GovMilSpace Makes Its Debut Alongside SATELLITE

This year, the SATELLITE Conference & Exhibition is debuting a new co-located event geared toward how the space industry interfaces with government, called GovMilSpace.

Developed in partnership with Defense Daily and the Satellite Industry Association (SIA), GovMilSpace is aimed at changing how public sector agencies, military branches, and commercial space organizations work together on critical national security missions. While the SATELLITE show has always featured these relationships, GovMilSpace takes the programming a step further with four days of dedicated programming, a dedicated pavilion in the Exhibit Hall, and networking opportunities.

With the change in administration, it is a critical time for this program. The second Trump administration is widely expected to be bullish on space capabilities and has already called for an “Iron Dome” missile defense project using space-based interceptors.

At the same time, there are expectations the new administration will be tighter on spending. The Space Force also is expected to move toward the use of more fixed-price contracts and stop underperforming contracts. As of late February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the military to prepare for budget cuts over the next five years.

The program kicks off on Monday morning with a breakfast and fireside chat with Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth, Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Whitworth has served as director of the NGA since June of 2022. The NGA delivers geospatial intelligence to policymakers, military service members, intelligence professionals and first responders. The agency is a principal member of the U.S. intelligence community, working with commercial companies to acquire analytics for its mission.

Earlier this year, the agency selected 13 companies including Airbus, Maxar, and Planet, to provide geospatial intelligence under the Luno B contract, which is worth up to $200 million over five years.

The first day of GovMilSpace has a packed program of eight sessions, covering a range of hot topics like the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighting Space Architecture; agile procurement; and optimizing the government space industrial supply chain.

It also deals with how commercial space capabilities support defense missions including launch, commercial Earth observation data, commercial ground systems, and even how the emerging area of direct-to-cell (D2C) communications can impact battlefield intelligence.

There are a number of notable government speakers including Dr. Gurpartap Sandhoo, who serves as the senior advisor and the scientific review official SDA, where he provides guidance on the development of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) and future novel architecture concepts.

Paul Van Slett, director of Satellite Communications Satcom for the DoD will weigh in on the evolution of commercially built military ground systems. Van Slett is responsible for defining DoD policies and strategies for design, architecture, interoperability standards, capability development, and sustainment of DoD satcom.

And Charlotte Gerhart, deputy PEO for Milcomm & PNT Directorate for the U.S. Space Force will appear on a panel about what D2C communications can mean beyond consumer applications, for military environments. D2C communications have reached widespread awareness in the consumer space and were even featured in Superbowl and Grammy commercials this year — but what can this type of connectivity mean for the military?

The second day of programming takes a look at the role of the NATO alliance in space, and the U.S. Army’s plans for Unified Network Operations (UNO). Another panel on Tuesday will feature the industry view of the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR) program, an initiative to allow the military to tap into the commercial space capabilities for emergencies.

Tuesday also includes the dedicated reception for GovMilSpace pass holders at the Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar on Tuesday, March 11 for face-time with decision-makers.

Wednesday’s GovMilSpace program features a discussion about resiliency in satellite networks, a critical issue as the industry aims to create multi-orbit, multi-frequency and multi-waveform networks.

In an interesting case study, Dr. Pawel Bernat of the Polish Air Force University, will talk about how commercial satellite data is used by private military companies, specifically the Wagner Group. Bernat will talk about how the Wagner Group used commercial data for its aims in the Russo-Ukrainian War, arguing that access to satellite data makes private military companies stronger and more dangerous, and what can be done to minimize the threat.

Thursday, the GovMilSpace program ends with two panels. Audrey Schaffer of Slingshot Aerospace and former director for Space Policy on the National Security Council staff, leads a discussion about how AI/ML technologies can be deployed for spaceflight safety, orchestrating networks, and addressing threats in space.

The final session moderated by Karen Jones, senior space policy analyst for The Aerospace Corporation, looks at the emerging area of space solar power and what it will take for space solar power to become part of the global energy enterprise, with input from DARPA and NASA. VS