Thursday Morning Keynote
Purdue Professor
Barrett S. Caldwell, PhD is Professor of Industrial Engineering, and Aeronautics & Astronautics, at Purdue. He has a PhD (Univ. of California, Davis, 1990) in Social Psychology, and BS degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Humanities (MIT, 1985). His research team is the Group Performance Environments Research (GROUPER) Laboratory. GROUPER examines and improves how people get, share, and use information in settings including aviation, critical incident response, healthcare, and spaceflight operations. Prof. Caldwell has been Director and Principal Investigator of the NASA-funded Indiana Space Grant Consortium since 2002. He co-organized the National Academy of Engineering US Frontiers of Engineering (FOE) 2008session on Cognitive Ergonomics, and has participated in multiple other NASEM service efforts, including the 2022 report on Human-AI Teaming: State of the Art and Research Needs. During 2016-17, Prof. Caldwell was a Jefferson Science Fellow at the U.S. Department of State, assigned to environment, science, technology and health policy in the Office of Japanese Affairs. He is a Fellow and Past Secretary-Treasurer of the HFES, and a Fellow of the IISE. He is the faculty advisor for the Purdue Student Chapter for the IISE, and has been named outstanding IISE regional faculty advisor for 2022 and 2023.
Friday Morning Keynote
Sierra Space
Dr. Janet Kavandi serves as President and Chief Science Officer for Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company that is building an end-to-end business and technology platform in space to benefit life on Earth. Dr. Kavandi leads the Sierra Space Human Spaceflight Center and Astronaut Training Academy, where she is responsible for the selection, training, and human health of Sierra Space’s corps of Career astronauts, as well as the Specialist and Experiential astronauts who will go to space for work and research or for leisure. Before joining Sierra Space, Dr. Kavandi served 25 years at NASA where she had a storied career as Director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Director of Flight Crew Operations, and Deputy Director of Health and Human Performance at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. She was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1994 and flew on three space shuttle missions, logging 33 days in space and 13.1 million miles in 535 Earth orbits.
Space Sustainability: Responding to Policy Demands
Starfish
Alex Coultrup (she/her) is the Director of LEO Business and Policy at Starfish Space, an early-stage startup working toward the future of affordable, accessible satellite servicing. She earned her M.S. from Florida Institute of Technology, where she focused on Space Policy and Human-Centered Design for microgravity platforms. Alex has worked as a researcher at the CSIS Aerospace Security Project, was a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow at the XPRIZE Foundation, and most recently came from Nanoracks, where she worked on the Starlab Commercial LEO Destinations program. Today, her focus is on the commercial economics of satellite servicing in LEO, and engaging with the policy environment for consensual and cooperative on-orbit servicing operations.
SCOUT
Eric is a commercial spaceflight regulatory expert with a tremendous reach in the space industry. Additionally, he is an active and recognizable figure in space exploration and disability advocacy sectors. Currently, Eric is the Co-founder and CEO of SCOUT Space Inc., a spaceflight hardware, software, and data provider developing solutions for improved safety and transparency in space. He is also a Board Member at the Space Frontier Foundation, an Organizing Team Member & Ambassador for Mission: AstroAccess, and serves on the Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES). Previously, he served as an Aerospace Engineer at the FAA Office for Commercial Space Transportation. Eric holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Old Dominion University, most of a Master’s of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston, and a sport pilot certificate.
Astroscale
Luc Riesbeck is a Space Policy Research Analyst at Astroscale U.S. where he matures cross-disciplinary solutions to space sustainability challenges, making active debris removal and in-space satellite servicing a reality for government and industry customers. He holds an M.A. in International Science and Technology Policy from George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute and a B.A. in Social Science from New York University Shanghai.
Secure World Foundation
Dr. Brian Weeden is the Director of Program Planning for Secure World Foundation and has more than 20 years of professional experience in space operations and policy. Dr. Weeden directs strategic planning for future-year projects to meet the Foundation’s goals and objectives, and conducts research on space sustainability issues. He is a member and former Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Council on the Future of Space Technologies, a former member of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the former Executive Director of the Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS). Prior to joining SWF, Dr. Weeden served nine years on active duty as an officer in the United States Air Force working in space and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) operations. Dr. Weeden holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Clarkson University, a Master’s Degree in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Public Administration from George Washington University in the field of Science and Technology Policy.
How to Network/Pitch Yourself
Lockheed Martin
Sapna Rao is a Systems Engineer Sr at Lockheed Martin Commercial Civil Space located in Denver, CO. She has worked on a multitude of space exploration missions including Artemis II, Wildfire Detection with AI/ML, and the Cryogenic Demonstration Mission. She was the President of Virginia Tech SEDS in 2017.
Honeybee
Christian graduated from the University of Central Florida (’22) with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and was the President of SEDS-UCF during the ’19-’20 academic year. Christian is currently working as a mechanical engineer at Honeybee Robotics in Altadena, CA, where he supports Honeybee’s R&D and flight programs.
