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  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (February 20, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) announced...

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    (February 20, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) announced that, on March 19, it will induct three new members into the prestigious Space & Satellite Hall of Fame.

    The 2024 honorees are John Finney, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ALL.SPACE; Adrian Morris, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Hughes Network Systems; and Ed Spitler, Head of SATCOM at Artel LLC.

    “Our 2024 inductees have each, in a different way, driven innovation in our industry with major impact on life on Earth,” said executive director Robert Bell. “Their work modernized and streamlined military communications, introduced revolutionary antenna technology in a modular, multi-function configuration, and vastly expanded internet access from space and on the ground. Their expansion of the satellite ‘toolkit’ contributes not only to the industry’s success but to the welfare of millions.”

    The latest members of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame will be inducted during the 2024 Hall of Fame Celebration, hosted by Milbank, on March 19 during SATELLITE 2024. The inductees were selected by SSPI’s Board of Directors under the leadership of SSPI Chairwoman Katherine Gizinski, CEO of River Advisers.

    The Space & Satellite Hall of Fame recognizes the invaluable contributions of the visionaries who transform life on planet Earth for the better through space and satellite technology. Members of the Hall of Fame are recognized pioneers in satellite communications, earth observation, launch services, spacecraft technologies and applications, in-space operations, space law, space education and space science. They are honored for significant achievement with such lasting value as the successful introduction of new or improved technologies or services, business innovation that creates new value for users and increases the positive impact of the industry on our world, and new solutions to major economic, social and geographic challenges through imaginative application of space and satellite technology.
     

    The 2024 Space & Satellite Hall of Fame Inductees:

    John Finney
    Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ALL.SPACE

    John Finney is a visionary entrepreneur with over two decades of trailblazing contributions to the tech industry. Throughout his 25-year career, he has pioneered initiatives that generated billions in revenue. His journey began with a distinguished military career, providing specialized communication services. This led to a transition to the civilian telecom sector, where he served as a Telecoms Advisor for One2One & T-Mobile. His entrepreneurial drive then led him to launch Huawei's campaign in Europe, achieving the company’s first billion in annual revenue. He secured major contracts, including the BT 21st Century Network and a vital mobile network partnership with Vodafone across Europe. Additionally, he secured Huawei’s first global mobile device contract, establishing the tech giant's presence in the device market. Continuing his ascent, he held key leadership roles at Alcatel-Lucent and Ciena, with a focus on the satellite industry. As a founding member and Chief Commercial Officer at O3B Networks, John played a pivotal role in generating a $350 million pre-launch backlog, leading to SES’s acquisition and significant shareholder returns.

    In 2013, John established Isotropic Systems (now ALL.SPACE), creating a groundbreaking software-defined, electronically steerable antenna system that redefines connectivity through simultaneous connections to all available orbits from a single device. Under his leadership, ALL.SPACE has made significant progress, completing demonstrations, field acceptance tests, and securing pre-production orders from defense applications. John’s foresight and commitment to innovation have driven the evolution from dependence on GEO satellites to an advanced multi-orbit framework. Recognizing an unmet need in ground segment technology, John has directed ALL.SPACE to create a solution that surpasses traditional limitations, broadening the horizons for satellite applications worldwide. Read more about John Finney.

    Adrian Morris
    Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Hughes Network Systems

    Over a career spanning more than four decades, Adrian Morris has solidified his reputation as a visionary in the field, pushing the boundaries of satellite technology to new heights and fundamentally transforming the landscape of global connectivity. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Trinity College Dublin and completed his master’s at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. His career began in 1977 at Ferranti Electro Optics Division, where he worked as a hardware designer. In 1982, he joined Hughes as a hardware designer, unaware that he would spend the rest of his career there.

    Adrian quickly distinguished himself at the company by leading initiatives in the DYNAC, TDMA and SCPC TES product lines, as well as the Italsat SS-TDMA system, which paved the way for future generations of satellite systems. He spearheaded the design and implementation of many of the world’s most successful satellite systems. His efforts have been critical in advancing fast, reliable connectivity across the globe. Under his leadership, Hughes designed and launched SPACEWAY 3® in 2007, the first operational Ka-band satellite system to employ traffic switching and routing. Listed among Via Satellite’s “30 Events That Shaped the Satellite Industry” between 1986 and 2018, SPACEWAY 3 proved the use case for Ka-band and commercial satellite internet service over satellite. Read more about Adrian Morris.

    Ed Spitler
    Head of SATCOM, Artel LLC.

    For more than three decades, Ed Spitler has pursued a passionate commitment to support the American warfighter by supplying best-in-class satellite communications systems to power the success of the US Armed Forces. Upon completing his military service as a Cryptographic Telecommunications and Systems Specialist, Ed went to work for the US Department of Defense Contractor, rising from Senior Technical Engineer to Regional Program Manager, OPMAS-EUR, 5th Command, where he played a pivotal role in transitioning seven Defense Communications Sites (DCS) throughout Germany from analog to digital technology.

