, for a market value of over $200 billion. With these numbers it is not surprising that General John Hyten, Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, said at an industry conference last year. “I won’t support the development any further of large, big, fat, juicy targets.....we are going to go down a different path.”

MODERATOR

Tom Stroup

President

SIA - Satellite Industry Association

SPEAKER

Col Steven J. Butow

Space Portfolio Lead

Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx)

SPEAKER

Josef Koller

Systems Director

Center for Space Policy and Strategy

SPEAKER

Robert Zitz

Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer

SSL Government Systems

10:15 am

Sponsored Refreshment Break — KSAT & Orbital Systems

10:45 am

Constellations - Broadband Communications from SmallSats

Full Description
Announced players in this arena include SpaceX, OneWeb, Telesat, LeoSat, Hongyan, and Boeing. The general consensus in the industry regarding constellations is that too many are planned for the marketplace, and while at least one (maybe two) will make it to the finish line it is extremely unlikely that all constellations planned will come to fruition or be profitable. What are the unique approaches that each company is taking and how might those strategies underscore a winning strategy? What do you see as their differentiators? Are there unique applications that can be served by multiple operators simultaneously.

MODERATOR

Peter Nesgos

Partner

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

SPEAKER

Larry Alder

VP of Product Definition

OneWeb

SPEAKER

Alessandro Caranci

Senior Vice President Line of Business Satellite Communications

Telespazio

SPEAKER

John Gedmark

Founder and CEO

Astranis

SPEAKER

Karen L. Jones

Senior Project Leader, Center for Space Policy and Strategy

The Aerospace Corporation

SPEAKER

Meir Moalem

CEO

Sky and Space Global


Ball Aerospace...Sponsored Lunch is held between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm

11:45 am

Earth Observation: SmallSat Innovations and Advantages

Full Description
Whether earth observation, remote sensing, geospatial imaging or big data analytics, smallsats have catapulted the sector further then ever before. Some own their own platforms, others purchase data from third parties and focus on their analytics differentiator. While several successful constellations have been launched and multiple applications are being developed every year, how many more competing constellations will the market (and spectrum resources) support? Some are based on video and others on radar and optical photography, and run the full gamut of types, resolutions, regions and philosophy of what is provided: automatically generated, specified targeting, raw versus processed data, and even the opportunity for dedicated mini-constellations. Our panel will examine the market trends and opportunities currently seen, and to be expected, in the upcoming year.

MODERATOR

Adam Keith

Affiliate Principal Advisor

Euroconsult Canada

SPEAKER

Payam Banazadeh

CEO & Co-Founder

Capella Space

SPEAKER

Alexander Herz

President & CEO

Orbit Logic Incorporated

SPEAKER

Christopher A. Lentz

Systems Engineering & Integration Fellow

Lockheed Martin Space - Commercial Civil Space

SPEAKER

Dan Nevius

Co-Founder and COO

Analytical Space

SPEAKER

Dr. Bert Vermeire

CTO

Space Micro

12:45 pm

Technology Brief - Software Defined Network Systems

Full Description
How exactly will Software Defined Networking and Machine Learning affect the satellite communications industry? Our speaker will take aspects of these applications for solving the complexity of using spacecraft as a platform for providing abundant Internet access to the world. The key challenges in the operation of non-geostationary, multi-hop aerospace networks will be discussed. We are on the brink of an exponential growth in data production and analysis, with the monetization of this trend largely dependent on the ability to process this data – and these applications will be critical to that step.

SPEAKER

Brian Barritt

Technical Lead / Manager, Loon

X (formerly Google X)

1:00 pm

Prime Contractors and the SmallSat Market

Full Description
Smallsat manufactures and operators often look to established (and larger) industry participants to support their programs, whether as investors, advisors, or strategic partners. Similarly, many traditional space players see smallsats as a significant part of the future of the industry, both for commercial and government programs, and see investments and strategic collaborations with smallsat players as the way to remain relevant and enter the newspace race. Our panel will discuss their insights as to the benefits and risks to those collaborations, including observations on the collaborations entered into to date with a particular focus on the structuring challenges that new entrants should expect when teaming with an existing, larger, industry partner.

MODERATOR

Louis Zacharilla

Director of innovation and Development

SSPI

SPEAKER

Erik Daehler

Director of Commercial Business Development

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

SPEAKER

Andrew M Kwas

Engineering and Technology Strategist

Northrop Grumman Corp.