Space Medicine: The Human Body in Space
GWU Professor
Claudia Ranniger, MD. PhD (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Medical Director of the Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills (CLASS) Center for medical simulation at the George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. With a background in Aerospace Engineering, she teaches a course entitled “Introduction to Human Health in Space”, which gives her valid cover to read as much about human physiology in space as she wants. Her research interests include the use of simulation to enhance medical education and healthcare outcomes, and most recently the use of mixed reality to provide holographic remote supervision for medical procedures in underserved or austere environments.
FSU Prof
Dr. Anand “Sunny” Narayanan is a Research Faculty at Florida State University focusing on space and medical physiology, applying his interdisciplinary experiences in engineering and biomedical sciences from >20 years of experience with NASA, as well as NIH, NSF, etc., projects. His diverse research studies include investigating the effects of spaceflight on health and biology, as well as increasing our knowledge of how medical conditions happen and identifying ways to cure them, as a few examples. Moreover, Sunny is a first-generation academic and a Ronald McNair Scholar, and is dedicated towards supporting the next generation of students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds and interests with their professional development.
Space Startups: Finding your Market
Unicorn Strategies
Maggie Feldman-Piltch is a Founding Partner at Unicorn Strategies. She leads the Build practice, focused on creating, implementing, and scaling creative solutions to strengthen national security institutions. She is the founder of US’ #NatSecGirlSquad and author of the forthcoming Non-State Actress. She believes defense innovation is not about disruption but about intentional creation, and in multilateral, multi-sectors coalitions. Above all, she does her best.
Astranis
Ryan McLinko is CTO and Co-Founder of Astranis, which is building small, low-cost, Geostationary, telecommunications satellites to bring the rest of the world online. Astranis was started in 2015, launched a demo satellite in 2018, launched its first commercial spacecraft earlier this year, and will be launching four more spacecraft next year, which will provide service to Peru and North America mobility applications. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors for SEDS-USA.
Integrate
John Conafay is a Veteran of the United States Air Force and Co-Founder + CEO of Integrate. Conafay has been an early employee and interned at three space unicorns and is deeply familiar with both the launch and demand sides of the new space economy. Most recently, Conafay was Head of Business Development at ABL Space Systems leading the sale of launch services to Amazon Kuiper and onboarding to OSP-4. Prior to ABL, he was Director of Business Development at Spaceflight Inc., Business Development and Operations Manager at Astranis, Business Development Associate at BryceTech, and interned at Spire Global while Executive Director for Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, USA.
Orbit Fab
Grant Kendall-Bell is a Business Development Manager at Orbit Fab, an on-orbit refueling company based in the Denver area in Colorado. Orbit Fab’s goal is to change the single use paradigm for satellites by building an in-space propellant supply chain to deliver fuel. Grant supports this mission by working with satellite operators to upgrade their spacecraft for refueling and by developing refueling mission plans to optimize their operations. He endeavors to build strong partnerships with other companies and organizations in the space industry to enable a sustainable space environment through reusable spacecraft and responsible operations. Prior to joining Orbit Fab in 2019, he worked for the Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator in Los Angeles, a space-industry focused startup accelerator focused on enabling the rapid growth of startup companies by providing resources and structure, and by coordinating targeted discussions that lead to contracts and investment. At Techstars, Grant provided guidance to space startup founders on business model iteration, go-to-market strategies, and fundraising support, while also managing program operations for Techstars. Before Techstars, Grant was on the frontier technologies team at the VU venture capital fund in San Francisco, where he focused on investing in promising space technology companies. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from American University with specializations in finance and entrepreneurship.
Satellite Constellations
NASA JPL
Dr. Azita Valinia was selected in February 2020 as the NASA Engineering and Safety Center Chief Scientist. She brings over 20 years of experience in NASA program management spanning areas in Earth and space sciences research, technology development, engineering, and space science mission management. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Valinia served as the Deputy Director of the Astrophysics Flight Projects Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), overseeing a portfolio of over 20 space science flight missions in operation including the Hubble Space Telescope. She was also the Deputy Program Manager for NASA’s Physics of the Cosmos and Cosmic Origins Programs, overseeing the science engagement, technology development, and mission concept formulation activities for these programs.
Astranis
Ryan McLinko is CTO and Co-Founder of Astranis, which is building small, low-cost, Geostationary, telecommunications satellites to bring the rest of the world online. Astranis was started in 2015, launched a demo satellite in 2018, launched its first commercial spacecraft earlier this year, and will be launching four more spacecraft next year, which will provide service to Peru and North America mobility applications. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors for SEDS-USA.
SCOUT CTO
Sergio Gallucci is the co-founder and CTO of SCOUT, a company innovating space safety and traceability with distributed space-based sensing capabilities. Sergio brings diverse technical insights to SCOUT’s set of core competencies having built flight programs around radiation resiliency, space environment characterization, and dynamic operations across academia, industry, and government; including programs with NASA, USAF, and USSF.In 2021, Sergio was recognized as one of the Forbes Next 1,000 Upstart Entrepreneurs who are “Redefining the American Dream”. In 2022, he was appointed to the IAA committee on Space Traffic Management. Sergio holds a B.S. (Honors) in Aeronautical Engineering from Clarkson University and was an NSF GRFP Fellow at the Pennsylvania State University for graduate work on small satellites, propulsion, and spacecraft/environment interactions. He is an alumnus of the 2016 NASA Glenn Space Academy.