    In 2001, he joined Artel as Vice President of Managed Network Services, in which role he served as program director for more than eight critical DOD and Department of State programs and supported missions including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan. Leaving Artel in 2012, Ed went on to hold a series of leadership positions, including COO of Vizada, CEO of Astrium Services Government and President of Satcom Services Government Division at Airbus Defense and Space. By 2017, he was back at Artel as Head of Satcom, where he led the company into a multi-orbit future that delivered resilient GEO to LEO connectivity to the government. He led development and delivery of the SPACE FORCE Pathfinder 2 program, which embedded the Pathfinder 2 payload aboard Hispasat’s Amazonas Nexus HTS. The goal was to provide dependable access to connectivity while saving money for Federal agencies compared with short-term satellite capacity leasing. The program produced savings of more than 60 percent over equivalent service. Read more about Ed Spitler.


    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

     February 20, 2024
  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (January 18, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today released

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    (January 18, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today released Satellites and the Art of War, its newest video in the Better Satellite World campaign. It explores how satellite data analysis revealed the hidden role of a Maritime Militia in China’s efforts to dominate the South China Sea. Satellites and the Art of War is made possible by funding from Ursa Space Systems.

    “The automation of data analysis by companies like Ursa Space Systems is elevating the impact of earth observation in remarkable ways,” said executive director and video producer Robert Bell. “Not long ago, only government experts could interpret images from orbit. Automation is making the capability available to NGOs working to reveal what some governments would prefer to keep hidden.”

    You can watch the video on SSPI’s website and on Youtube.


    Inside the Story
    The South China Sea is a triangle of ocean bordered by Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia and China. In 1988, strange things started happening. China’s navy fired on three Vietnamese vessels, sinking them and killing 74 sailors. The dispute was over China’s claim to a group of mostly uninhabited islands far beyond its territorial waters. But in China’s view, the entire South China Sea was its exclusive property. It made that clear in another battle with a Philippine navy gunboat. Then everything went quiet, until years later, China began building forts and airfields on island reefs scattered across the sea.

    Sun Tzu, born 2500 years ago, is famous for writing a short book called The Art of War. It teaches that wars can be won without fighting battles. They can be won by taking possession of small islands, and showing you are willing to fight for them without doing much fighting at all. China’s maritime militia is made up of hundreds of fishing boats that have surged out of harbors to surround disputed islands and menace U.S. Navy warships. They claim to be patriotic captains defending their nation’s rightful claims to the whole South China Sea.

    But are they? A company called Ursa Space wanted to find out. Ursa builds data systems that automatically analyze radar images captured by satellite. By automating the process, Ursa can analyze thousands of images taken over months and years, and that specialty was a perfect match for the problem. The Ursa Space Analysis revealed an invisible navy of more than 150 fishing boats in ports across China’s southwest coast.


    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

     January 18, 2024
  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (December 14, 2023 – New York City) – In January 2024, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will lift a Nova-C...

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    (December 14, 2023 – New York City) – In January 2024, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will lift a Nova-C lander developed by Intuitive Machines into orbit on the start of a journey to the crater Malapert A near the south pole of the Moon. Along for the ride will be the full membership of Space & Satellite Professionals International, the largest membership association in commercial space.

    The maiden voyage of the Nova-C lander will carry a mix of NASA and commercial payloads. Among them will be data storage developed by Lonestar Lunar as a first proof-of-concept for its plan to build Lunar Data Centers offering ultrasecure, long-term storage of high-value information. (See Nova-C lander photo.)

    That data will include the full membership list of Space & Satellite Professionals International as well as of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame, whose members include company leaders Gwynne Shotwell, Matt Desch, Steve Spengler, Joe Spytek and Steve Collar; company founders Greg Wyler, Walter Scott, Rene Anselmo and Will Marshall, Robbie Schingler and Chris Boshuizen of Planet; and innovators from Frank DiBello of Space Florida and Professor Bob Twiggs of Morehead State University to Kathryn Lueders of NASA, Dr. Gladys West and Dr. Harold Rosen.


    Why send members to the Moon?
    “Who in our industry wouldn’t want an all-expenses paid trip to the Moon’s surface?” asked SSPI executive director Robert Bell. “Of course, what we’re really sending is a few kilobytes of data on magnetic storage. We have Chris Stott – founder of Lonestar Lunar and a chairman emeritus of SSPI – to thank for the idea and for its execution. We are also grateful to River Advisers, provider of consulting on international spectrum regulation and market access, for underwriting the commercial storage capacity.” Katherine Gizinski, CEO of Rivers Advisers (formerly known as ManSat), currently serves as Chairwoman of SSPI’s Board of Directors.

    “SSPI represents the space global industry – one that connects humanity and makes the world a better place every day,” said Chris Stott. “Lonestar Lunar is now working to protect all of humanity’s data. It’s an honor and a privilege to be a member of SSPI and for all of us at Lonestar to support our fellow members in this small way . . . with more to come.”

    SSPI’s membership includes employees of corporate member companies from Airbus, Arianspace, Comtech, Maxar and SES to Planet, Mynaric, Astroscale, Ramon.Space and Ursa Space. Also included in membership are individual professional members and students who receive free membership during their studies.