SPEAKER

Wallis Laughrey

Vice President, Space Systems

Raytheon

1:45 pm

Keynote Speaker — Mike Safyan, VP of Launch, Planet

In 2011, Mike Safyan joined the eight-person founding team at Planet (known as "Cosmogia" at the time) where the company was building the first iterations of its Dove smallsats in a Cupertino garage. Since then, Planet has expanded to a global organization leading the NewSpace industry, with 400 employees and the world's largest fleet of Medium-resolution and High-resolution Earth Imaging satellites. Mike is responsible for Planet's Launch strategy and has overseen the launch of over 300 Planet satellites across 20 launch attempts working with a variety of different launch providers and launch vehicles.

FULL BIO

2:30 pm

Sponsored Refreshment Break — KSAT & Orbital Systems

3:00 pm

Financing SmallSats – Underserved Financing Sources vs. Overextended Players

Full Description
Over the past 20 years, we have seen the evolution of satellite solutions complementing, competing and/or being replaced by alternative platforms, whether terrestrial or, more recently UAS. Broadband and connectivity needs, together with growing sophistication and use of big data analytics, will continue exponentially. Large, geostationary satellites, as well as alternative ground and air-based platforms, are often evaluated side by side with the smallsat solution for a particular needs case. Including with respect to particular industry needs and tradeoffs with each type of information delivery platform: Agriculture, Environment, Energy, Infrastructure, Maritime, Aviation, Government Security purposes and many more. The panel will discuss different models being pursued and implemented, and the trade-offs considered, in the alternative models.

MODERATOR

Chris Quilty

President

Quilty Analytics

SPEAKER

Mike Collett

Managing Partner

Promus Ventures

SPEAKER

Shahin Farshchi

Partner

Lux Capital

SPEAKER

Nick Flitterman

Managing Director

Portland Advisors

SPEAKER

Tom Gillespie

Partner

In-Q-Tel

4:00 pm

Technology Brief - Batteries and Power Systems

Full Description
While the battery industry has exploded in recent years terrestrially, have there been significant advancements in space system batteries, and what can we expect to come online soon? While there have been significant advancements in GEO battery and power systems over the last several years, the demands and requirements for LEO satellites – particularly shorter life-span, higher cost prohibitive iterations – are significantly different.

SPEAKER

Dr. Paul Struhsaker

Chief Technology Officer

Carnegie Labs

4:15 pm

Smallsats in the Technology Sandbox: How SmallSat solutions play together with other information platforms

Full Description
Over the past 20 years, we have seen the evolution of satellite solutions complementing, competing and/or being replaced by alternative platforms, whether terrestrial or, more recently UAS. Broadband and connectivity needs, together with growing sophistication and use of big data analytics, will continue exponentially. Large, geostationary satellites, as well as alternative ground and air-based platforms, are often evaluated side by side with the smallsat solution for a particular needs case. Including with respect to particular industry needs and tradeoffs with each type of information delivery platform: Agriculture, Environment, Energy, Infrastructure, Maritime, Aviation, Government Security purposes and many more. The panel will discuss different models being pursued and implemented, and the trade-offs considered, in the alternative models.

MODERATOR

Randy Segal

Partner

Hogan Lovells

SPEAKER

Luis Gomes

CTO and Board Member

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited

SPEAKER

Steve Good

Vice President, Business Development North America

Thales Alenia Space

SPEAKER

Dr. Brad King

CEO

Orbion Space Technology

SPEAKER

Luigi Peluso

Managing Director

AlixPartners, LLP

SPEAKER

Rob Schwarz

Chief Technology Officer

SSL, a Maxar Technology

5:15 pm – 7:15 pm

Evening Reception — KRATOS

 

Day 2  — Wednesday February 6th, 2019

7:30  am 
Registration Opens


Sponsored Breakfast — Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
 
8:30  am

The Role that Small Satellites Play (now and in the future) in Defense

Full Description
How can smallsats change government missions (disaggregation, resiliency)? SmallSats can provide an enhancement layer for the capabilities of larger national security spacecraft, and as the existing systems become more vulnerable, technologically aging, and expensive to maintain, the appeal of smallsats will increase considerably. The new DARPA Blackjack program for private companies to pitch to develop a satellite constellation leveraging commercial capabilities to meet military needs is perhaps one of the largest opportunities for all sectors in the smallsat market. What are the best opportunities for small businesses/ smallsat startups to help the government mission? What is the role of legacy integrators in serving the same space?