Naval Academy
Dr. Jin S. Kang (Suk Jin Kang) is an Associate Professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department at the United States Naval Academy, and serves as the Director of the Naval Academy Small Satellite Program. His main research area is in small satellite technology development and was involved in development of four micro-satellites and numerous CubeSat satellites. He received his B.S. from the University of Michigan, M.S. from Stanford University, and Ph.D. from Korea Aerospace University (KAU) in Aerospace Engineering. After working for General Electric for two years, Kang taught at Korea Air Force Academy, KAU, and Drexel University before joining the Naval Academy faculty.
OSIRIS-REx: Bringing Asteroids to Earth
NASA Goddard
Jason Dworkin’s (he/him) objective is to assess the organic species available for the origin and early evolution of life with a focus is on understanding the extraterrestrial input and origin of molecules relevant for life. This objective has been to study increasingly documented and constrained systems, from plausibly early Earth chemistry, chemistry of astrophysically relevant laboratory ices, organic and chiral analysis of meteorites, to analysis of sample returned material and how to protect that material from contamination. This research employs modern analytical methods to examine authentic samples of the early solar system as well as laboratory models of ancient environments. This involves both directing research in the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and scientific leadership in NASA sample return and in situ missions.
Your Future in Space: DEI
SCOUT
Eric is a commercial spaceflight regulatory expert with a tremendous reach in the space industry. Additionally, he is an active and recognizable figure in space exploration and disability advocacy sectors. Currently, Eric is the Co-founder and CEO of SCOUT Space Inc., a spaceflight hardware, software, and data provider developing solutions for improved safety and transparency in space. He is also a Board Member at the Space Frontier Foundation, an Organizing Team Member & Ambassador for Mission: AstroAccess, and serves on the Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES). Previously, he served as an Aerospace Engineer at the FAA Office for Commercial Space Transportation. Eric holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Old Dominion University, most of a Master’s of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston, and a sport pilot certificate.
SGAC
Sapna Rao is a Systems Engineer Sr at Lockheed Martin Commercial Civil Space located in Denver, CO. She has worked on a multitude of space exploration missions including Artemis II, Wildfire Detection with AI/ML, and the Cryogenic Demonstration Mission. She was the President of Virginia Tech SEDS in 2017.
Borderless Labs
Mac Malkawi is a Jordanian American Business Man! Learner! Space nut! Philanthropist! Explorer! Entrepreneur! And Science Fiction Fan! Founder and President of Borderless Labs Inc on a mission to create online educational STEAM content for underserved communities in multiple languages worldwide while bringing access to Space through inspiration by building science clubs, maker spaces, space camps, and analog astronaut experiences for underserved communities.
Howard University Law
He is the inaugural director of The Center for Air and Space Law Task Force on Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Aerospace and an adjunct professor of space law at Howard University School of Law. AJ works as a research director for the Jus Ad Astra project and previously served as the Communications Director for AstroAccess. He is the Space Law and Policy Chair for Black in Astro and was the founding president of the National Disabled Law Students Association.
HWO: Exoplanets
Planetary Environments Lab at Goddard
Shawn Domagal-Goldman is the Deputy Director of the Science Exploration Directorate at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. In this role, he helps oversee the broad portfolio of space science and science missions at NASA GSFC, spanning areas of astrophysics, Earth sciences, planetary sciences, and heliophysics. Shawn’s research background is as an astrobiologist that has been a member of multiple interdisciplinary teams that conduct research on the standards of evidence for biosignatures and assessment of exoplanet habitability from an interdisciplinary systems science framework. He’s also been on several teams for mission concepts to directly image planets around other stars.
Research Symposium
UMD Prof
Dr. Jin S. Kang (Suk Jin Kang) is an Associate Professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department at the United States Naval Academy, and serves as the Director of the Naval Academy Small Satellite Program. His main research area is in small satellite technology development and was involved in development of four micro-satellites and numerous CubeSat satellites. He received his B.S. from the University of Michigan, M.S. from Stanford University, and Ph.D. from Korea Aerospace University (KAU) in Aerospace Engineering. After working for General Electric for two years, Kang taught at Korea Air Force Academy, KAU, and Drexel University before joining the Naval Academy faculty.
Honeybee
Jack graduated from the University of Central Florida (’21) with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and was the Director of Projects of the SEDS-UCF Chapter from summer 2018 to spring of 2020. Jack is now currently working as a mechanical engineer at Honeybee Robotics in Altadena, CA, specializing mostly in pneumatics and sample acquisition in extreme environments.
SEDS-USA
In the past year I have been the director of projects at SEDS. I am a prehealth student with a BA in Biology and Astronomy from Mount Holyoke College ‘23. I am passionate about space medicine and hope to make space more accessible for everyone. In my free time I enjoy cooking and baking while listening to audiobooks on sci fi and fantasy.
