News
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Better Satellite World Podcast: GEO 2.0, Episode 4 - GEO 2.0 and the Outernet
GEO satellite has been with us since the dawn of the satellite age, and it’s easy for us to take it for granted. GEO 2.0 makes its contribution to the Eternal Orbit campaign by inviting today’s experts in geosynchronous orbit to discuss the future of this grandfather of satellite orbits. What’s new, what’s sexy and what is tried and true? Let’s find out together in GEO 2.0. What happens when the old and young meet and bring to the world best of breed connectivity – or collide in the chase for its rich market share, capital and the future? In an industry where terrestrial and orbital, once contestants in a bitter communications technology “religious war,” have found convergence and common ground around technologies such as 5G and soon 6G, and where deals such as Apple and Globalstar show the innovation that can occur with these platforms, the next question is, “When will there be true multi-layer connectivity that can readily connect EVERYTHING without complicating the customer experiences?” Further, when will the 5 billion unconnected find the internet with ease and make the “Middle of Nowhere” no more? What do established, profitable GEO leaders, such as Hughes Network Systems, with its extraordinary new Jupiter-3 satellite now in orbit think about this and the future of connectivity and satellite industry investments? Can it work with upstarts? In this episode of GEO 2.0, based on the September edition of the New York Space Business Roundtable, you’ll hear from Joe Bernabucci, Director of Strategy & Market Intelligence at Hughes, William Mudge, Vice President of Engineering Operations, USA at Speedcast and Steve Nixon, President and Co-Founder of SmallSat Alliance. They discuss if the Outernet is outer nuts and if GEO has entered a new era that will be even more potent than the first. You can watch the original September 2023 edition of the New York Space Business Roundtable here: The Eternal Orbit campaign is underwritten by SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners -
New Better Satellite World Video from SSPI Explores the Enduring and Still Increasing Value of GEO in the Modern Satellite Landscape
(September 26, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today released Flying Higher, its newest video in the Better Satellite World campaign. It explores the unique capabilities that GEO orbit satellites bring to the world every day. Flying Higher is made possible by funding from Hughes. “Satellite customers are understandably excited about the new LEO constellations bringing high capacity, low latency and aggressive pricing to satellite broadband,” said executive director Robert Bell. “Other satellite operators and service providers are understandably alert to the challenges of competing and cooperating with them. In the midst of so much change, SSPI is pointing to the bigger story: that we are all fulfilling the dreams of Sir Arthur C. Clarke that launched the satellite business: of connectivity reaching every corner of the globe.” You can watch the video on SSPI’s website and on Youtube. Flying Higher is part of Eternal Orbit, SSPI’s latest campaign that explores the major value and proven business case that GEO continues to offer in a satellite business where LEO and MEO have attracted massive investment and customer interest but have yet to demonstrate long-term commercial viability. Inside the Story In a few years, there could be more than 50,000 satellites in orbit. Most of them will fly low, crossing the sky and covering the Earth with radio waves, cameras and radar. Flying so low, they brush the upper edges of the atmosphere, which gradually slows them until they fall to Earth. But there is a place in space where no atmosphere reaches, where satellites are invisible because they fly so high, and where they can hover magically over a single spot on the Earth’s surface. It is called geosynchronous orbit or GEO, because it synchronizes with the turning Earth. It is the first orbit, the oldest one in continuous use by human beings. For decades, it has brought the world television and phone calls, internet and business networks, and communications for military bases and humanitarian missions, remote mines and ships at sea. The first GEO satellite flew 60 years ago, but the value of GEO orbit keeps flying higher, even as low-flying spacecraft fill the skies. GEO is the only place in space where we can send a single digital signal and have it reach millions of sites. With no atmosphere to slow them down, satellites in GEO can last for more than a decade. GEO is getting smarter, as software-defined payloads are launched that can change their mission on the fly. And GEO is betting bigger, as companies like Hughes put spacecraft the size of buses into GEO capable of delivering high-speed broadband to millions of customers, while innovation in ground systems squeezes more capacity out of the same bandwidth every year. About SSPI Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all. Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future. For More Information Victoria Krisman Communications Manager Space & Satellite Professionals International vkrisman@sspi.org -