MODERATOR

Phil Carrai

President

Kratos

SPEAKER

Dr. David Barnhart

Director, R&D, Military Space

Lockheed Martin Space

SPEAKER

Ryan Lewis

Vice President & Deputy Director

CosmiQ Works, an In-Q-Tel Lab

SPEAKER

John Serafini

CEO

HawkEye 360

SPEAKER

Martin Whelan

Vice President of Special Studies for the Defense Systems Group

The Aerospace Corporation

SPEAKER

Robert Zitz

Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer

SSL Government Systems

9:30 am

Ground System Manufacturers and Service Suppliers

Full Description
We will hear from leaders in these fields as to the what is different with the smallsat ground ecosystem. While significant advancements have been made in the reduction of cost and the increase in sophistication of smallsats, what is going on with the ground system suppliers to keep up with the space-based technology advancements and the less capital intensive business plans? With rapid consolidation in the industry and significant cost and technology advancement pressures, how are the ground system elements keeping up. How “off the shelf” and open network are the ground elements today, and how is the industry evolving. What obstacles are most important to be cautious of, and where to focus in these next stages of growth.

MODERATOR

Louis Zacharilla

Director of innovation and Development

SSPI

SPEAKER

Rob Call

Director Business Development, Satellite Management Services

SSC Space US, Inc.

SPEAKER

John Finney

Founder

Isotropic Systems

SPEAKER

Arnulf Kjeldsen

COO

KSAT (Kongsberg Satellite Services)

SPEAKER

Brad Bode

CTO

Atlas Space Operations

SPEAKER

Tony Russell

President

CPI Antenna Systems Division

SPEAKER

Tony Wilkey

Senior Vice President

AvL Technologies

10:30 am

Sponsored Refreshment Break — KSAT & Orbital Systems

11:00 am

The Evolving Business Case for Small Satellites

Full Description
Lessons Learned: What elements of the business case have been tested and what remain uncertain? What have we learned from the challenges faced and tools used in the development of a smallsat business (including all the service provider elements), including what has worked and, perhaps more importantly, what hasn't. While it has become clear to many that there is demand for both imaging and communications constellations, will smaller, niche applications have significant opportunities for growth in the industry? Will the period of rapid technology evolution and growth continue, or will consolidations and more market maturity be the next wave for smallsats?

MODERATOR

Dr. Eric Anderson

President

And One Technologies

SPEAKER

Brent Abbott

CEO for North America

AAC Microtec/Clyde Space

SPEAKER

Christopher Loghry

Business Development Manager

Moog

SPEAKER

Tim Lynch

Vice President of Strategic Initiatives

Harris Corporation

SPEAKER

Ric VanderMueler

Vice President, Space and Satellite Broadband

Viasat

SPEAKER

Dr. Marco Villa

President & COO

Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems

12:00 pm

Technology Brief - The Changing Architecture of Satellites

Full Description
Whether optimally serving EO satellites or providing innovative 2-way cloud connectivity, today’s satellite and space environment must evolve into a more distributed and flexible architecture. As service models evolve from network-centric to application/data centric, space must leverage the same SDN principles as terrestrial networks to play an active role within this highly dynamic networking environment. This session will discuss how flexible satellite payloads, electronically steered antennas, software defined gateways and new cloud carriers will all work in concert to create the new face of space as well as what it will mean to service providers and users.

SPEAKER

Greg Quiggle

Vice President, Product Management

Kratos


The Boeing Company...Sponsored Lunch is held between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm

12:15 pm

Antennas – Tracking and Phased Array Antennas

Full Description
Leaders include Kymeta, Phasor, C-Com, Curvalux etc. Multiple players have been working on various systems for a long period of time but prices remain high. New entrants continue to enter this market and disrupt current business models but when less expensive, alternate models arrive, there should be an explosion of activity.

MODERATOR

Catherine Melquist

President

Mobile Satellite Users Association

SPEAKER

Yoel Gat

CEO

SatixFy

SPEAKER

David Garrood

SVP Business Development

Phasor Inc.

SPEAKER

Drew Klein

Director of International Business Development

C-COM Satellite Systems

SPEAKER

Bill Milroy

Chairman and Chief Technology Officer

ThinKom Solutions, Inc.

SPEAKER

Pete Moosbrugger

Chief Technologist

Ball Aerospace

1:00 pm

Global Hotspots for the Smallsat Industry

Full Description
This panel will evaluate the smallsat developments, deployments and role outside the US. This includes the investment, government programs and developments in countries globally, including France, Japan, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Norway. The panel will explore the evolutionary activity in the smallsat industry globally, and how both in-bound and out-bound transactions with the US players have developed.