Space Policy: Keeping Pace with a Dynamic Industry
NASA
Therese Jones serves as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Science and Technology, Policy, and Strategy at NASA Headquarters, working on strategic planning across NASA missions. From 2018-2023, she served as the Senior Director of Policy at the Satellite Industry Association, where she supported work on regulatory, legislative, defense, space sustainability, cybersecurity, export control and trade issues of critical importance to the Association’s 60+ member companies. Previously, Therese was an assistant policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, where she focused on space policy, and prior to that worked as an astrophysics researcher focusing on galaxy formation and evolution. Therese holds a master’s in Policy Analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, a master’s in astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and bachelor’s degrees in astronomy and astrophysics, physics, German, and international studies from The Pennsylvania State University. In her spare time, she works on numerous initiatives supporting students and young professionals entering the space industry, including co-founding the Zed Factor Fellowship, founding the AIAA Diversity Scholarship, serving on the Board of Advisors of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, and serving as a founding partner of spaceinterns.org.
AIA
Mike French is Vice President for Space Systems at the Aerospace Industries Association. As the lead of the Space Systems policy division, Mike works with AIA’s membership to advocate for policies, regulations, and investments that ensure American leadership and strong industry partnership across the civil, commercial, and national security sectors. Mike’s experience in the space industry ranges from advising senior government leaders on space policy, to developing market forecasts and assessments for industry executives, to analyzing major space investments for companies and banks. He previously served as the Senior Vice President for Commercial Space at Bryce Space and Technology, a market analysis and management consulting firm. At Bryce, he advised major aerospace industry clients on management, policy, and investment decisions. Mike has also held several federal government positions, most recently serving as NASA’s Chief of Staff, advising the NASA Administrator, White House, and other government leadership on national space policy issues. He received NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal for his service. Prior to serving in government, he practiced law in the defense and aerospace sector in Los Angeles where he advised clients on matters regarding aircraft and aerospace weapons systems. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Mudd Law
Charles Lee Mudd Jr. contributes to the international community as a thought leader in Internet and space law and policy. Throughout his law career, Charles has focused on technology and Internet law on both a litigation and transactional level. In the litigation context, his advocacy contributed to the development of precedent relating to the anonymity of speech on the Internet and other defamation related issues. From the transactional perspective, his counsel guided many businesses through a myriad of legal issues and helped foster their growth. More recently, he expanded his practice to include space law and policy.
NSS
Jonathan is a technologist, strategist, and futurist with extensive experience in government and working with nonprofits. A retired Air Force officer with diverse experiences managing a bombing range in Germany, planning air combat operations in Korea and Italy, instructing aircrew on airborne command posts, and as a strategist at Air Force “Checkmate” following the attacks of Sept 11, 2001. He has consulted on several Army War College studies. He has been an active space policy advocate since 2020, and has led NSS Planetary Defense efforts since May 2022.
Post-SEDS Life: Staying Connected as an Aerospace Professional
AIAA
Merrie Scott became the Vice President of Community and Partner Engagement in November 2019 and is responsible for the development and implementation of the Institute’s engagement strategy and programs that support student, professional and corporate memberships and various partnerships that enhance the mission of shaping the future of aerospace. Prior to the Vice President position, Scott directed the AIAA Foundation and had the primary responsibility to raise funds and awareness for the Institute’s non-profit, educational entity organization.
SGAC
Sapna Rao is a Systems Engineer Sr at Lockheed Martin Commercial Civil Space located in Denver, CO. She has worked on a multitude of space exploration missions including Artemis II, Wildfire Detection with AI/ML, and the Cryogenic Demonstration Mission. She was the President of Virginia Tech SEDS in 2017.
Space Stations: The Next ISS
NASA Director of ISS
Ms. Robyn Gatens is the director of the International Space Station (ISS) in the Space Operations mission directorate at NASA Headquarters. As ISS director, Gatens leads strategy, policy, integration, and stakeholder engagement for the space station program at the agency level, including use of the station for research and technology demonstrations including to support NASA’s Artemis missions, and activities to secure an ongoing U.S. presence in low-Earth orbit (LEO) by enabling a successful, long-term private sector commercial LEO space economy. She also serves as NASA’s liaison to the ISS National Laboratory. In her 38 years at NASA, Gatens has led the development and management of life support and habitation systems for human spaceflight missions. She has also led agency strategic and budget planning to mature these habitation system technologies needed for future deep space exploration missions, using the ISS as a demonstration testbed. She began her NASA career in 1985 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. She held various leadership positions at Marshall, including manager for the Orion spacecraft crew support and thermal systems before transferring to NASA Headquarters in 2012. Gatens is the recipient of NASA’s Outstanding Leadership and Exceptional Achievement Medals and holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
JHU Prof
Mark Shelhamer is a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Drexel University, and a doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering from MIT. At MIT he worked on sensorimotor physiology and modeling, including the study of astronaut adaptation to space flight. From 2013 to 2016 he served as Chief Scientist for the NASA Human Research Program. In that role, he oversaw NASA’s research portfolio for maintaining health and performance in long-duration spaceflight. Since returning to Johns Hopkins, his research has continued in the area of sensorimotor function, which includes experiments on ISS astronauts as well as crews of commercial orbital space flights. He also has a research program devoted to the multi-system and cross-disciplinary interactions that contribute to personal and mission resilience in spaceflight.