SSPI Announces the 2023 “20 Under 35” List of Young Professionals to Watch in the Coming Years
(September 12, 2023 – New York City) – The Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced the sixth annual “20 Under 35” list of outstanding young space and satellite professionals age 35 and under. The honorees will be celebrated at SSPI’s 18th annual Future Leaders Celebration on October 18 during Silicon Valley Space Week, produced by SatNews publishers. SSPI’s annual list of the “20 Under 35” features 20 employees and entrepreneurs to keep your eye on in coming years. They were selected from nominations submitted by the membership and evaluated by a panel of judges made up of many of the Mentors supporting SSPI’s student outreach programs as well as Members of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame. This year, SSPI received a record number of nominations for the “20 Under 35” list. At the Future Leaders Celebration, the three top-ranked members of the 20 Under 35 will be named as this year’s Promise Award winners. “This year marks the sixth cohort of ‘20 Under 35’ honorees identified by our independent judges and members of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame,” said executive director Robert Bell. “That is 120 of the smartest, most dedicated and creative individuals in our global business, many of whom have already made a name for themselves and influenced the direction of the industry. I can’t wait to help introduce them to our audience at the Future Leaders Celebration on October 18.” The “20 Under 35” of 2023: Aysha Alharam, Acting Head of Satellite Design and Development, National Space Science Agency, Bahrain Andrew Chau, Space Mission Program Manager, Millennium Space (A Boeing Company) Amy Comeau, Lead, Office of the Chief Engineer, Boeing Laura Cummings, Regulatory Affairs Counsel, Astroscale U.S. Bhavi Jagatia, Astrodynamics Engineer, Planet Christian Keil, Chief of Staff, Astranis Srikanth Kodeboyina, Founder & CEO, Blue Eye Soft Corp dba Blue Space Dr. Justyna Kosianka, Technical Product Owner, Ursa Space Neha Lin, Space Systems Engineer, Iridium Dr. Zhe Liu, Senior Materials & Process Engineer, Maxar Armando Loli, Project Engineer, Boeing Asad Malik, Founder, Chairman & CEO, iRocket Julie Newman, Program Chief Engineer, Boeing Onyinye Nwankwo, PhD Candidate in Atmospheric and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Klaus Okkelberg, Electrical Design & Analysis Engineer, Boeing Matej Poliacek, ISS Flight Operations Engineer & STRATOS Flight Control Team Deputy Lead, DLR – German Aerospace Centre Sapna Rao, Senior Systems Engineer, Lockheed Martin Alix Rousseliere, Strategy Consultant for Satcom, Euroconsult Glory Sikka, Technical Program Manager, Maxar Kenneth Smith, Risk Manager and Project Engineer, The Aerospace Corporation Full profiles of the “20 Under 35” will be available shortly at www.20under35.com. About SSPI Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all. Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future. For More Information Victoria Krisman Communications Manager Space & Satellite Professionals International vkrisman@sspi.org -
SSPI Names Debra Facktor, Head of U.S. Space Systems at Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, as the 2023 Mentor of the Year
Debra will be honored along with this year’s “20 Under 35” outstanding young professionals at the 18th Annual Future Leaders Celebration on October 18 in Silicon Valley (September 7, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced that it will present its 2023 Mentor of the Year Award to Debra Facktor, Head of U.S. Space Systems at Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Debra will be honored on October 18 at SSPI’s 18th Annual Future Leaders Celebration for the attention, support, wisdom and guidance she has provided to young professionals and colleagues throughout her career in the industry. During the Celebration, SSPI will also honor the “20 Under 35” space and satellite professionals to watch in the coming years and present three of them with its Promise Award for outstanding achievement. “Mentors are the unsung heroes of our industry,” said executive director Robert Bell. “Quietly, consistently and persistently, they develop the skills, talents and understanding of future leaders, not with formal training or policies but by listening, suggesting, sharing enthusiasm and introducing them into the professional networks that power career success. We are honored to add Debra to our list of unsung heroes including Steve Bates and Donna Potter of Maxar, Dawn Harms of Momentus, Randy Segal of Hogan Lovells and Clay Mowry of Voyager Space.” The 2023 Future Leaders Celebration (www.satfuture.com) will take place live on October 18 