MODERATOR

David Hartshorn

CEO

Geeks Without Frontiers

SPEAKER

Andy German

Lead on Satellite Applications

Innovate UK

SPEAKER

Yuya Nakamura

President and CEO

Axelspace Corporation

SPEAKER

Hakan Savasan

R&D Center Manager

Profen Communications

SPEAKER

Miguel Valero

Managing Partner and Co-Founder

Détente

2:00 pm

Securing Capital and the M&A Market

Full Description
As the pace of M&A activity continues, so does both the emergence of startups entering the industry and new interest in the industry from established players from other markets. For various stages of growth, from startup to market dominance, what are the options for financing success, and what changes are occurring today that are of interest to companies making moves in the industry. Are there new ways to leverage government resources, or are there large companies hungry to get involved that have significant investment capital available? Learn the latest trends and best opportunities to open the doors for securing your next stage of growth.

MODERATOR

William Jefferson Black

Managing Director & Publisher

Finance Information Group

SPEAKER

Mark Boggett

CEO

Seraphim Capital

SPEAKER

Chris Boshuizen

Operating Partner

Data Collective VC

SPEAKER

Rob Coneybeer

Managing Director

Shasta Ventures

SPEAKER

Ann Kim

Director, Frontier Technology

Silicon Valley Bank

SPEAKER

Brian Saunders

Strategy Lead

Boeing Satellite Systems

3:00 pm

Sponsored Refreshment Break — KSAT & Orbital Systems

3:30 pm

What Role do Heavy Lift Large Rockets Play in the Small Satellite Industry

Full Description
Most of the heavy lift launch service providers have, or are planning, to develop a smallsat launch capability, including Arianespace, ISRO, SpaceX, MHI, and ULA either directly or with third party rideshare aggregators. For launching a large number of satellites in a relatively similar position, heavy lift rockets may prove more cost effective per kg, and more reliable due to their track record. With the use of specialized dispenser technology will large launchers continue to compete in the smallsat arena, in light of the number of smaller launch vehicles with more frequent launches on the horizon? Learn from those developing the infrastructure and business models to accommodate this changing landscape.

MODERATOR

Chris Stott

Chair & CEO

ManSat

SPEAKER

Dr. Bruce Chesley

Senior Director, Strategy, Space and Missile Systems Defense, Space & Security

Boeing

SPEAKER

Stella Guillen

Vice President Sales and Marketing

Arianespace Inc.

SPEAKER

Jonathan Hofeller

Vice President of Commercial Sales

SpaceX

SPEAKER

Jeanne Medvedeva

Commercial Director

EXOLAUNCH

SPEAKER

Dr. Ko Ogasawara

Vice President & General Manager, Space Systems

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI)

4:30 pm

Small Launch Vehicle Mission Differentiation

Full Description
Stimulated by the growing demand for small satellites, as well as the interest in dedicated launch services many small launch vehicles are in development. Small launch vehicles are less expensive to develop and launch, and therefore in the reach of more companies who do not want to be bundled with, and dependent on the timing of, multiple smallsats. Agencies like NASA, the NRO, the Air Force and DARPA are offering funding and other incentives to small launch vehicles and trimming regulations in areas like procurement. Our panelists will discuss the new launch vehicles on the horizon and market capacity (and competitive advantages and risks) in the marketplace.

MODERATOR

Randy Segal

Partner

Hogan Lovells

SPEAKER

Jim Cantrell

Co-Founder and CEO

Vector

SPEAKER

Dan Hart

President and CEO

Virgin Orbit

SPEAKER

Dr. Tom Markusic

CEO and CTO

Firefly Aerospace

SPEAKER

Dr. Giulio Ranzo

CEO

Avio

SPEAKER

Tim Ellis

CEO and Co-Founder

Relativity

5:30 pm

Departing Outdoor Food Service — Relativity

 

Day 3  — Thursday February 7th, 2019

7:30  am 
Registration Opens


Sponsored Breakfast — Braxton Technologies
 
8:30  am

Utilizing Earth Observation Data

Full Description
With exponential increases in real time data from earth observation satellite new techniques and technologies are poised to improve user access and provider overhead. What recent developments in image processing AI are poised to improve this process? Cloud computing is heavily leveraged in this exercise. What is the cost of this dependency and are other alternatives been explored? How can infrastructure be created to best serve end users?

MODERATOR

Todd Simon

Founder

Geospatial Alpha

SPEAKER

Devin Brande

Director of Advanced Programs

Orbital Insight

SPEAKER

Adam Maher

Founder and President

Ursa Space Systems Inc.