The New Space Economy
Integrate Space
Brandon Seifert is a growth strategy expert with experience spanning startups and scaleups across the space, quantum, and nuclear industries. Over his career, he has helped companies grow from tens to hundreds of employees, has reshaped national policies to support critical technology development efforts, and raised more than $100M in cumulative investment. As the Head of Business Development at Integrate, he is responsible for scaling the company’s sales efforts and expanding its reach into new markets globally. Brandon received his BA in Astrophysics from CU Boulder, where he served as President of CUSEDS and as an officer of SEDS-USA.
Aperture Financial
Mr. Mathurin brings over 15 years of financial management, operations and research experience in private equity, satellite communications and high technology industries. His background includes venture capital fiduciary matters, company valuations, exit analyses, financial modeling and negotiated banking relationships for emerging businesses. As the Managing Principal of Aperture Financial Group, LLC, he contributes his energy and talent to each mission and provides overall strategic leadership to the firm.
Kelli Kedis Ogborn is Vice President of Space Commerce and Entrepreneurship at Space Foundation, where she leads Space Commerce Institute, an initiative that delivers informed insight and actionable programming to help companies and individuals find their market share and grow within the evolving space economy. With over 15 years of experience in disruptive technology commercialization of space and defense innovations, she has extensive expertise in R&D, market analysis, and strategy for cutting-edge technologies.
Artemis Program: The Next Giant Leep
Paul Brower currently works at Blue Origin as the director of mission operations for the lunar permanence program. Previously, he worked at Northrop Grumman providing mission operations leadership and support to the Cygnus program and the NASA Gateway lunar space station HALO element. He has extensive experience in flight and ground segment systems and project management. He has served as a project lead for the operations of several high-tech developmental programs to rendezvous and berth unmanned cargo resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station and to support the flight operations of the commercial communications satellite fleet of O3b Networks. He also holds an MBA with a concentration in Management of Technology and is the author of a space adventure novel, NewStar One.
Northrop/NASA Astronaut
Mr. Daniel (Dan) Tani is a Director in the Human Exploration and Operations unit in Northrop Grumman Space Systems, located in Dulles, VA. From 2012 to 2022, Dan held several roles in the government, non-profit, education and private sectors. Most recently he was the chief of the INSPIRE Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; he served as the Director of Foundation Grants at the US-Japan Foundation; was a faculty member at The American School in Japan where he taught Middle and High School Science and Technology; and was the Vice President for Cargo and Mission Operations at Orbital ATK (was Orbital Sciences Corporation), a Washington DC-area aerospace company. From 1996 to 2012, Dan was an astronaut based at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. In his 16-year career at NASA, he flew on 2 space missions, for an accumulated 132 days in space, featuring 6 space walks. On his first spaceflight (2001), he served as a Mission Specialist on the 12-day STS-108 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. On his second spaceflight (2007-2008), he served as a Flight Engineer for 4 months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as a member of the Expedition 16 crew. He was delivered to the ISS as a member of the STS-120 crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, and was returned to Earth as a member of the STS-122 crew aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. His spaceflight preparation included extensive training at the cosmonaut training facility in Star City, Russia; hiking and sea kayaking with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS); winter and sea survival courses; high performance jet flying; and serving as a member of the NEEMO-2 crew where he worked and lived in an underwater habitat for 8 days. In addition to his training and preparation for spaceflight, Dan served as Capsule Communicator (“Capcom”) in Mission Control, was a Branch Chief in the Astronaut Office’s Space Station branch, and performed other technical assignments.
Advanced Space
Bradley Cheetham is the co-founder and CEO of Advanced Space where he leads company operations and strategy to deliver flight dynamics and operations solutions to clients across the space industry. Cheetham earned a degree in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo where he also co-founded the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) chapter. He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he received his Masters in Aerospace Engineering Sciences. As an advocate for the space industry, he serves on the Board of Advisors and the Board of Trustees of SEDS, and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Future Space Leaders Foundation.
Leadership Seminar
Georgetown Pres.
Andres Permuy is a fourth-year Physics Major and Math minor at Georgetown University. He aspires to receive a master’s degree in Space Robotics to pursue a career in Orbital Robotics and Automation. Andres’ current goal is to work with automation that can be utilized in the space industry for extraterrestrial exploration and orbital debris mitigation. Currently, Andres works with the national team at the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, leads the Georgetown University Space Initiative as the Co-President, and conducts robotics research at the Communication, Culture, and Technology master’s program at Georgetown University. In the past, Andres has: worked as a Computer Vision & Robotics intern for Astroscale Japan, researched Space Policy with the Beyond Earth Institute, represented his Georgetown peers as a delegate to the Space Generation Fusion Forum, conducted in-lab research with Physics and Engineering PhDs at Georgetown University, gained field experience as a project engineer, and worked with and taught children of all ages about the basics of the space industry, engineering, and physics.