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA in conjunction with Silicon Valley Space Week 2023, produced by SatNews publishers. The proceeds of the Celebration go to fund SSPI’s educational, professional development and industry growth initiatives. The SSPI 2023 Mentor of the Year: Debra Facktor Head of U.S. Space Systems, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Throughout her more than 30 years in the space industry, Debra Facktor has served as a mentor and guide for more than 25 interns and young leaders beginning their careers and countless more leaders as they continue their professional journeys. Of note, she provided vital advice and support to Gary Lai, who went on to become the Chief Architect at Blue Origin, when he was an intern and young engineer starting out at Kistler Aerospace. Debra founded the Women in Aerospace (WIA) Foundation in 2009 – which has provided scholarships to 35 women pursuing higher education degrees in aerospace fields over the past 13 years – and served as a mentor to the inaugural recipient, Dr. Whitney Lohmeyer, whom she still mentors today. She is a sought-after speaker for panels, business deals and general industry advice due to her powerful combination of enthusiasm, energy and sharp business acumen. Debra has an impressive ability to connect with people and recall details about their lives and professional history, and she knows someone at every event she attends. As a colleague at Airbus U.S. puts it, “People line up to catch up with Debra because she delights in their successes. She is a source of empathy and direct, unflinching advice during times of challenge.” Debra is Head of U.S. Space Systems for Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, a position she has held for 3.5 years. In her current role, Debra leads the company’s space business line with a focus on small satellite constellations and space exploration, and serves on the board of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites joint venture. Her contributions have been vital to the company’s remarkable 4-year compound annual growth rate of 145%. Before joining Airbus U.S., she served as Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Operations at Ball Aerospace, where she led the firm’s D.C. operations and expanded its strategic capabilities in the defense, civil and commercial sectors. Debra’s previous positions also include President and an owner of AirLaunch LLC, which won funding from DARPA to develop an operationally responsive small launch vehicle under her leadership. She served as Vice President for Business Development and Strategic Planning at Kistler Aerospace, which raised over $600 million in private capital to develop a reusable launch vehicle for commercial markets. Her strategies laid the groundwork for what became commercial resupply of the International Space Station. Debra began her career at ANSER, where she served in a variety of leadership positions before becoming Chief of Moscow Operations. Outside of work, Debra serves in many advisory and leadership roles in the greater industry. She is Chairwoman of SSPI-WISE (SSPI Women in Space Engagement) – which includes a non-voting seat on the SSPI Board of Directors, a member of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) Advisory Board, a member of the Future Space Leaders Foundation Board and a mentor for the Brooke Owens, Matthew Isakowitz and Patti Grace Smith Fellowship programs. Debra serves or has contributed as an advisor, mentor and board member for many other aerospace and women’s leadership organizations as well, including the University of Michigan Aerospace Engineering Industrial Advisory Board, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the AIAA ASCEND Guiding Coalition, Women in Aerospace (former chair of the board) and the WIA Foundation, the International Women’s Forum and CHIEF. She is a fellow of AIAA and the American Astronautical Society and an academician of the International Academy of Astronautics. Debra recently completed the Stagen Leadership Academy Integral Leadership Program, an intensive, year-long program designed for senior executives who want to specialize in transformational leadership. About SSPI Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all. Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future. For More Information Victoria Krisman Communications Manager Space & Satellite Professionals International vkrisman@sspi.org
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Featured Video
Flying Higher
Satellites so high above the Earth they’re invisible are key to the dream of a world where the Internet is everywhere.
Featured Podcast
BETTER SATELLITE WORLD
GEO 2.0
GEO satellite has been with us since the dawn of the satellite age, and it’s easy for us to take it for granted. GEO 2.0 makes its contribution to the Eternal Orbit campaign by inviting today’s experts in geosynchronous orbit to discuss the future of this grandfather of satellite orbits. What’s new, what’s sexy and what is tried and true?