SPEAKER

Rafal Modrzewski

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

ICEYE

SPEAKER

Dr. Alex Saltman

Chief Operating Officer

GeoOptics

SPEAKER

Dr. Spencer Ziegler

Director of the UK Space Division

SCISYS

9:15 am

Recruitment, Retention and Team Building

Full Description
To grow or shift a company from one growth phase to the next (start up to mature business) is hard. Many smallsat companies start with technically advanced personnel and may lack the skills to manage and recruit people to grow. Where do you find the people you need? What people do you need? What draws the best and brightest to work for your organization? The panelists will discuss evolution of the workplace, challenges and opportunities and thoughts for young professionals as they face the future.

The panel will discussion will include:
- Hiring challenges from the viewpoint of employers and from the viewpoint of candidates
- The Millennial hiring factor
- Hiring technology using automation
- Complexities when international companies expand and hire in the US

MODERATOR

Bert Sadtler

Founder and President

Boxwood Strategies

SPEAKER

Anita Bernie

KISPE Space Systems Ltd

SPEAKER

Genah M. Burditt

Partner in EyasSat and Co-Founder and COO of Blue Foot Engineering

EyasSat, and Blue Foot Engineering

SPEAKER

Nick Potts

Managing Director / CEO

Printech Circuit Laboratories Ltd

SPEAKER

Rick Sanford

Vice President, Strategy & Business Development

BridgeSat, Inc.

10:00 am

Spectrum Use and Optical Alternatives

Full Description
Is there a shortage of spectrum for smallsat operators? Can spectrum historically used by smallsat operators continue to be coordinated? Are incumbent government or commercial operators incentivized to coordinate spectrum? What can be done to facilitate coordination efforts? Do organizations such as the Commercial Smallsat Spectrum Management Association (CSSMA) have a role to play? Do intersatellite links or optical links provide a solution for possible spectrum scarcity?

MODERATOR

Tom Stroup

President

SIA - Satellite Industry Association

SPEAKER

Mark Brady

Managing Partner

Clarke Belt 2.0

SPEAKER

Dr. Ralph Ewig

CEO and Founder

Audacy

SPEAKER

Josef Koller

Systems Director

Center for Space Policy and Strategy

SPEAKER

Barry Matsumori

CEO

BridgeSat

SPEAKER

Katherine Monson

Head of KSAT USA

KSAT (Kongsberg Satellite Services)

10:45 am

Sponsored Refreshment Break — KSAT & Orbital Systems

11:00 am

Integration and Cooperation between NASA, DISA, DARPA and the Proposed Space Force – Is this still a thing?

Full Description
How far along has the process gone for a legitimate Space Force? If implemented how will the reorganization of the armed forces effect government cost and how will said changes affect commercial suppliers? Is there a possibility of improving communication and coordination with smallsat operators? How much work have these established government organizations put into this concept? New smallsat companies struggle with a government acquisition system that appears slow, cumbersome and unable to match the pace of change – how do we open these barriers to entry?

MODERATOR

Bruce Pittman

Director of Commercial Space Development

OffWorld Inc.

SPEAKER

Richard French

Manager, Technology Partnerships

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

SPEAKER

Gurpartap "GP" Sandhoo

Superintendent, Spacecraft Engineering Department

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

SPEAKER

Dr. Charles D. Norton

Special Advisor, Small Spacecraft Missions

NASA Headquarters

11:45 am

Orchestrating Space, Standards and Regulations

Full Description
Regulatory and legal requirements are core to the satellite industry, smallsats included. Most rules were created at a time before global smallsat constellations were imagined, and regulatory requirements (including access to spectrum) were not written to envision or address the current business environment. This ranges from questions on the governing agencies, the application processes, spectrum coordination among smallsat entrants, and how different types of technologies (such as optical, radar, geospacial imaging) including their spacecraft and customer deliverables should be regulated. Export controls and government security interests also play a major role in required approvals and restrictions for developing and deploying new technologies. In addition, new advanced technologies both create and seek to solve different regulatory challenges created on a global scale (such as orbital debris). Our panel of international regulatory experts will provide insight into what we know and what we do not know yet, and the upcoming developments on the horizon.

MODERATOR

Tony Lin

Counsel

Hogan Lovells

SPEAKER

Tony Azzarelli

CEO and Founder

Azzurra Telecom Ltd

SPEAKER

Tahara Dawkins

Director, Commercial Remote Sensing, Regulatory Affairs Office

NOAA - National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

SPEAKER

Brad Kizzort

Chief Technologist

Peraton

SPEAKER

Chuen Chern Loo

Head of Space Publication and Registration

ITU

SPEAKER

Brian Weimer

Corporate Partner

Sheppard Mullin

 

12: 30 pm Closing Remarks


Departing Outdoor Food Service — Relativity