Astronaut Fireside Chat
Northrop/NASA Astronaut
Mr. Daniel (Dan) Tani is a Director in the Human Exploration and Operations unit in Northrop Grumman Space Systems, located in Dulles, VA. From 2012 to 2022, Dan held several roles in the government, non-profit, education and private sectors. Most recently he was the chief of the INSPIRE Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; he served as the Director of Foundation Grants at the US-Japan Foundation; was a faculty member at The American School in Japan where he taught Middle and High School Science and Technology; and was the Vice President for Cargo and Mission Operations at Orbital ATK (was Orbital Sciences Corporation), a Washington DC-area aerospace company. From 1996 to 2012, Dan was an astronaut based at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. In his 16-year career at NASA, he flew on 2 space missions, for an accumulated 132 days in space, featuring 6 space walks. On his first spaceflight (2001), he served as a Mission Specialist on the 12-day STS-108 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. On his second spaceflight (2007-2008), he served as a Flight Engineer for 4 months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as a member of the Expedition 16 crew. He was delivered to the ISS as a member of the STS-120 crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, and was returned to Earth as a member of the STS-122 crew aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. His spaceflight preparation included extensive training at the cosmonaut training facility in Star City, Russia; hiking and sea kayaking with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS); winter and sea survival courses; high performance jet flying; and serving as a member of the NEEMO-2 crew where he worked and lived in an underwater habitat for 8 days. In addition to his training and preparation for spaceflight, Dan served as Capsule Communicator (“Capcom”) in Mission Control, was a Branch Chief in the Astronaut Office’s Space Station branch, and performed other technical assignments.
Since 2016, Alvin Drew has served at NASA Headquarters, as the NASA Liaison to the Department of Defense. From 2015 to 2016, he worked at the White House, on the Obama Administration’s Office of Science and Technology Policy staff, as Assistant Director for Aviation and Space Security; and in 2009, was the NASA Director of Operations at the Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. He served for 30 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Command Pilot-Astronaut–logging more than 4,000 hours–flying combat rescue and special operations missions, as a test pilot, and in space. He was an astronaut on two NASA Space Shuttle missions–STS-118and STS-133, where he completed two spacewalks constructing the International Space Station. Alvin has Bachelor’s degrees in Physics and in Astronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and a Master’s degree in Aerospace Science, from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and in Strategic Studies from the Air University/Air War College.
Saturday Morning Keynote
NASA Chief Technologist
As agency chief technologist, A.C. Charania serves as principal advisor to NASA’s administrator on technology policy and programs. He leads technology innovation at the agency and aligns NASA’s agencywide technology investments with mission needs across its six mission directorates. Charania also oversees technology collaboration with other federal agencies and the private sector while coordinating with external stakeholders. Charania is an experienced leader in entrepreneurial space and aviation ventures. His private sector work includes projects under contract for NASA, the Air Force, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). His experience spans multiple areas including launch vehicles, hypersonics, human/robotic exploration, lunar landers, planetary defense, small satellites, and aviation autonomy.
The Politics of the First Moonshot
Smithsonian Curator
Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony is a historian of science and technology and the curator of the Apollo Collection. Before coming to the Smithsonian, she earned a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She has held positions as a visiting scholar at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden (KTH), an Associate Historian at the American Institute of Physics, and as a curator at the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago. At the Air and Space Museum, she is the lead curator for the One World Connected gallery and serves on exhibit teams for Destination Moon and the Allan and Shelley Holt Innovations Gallery. Her collection comprises over 2,000 artifacts related to the Apollo program, the Skylab program, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
Graduate School: Deciding, Applying, Mastering
Purdue
Barrett S. Caldwell, PhD is Professor of Industrial Engineering, and Aeronautics & Astronautics, at Purdue. He has a PhD (Univ. of California, Davis, 1990) in Social Psychology, and BS degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Humanities (MIT, 1985). His research team is the Group Performance Environments Research (GROUPER) Laboratory. GROUPER examines and improves how people get, share, and use information in settings including aviation, critical incident response, healthcare, and spaceflight operations. Prof. Caldwell has been Director and Principal Investigator of the NASA-funded Indiana Space Grant Consortium since 2002. He co-organized the National Academy of Engineering US Frontiers of Engineering (FOE) 2008session on Cognitive Ergonomics, and has participated in multiple other NASEM service efforts, including the 2022 report on Human-AI Teaming: State of the Art and Research Needs. During 2016-17, Prof. Caldwell was a Jefferson Science Fellow at the U.S. Department of State, assigned to environment, science, technology and health policy in the Office of Japanese Affairs. He is a Fellow and Past Secretary-Treasurer of the HFES, and a Fellow of the IISE. He is the faculty advisor for the Purdue Student Chapter for the IISE, and has been named outstanding IISE regional faculty advisor for 2022 and 2023.
