Day One: Wednesday, Dec. 16 (All Times PST)
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Breakout): Fast Money- SMC Space Ventures, AFWERX and Space Force Accelerators
Learn how SMC Space Ventures, AFWERX and Space Force Accelerators work together to connect startups to government organizations and resources in the space industry.
Speakers:
- Col Ryan M. Colburn, Director, Spectrum Warfare Division, Space and Missile Systems Center, USAF
- Craig “Yogi” Leavitt, Innovation Advisor, Innovation & Small Business Partnerships, AFWERX
- Gabe Mounce, Director, Space Force Accelerators, Air Force Research Laboratory
- Matt Tompkins, Global Partnerships, The Aerospace Corporation
10:30 AM – 10:50 AM (Main Stage): Building the Workforce of the Future
Advancing the United States’ leading role in space will require developing a workforce that’s up to the challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic has opened up opportunities to imagine new models for how and where the next generation of scientists and engineers is trained, and to find new ways for professional experience to be more integrated into the curriculum. This session will explore how universities and industry can work together to build robust talent pipelines that create digitally fluent, agile workers for the future. Panelists will also discuss strategies to build diverse workforces that leverage different perspectives and experiences to drive innovation, and new approaches to enable workers to be continuous learners throughout their careers.
Speakers:
- Steve Isakowitz, President & CEO, The Aerospace Corporation
- Dava Newman, Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT
- Yannis C. Yortsos, Dean, USC Viterbi School of Engineering; Zohrab Kaprielian Chair in Engineering, University of Southern California
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM (Breakout): Fast Money - Working with the Army to Operationalize Science for Transformational Overmatch
Learn about DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory and the xTech Program of prize competitions that accelerate innovative solutions that can help solve Army challenges.
Speakers:
- Peter Khooshabeh, Regional Lead, DEVCOM, ARL West
- Ashley Kowalski, Project Engineer, Global Partnerships, The Aerospace Corporation
1:00 PM – 1:50 PM (Breakout): University Showcase - Boldly Innovating in Space, for Space (Part One)
Technologies to Go Boldly in Space – For the past half century, space exploration and technology has been earth-centric. We’ve studied the earth, orbited the earth and sent images of distant places back to earth. In the coming decade, we’ll embark on a new commitment: We’re going to space to stay. We’re committing to space commerce, space habitation and space exploration in order to not just stay in space, but to extend our human footprint into this solar system. To be successful, we need bold people and new technology to build and deploy the next generation of space capabilities. We need to capture these space opportunities, avoid potential threats and deliver on the promise of a multi-planet human race. This session showcases our partners USC and MIT, as they provide insight into their space programs. They are joined by university partners UCLA, ASU and Caltech, showcasing a range of emerging space technologies. Working with the Aerospace Corporation, these emerging capabilities can be evaluated and integrated into government space-faring missions for communicating, navigating, and exploring in space with NASA, NOAA and the Air Force.
Speakers:
- Randy Villahermosa, General Manager & Executive Director of Innovation, The Aerospace Corporation
- Dr. Richard Linares, Co-Director, Space Systems Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT
- David A Barnhart, Director, Space Engineering Research Center; Research Professor, USC, University of Southern California
Day Two: Thursday, Dec. 17
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM (Breakout): Fast Money - Advancing Space Technology with NASA SBIR
Learn about the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs powered by NASA.
Speakers:
- Jenn Gustetic, Early Stage Innovations and Partnerships Program Director, NASA HQ Space Technology Mission Directorate
- Lydia Etters, Graduate Intern, Center for Space Policy & Strategy, The Aerospace Corporation
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM (Breakout): Fast Money - NAVWAR SBIR/STTR Primer
The SBIR/STTR is a robust program designed to help small businesses address government needs while promoting commercialization. This session is dedicated to providing a primer on the program with tips on getting involved and getting engaged with the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR).
Speakers:
- Shadi Azoum, Small Business Innovation Research & Rapid Innovation Fund Program Manager, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR)
- Ashley Kowalski, Project Engineer, Global Partnerships, The Aerospace Corporation
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM (Breakout): Fast Money - Introduction to In-Q-Tel’s investing activities in the commercial space sector
In-Q-Tel is a strategic investment firm that works with the national security community of the United States. For 20 years, In-Q-Tel has served one mission: to deliver the most sophisticated strategic technical knowledge and capabilities to the U.S. government and its allies through its unique investment model. Over the past decade, In-Q-Tel has been one of the most active investors in the commercial space sector, with a broad investment thesis that touches many aspects of the sector. This session will provide an overview of In-Q-Tel as a whole, as well as a discussion of the firm’s activities in the commercial space sector.
Speakers:
- Tom Gillespie, Managing Partner, IQT
- Jennifer L. Ross, Principal Engineer, Launch & Enterprise Operations, The Aerospace Corporation
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM (Breakout): Fast Money - Enabling a dual-use business model with Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
Learn how you can take a part of DIU’s development of on-demand access to space, persistent satellite capabilities and broadband space data transfer.
Speakers:
- Ric Mommer, Commercial Executive for Space Portfolio, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
- Lydia Etters, Graduate Intern, Center for Space Policy & Strategy, The Aerospace Corporation
1:00 PM – 1:50 PM (Breakout): University Showcase - Boldly Innovating in Space, for Space (Part Two)
Bold Missions – For the past half century, space exploration and technology has been earth-centric. We’ve studied the earth, orbited the earth and sent images of distant places back to earth. In the coming decade, we’ll embark on a new commitment: We’re going to space to stay. We’re committing to space commerce, space habitation and space exploration in order to not just stay in space, but to extend our human footprint into this solar system. To be successful, we need bold people and new technology to build and deploy the next generation of space capabilities. We need to capture these space opportunities, avoid potential threats and deliver on the promise of a multi-planet human race. This session showcases our partners USC and MIT, as they provide insight into their space programs. They are joined by university partners UCLA, ASU and Caltech, showcasing a range of emerging space technologies. Working with the Aerospace Corporation, these emerging capabilities can be evaluated and integrated into government space-faring missions for communicating, navigating, and exploring in space with NASA, NOAA and the Air Force.
Speakers:
- Randy Villahermosa, General Manager & Executive Director of Innovation, The Aerospace Corporation
- Kerri Cahoy, Associate Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT
- Bethany Ehlmann, Professor of Planetary Science, Caltech, Caltech - Lunar Trailblazer Mission
- Craig Hardgrove, Assistant Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University
- Dr. James M. Weygand, Space Physicist, Department of Earth, Planetary, & Space Science, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)