Therese Jones serves as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Science and Technology, Policy, and Strategy at NASA Headquarters, working on strategic planning across NASA missions. From 2018-2023, she served as the Senior Director of Policy at the Satellite Industry Association, where she supported work on regulatory, legislative, defense, space sustainability, cybersecurity, export control and trade issues of critical importance to the Association’s 60+ member companies. Previously, Therese was an assistant policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, where she focused on space policy, and prior to that worked as an astrophysics researcher focusing on galaxy formation and evolution. Therese holds a master’s in Policy Analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, a master’s in astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and bachelor’s degrees in astronomy and astrophysics, physics, German, and international studies from The Pennsylvania State University. In her spare time, she works on numerous initiatives supporting students and young professionals entering the space industry, including co-founding the Zed Factor Fellowship, founding the AIAA Diversity Scholarship, serving on the Board of Advisors of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, and serving as a founding partner of spaceinterns.org.
NASA Student Projects
Advanced Computing and AI in Space
ASU CS Professor
Hannah Kerner is an Assistant Professor of computer science in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence at Arizona State University. She is pioneering new machine learning techniques to harness the potential of remote sensing data to address global challenges like food insecurity and climate change. Her research aims to tackle barriers to realizing the benefits of machine learning in real-world applications that benefit society. As the AI Lead for NASA’s agriculture programs, NASA Harvest and NASA Acres, she is deploying research methods in real applications across the globe; her projects have directly resulted in optimized agricultural planning, disaster response, and financial relief in various regions around the world. The impact of Kerner’s research was recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 and the International Research Centre On Artificial Intelligence’s Top 10 projects solving problems related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals with AI.
Business Pitch
Integrate Space
John Conafay is a Veteran of the United States Air Force and Co-Founder + CEO of Integrate. Conafay has been an early employee and interned at three space unicorns and is deeply familiar with both the launch and demand sides of the new space economy. Most recently, Conafay was Head of Business Development at ABL Space Systems leading the sale of launch services to Amazon Kuiper and onboarding to OSP-4. Prior to ABL, he was Director of Business Development at Spaceflight Inc., Business Development and Operations Manager at Astranis, Business Development Associate at BryceTech, and interned at Spire Global while Executive Director for Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, USA.
Astranis
Ryan McLinko is CTO and Co-Founder of Astranis, which is building small, low-cost, Geostationary, telecommunications satellites to bring the rest of the world online. Astranis was started in 2015, launched a demo satellite in 2018, launched its first commercial spacecraft earlier this year, and will be launching four more spacecraft next year, which will provide service to Peru and North America mobility applications. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors for SEDS-USA.
Next-Gen Rocket Sustainability
bluShift
In 2014, Mr. Deri founded bluShift Aerospace. The company made world history on January 31, 2021 with the first commercial rocket launch powered by bio-derived fuel. bluShift’s series of small rockets will be able to lift 100-kilogram payloads to space and then later, to low Earth orbit for academic research and commercial customers. Prior to founding bluShift, Mr. Deri founded altE, a successful national renewable energy product distribution and light manufacturing company. His 23 years of experience in starting, growing, leading, planning and operating a lean and profitable, $36M/year organization within a tight margin sector of the industry enables him to do the same with the cost challenges of running a team to develop a small sustainable launch vehicle. Mr. Deri grew up in Maine. He earned a degree in physics from Earlham College and a second degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern Maine.
Space Fellowships
MIFP
Hello SEDS family! My name is Charlie and I was a member of UNH SEDS from 2017-2020. Since graduation, I have been working at SpaceX on the Starlink project where I am currently a lead on the mechanical team for the consumer product. I will be recruiting for SpaceX during the conference and I will also speak briefly at the Fellowship Panel as an alumni of the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program! See you all there and hope to talk to everyone interested in possibly working at SpaceX!
PGSF
Caleb Henry is the Director of Research at Quilty Analytics, a boutique research firm focused on the satellite and space industry. He previously worked as a journalist for SpaceNews and Via Satellite, where he wrote about the commercial space sector for global audiences. Caleb plays a lead role in guiding research projects, including speaking with industry executives, maintaining databases and writing reports. He is a frequently sought after public speaker, having appearances in Bloomberg, CNBC, the New York Times, and other major publications. Caleb is a graduate of Grove City College, where he co-founded the group Students for Ethnic Awareness and Diversity, which provides a safe space for students to engage in communal reflection and reconciliation on matters concerning race, ethnicity, and culture. He has long had a passion for advocating for people of color in underrepresented environments. As a kid, Caleb dreamt of being an astronomer, and he remains enthralled with the scientific understanding of space. Outside of work, Caleb is a distance runner, a middling Halo player, and an ardent defender of Jupiter as the best planet.
BOFP
Lori Garver is an aerospace policy analyst and author who served as Deputy Administrator of NASA and leader of the agency’s transition team for President Obama. She has since served as the General Manager of the Air Line Pilots Association and CEO of Earthrise Alliance, a philanthropic initiative established to fully utilize earth science data to address climate change. Garver serves as an advisor and board member to several leading aerospace corporations and an Operating Advisor at Bessemer Venture Partners. Garver is a co-founder of the Brooke Owens Fellowship and a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School. Her memoir, Escaping Gravity, My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age was published in 2022.
A World Without Satellites
Space Workforce 2030
Will Pomerantz is an aerospace executive with two decades of experience in the entrepreneurial and non-profit sectors. He currently serves as the Head of Space Ventures at AeroVironment, where he leads the team that build the Collier-Trophy winning Mars Ingenuity helicopter in partnership with NASA JPL. In that role, Will leads the new space business unit within the company’s MacCready Works Advanced Solutions division as they develop the Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters and other future missions. Prior to joining AeroVironment, Will served as Vice President for Special Projects and Employee #001 at Virgin Orbit, Vice President for Special Projects at Virgin Galactic, and Senior Director of Space Prizes at the XPRIZE Foundation, among other roles.
NOAA
Rafael “Rafa” de Ameller is an Earth scientist, a technologist, and an innovator, and since 2018 is the lead of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‘s Environmental Visualization Lab, also known as the NOAA VizLab. As an expert in Earth systems and satellite data observations and visualization, he heads a team with diverse expertise, including media communications, graphic design, education, computer programming, and data systems engineering. The NOAA VizLab is a highly productive team, continuously engaged in preparing a wide variety of communications products from NOAA science data, including daily content for websites and multiple social media platforms, newsletters, educational infographics, geospatial data services and applications, story-driven news articles, technical reports, motion graphics animations, classroom tools, exhibit support and designs, and more.
How to Become a Space Advocate
Space for Humanity
Rachel Lyons is a key advocate of the space movement. She believes space is a vital tool for societal transformation. Lyons is the Executive Director of Space for Humanity (S4H), a non-profit organization which aims to use the spaceflight experience as a way to expand our perspective on Earth. Under her leadership, S4H sent the first woman from the African continent and first Mexican-born woman to space. S4H has received public support from the space industry’s most prominent leaders including Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, NASA astronauts and others. During her tenure, Lyons’ team has cultivated a highly engaged online community of millions across the globe. Lyons is the former Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space-USA, the world’s largest student-run space non-profit.
Evening Keynote
BryceTech
Carissa Bryce Christensen is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of BryceTech companies in the US and the UK. She previously co-founded defense contractor The Tauri Group, acquired by LMI in 2019, and quantum computing software firm QxBranch, acquired by Rigetti Computing in 2019. She is an active tech investor and has served on several early-stage boards. Ms. Christensen is an internationally recognized expert on the satellite and space industry, known for rigorous analysis and innovative, data-driven strategy. She co-chairs the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Space, chairs the US board of the UN-affiliated Space Generation Advisory Council, and serves on the Advisory Council of the Aerospace Corporation Center for Space Policy and Strategy. She is a founding member of the Future Space Leaders Foundation and currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board.
Off the Record
BOFP
Lori Garver is an aerospace policy analyst and author who served as Deputy Administrator of NASA and leader of the agency’s transition team for President Obama. She has since served as the General Manager of the Air Line Pilots Association and CEO of Earthrise Alliance, a philanthropic initiative established to fully utilize earth science data to address climate change. Garver serves as an advisor and board member to several leading aerospace corporations and an Operating Advisor at Bessemer Venture Partners. Garver is a co-founder of the Brooke Owens Fellowship and a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School. Her memoir, Escaping Gravity, My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age was published in 2022.
BryceTech
Carissa Bryce Christensen is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of BryceTech companies in the US and the UK. She previously co-founded defense contractor The Tauri Group, acquired by LMI in 2019, and quantum computing software firm QxBranch, acquired by Rigetti Computing in 2019. She is an active tech investor and has served on several early-stage boards. Ms. Christensen is an internationally recognized expert on the satellite and space industry, known for rigorous analysis and innovative, data-driven strategy. She co-chairs the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Space, chairs the US board of the UN-affiliated Space Generation Advisory Council, and serves on the Advisory Council of the Aerospace Corporation Center for Space Policy and Strategy. She is a founding member of the Future Space Leaders Foundation and currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board.
Integrate
John Conafay is a Veteran of the United States Air Force and Co-Founder + CEO of Integrate. Conafay has been an early employee and interned at three space unicorns and is deeply familiar with both the launch and demand sides of the new space economy. Most recently, Conafay was Head of Business Development at ABL Space Systems leading the sale of launch services to Amazon Kuiper and onboarding to OSP-4. Prior to ABL, he was Director of Business Development at Spaceflight Inc., Business Development and Operations Manager at Astranis, Business Development Associate at BryceTech, and interned at Spire Global while Executive Director for Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, USA.
Howard University Law
He is the inaugural director of The Center for Air and Space Law Task Force on Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Aerospace and an adjunct professor of space law at Howard University School of Law. AJ works as a research director for the Jus Ad Astra project and previously served as the Communications Director for AstroAccess. He is the Space Law and Policy Chair for Black in Astro and was the founding president of the National Disabled Law Students Association.