    The launch is currently scheduled for 11:50 pm Eastern Time on January 12 from the Kennedy Space Center.


    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

     December 14, 2023
  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    Inductees to be honored at SSPI Hall of Fame Celebration in March 2024

    (December 5, 2023 – New York...

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    Inductees to be honored at SSPI Hall of Fame Celebration in March 2024

    (December 5, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today opened nominations for the 23rd Induction to the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame. The new Inductees will be honored at the Hall of Fame Celebration in March 2024. Nominations are due by January 8, 2024.

    The Space & Satellite Hall of Fame recognizes the invaluable contributions of the visionaries who transform life on planet Earth for the better through space and satellite technology. Members of the Hall of Fame are recognized pioneers in satellite communications, earth observation, launch services, spacecraft technologies and applications, in-space operations, space law, space education and space science. They include company leaders Gwynne Shotwell, Matt Desch, Steve Spengler, Joe Spytek and Steve Collar; company founders Greg Wyler, Walter Scott, Rene Anselmo and Will Marshall, Robbie Schingler and Chris Boshuizen of Planet; and innovators from Frank DiBello of Space Florida and Professor Bob Twiggs of Morehead State University to Kathryn Lueders of NASA, Dr. Gladys West and Dr. Harold Rosen.

    “Extraordinary individuals have built this industry and are now accelerating innovation in design, manufacturing, launch and services that has never been seen before,” said executive director Robert Bell. “Our industry is growing younger by the year, and our Hall of Famers are increasingly people with years ahead of them to help shape its future. With the Hall of Fame, we honor all that has been accomplished in the past and point the way to greater accomplishments in the future.”

    Nomination forms are available on SSPI’s website.


    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

     December 05, 2023
  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (November 21, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International today announced the appointment of Leslie Blaker-Glass of Hughes Network Systems to the...

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    (November 21, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International today announced the appointment of Leslie Blaker-Glass of Hughes Network Systems to the Board of Directors. Ms. Blaker-Glass is Vice President of Strategic Development, currently supporting the Hughes Defense and Intelligence Systems Division (DISD) team.

    “We are excited to welcome Leslie to the SSPI Board and eager to have her voice and knowledge as an industry veteran with many years of experience at a diverse range of companies throughout our industry,” said Katherine Gizinski, Chair of the SSPI Board and Chief Executive Officer of River Advisers.

    Continuing in service on SSPI’s Board of Directors are:

    • Julie Baker, Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder, Ursa Space Systems
    • Jessica Beahn, Vice President & Chief Engineer, Maxar Technologies
    • Julie Bettinger, Chief Marketing Officer, ST Engineering iDirect
    • Josef Bogosian, Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing, Commercial Satellites, Boeing
    • Jonathan Crawford, President Media & Broadcast, Roberts Communications Network
    • Debra Facktor (SSPI-WISE Liason), Head of U.S. Space Systems, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
    • Katherine Gizinski (SSPI Chair), Chief Executive Officer, River Advisers
    • James Hinds, Chief Executive Officer, Airbus OneWeb Satellites
    • Chris Kinman, Chief Commercial Officer, Momentus Space
    • Jennifer Little, Vice President of Sales & Sales Operations, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
    • Aaron Lewis, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Government Relations, Arianespace, Inc.
    • Marie-Pierre Pluvinage, Director, Business Development, Airbus US Space & Defense
    • Christodoulos Protopapas, Chief Executive Officer, Hellas Sat
    • Nicole Robinson, Chief Growth Officer, Comtech Telecommunications
    • Mike Safyan, Vice President of Launch, Planet
    • James Trevelyan (SSPI President), Executive Vice President of Sales, Speedcast
    • Mark Witsaman, Vice President, Product Engineering, Globalstar
    • Elias Zaccack, Executive Vice President, Global Sales, SES Networks

    Elizabeth Evans of K&L Gates serves as General Council.


    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

     November 21, 2023
  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (26...

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    (26 October 2023 – New York City & London) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) announced today the recipients of the industry’s ninth annual Better Satellite World Awards. The awards honour established companies along with disruptive innovators who make the world more prosperous, healthier, better-educated, more sustainable and more inclusive. An international jury selected Avanti Communications’ rural connectivity solution, the International Rescue Committee (IRC)’s Mapping Invisible Populations project – created in collaboration with Flowminder and Humanitarian Open Streetmap, and Maxar’s News Bureau as recipients of this year’s awards. They will be honoured at the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner on 4 December in London along with the SSPI UK chapter’s Personality of the Year, Massimiliano Ladovaz, COO of Eutelsat Group.

    The selection of recipients was made by an international jury consisting of a broad cross-section of industry thought leaders and distinguished professionals.

    “The 2023 Better Satellite World Awards reinforce that satellites bring hope, truth and a promising future to society,” said Director of Innovation Louis Zacharilla, who will emcee the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner in December. “You can go anywhere on the planet and note that the satellite industry plays a role, both visible and behind the scenes, to make things better for people. In 2023, our committee identified as most worthy the accelerated efforts to bring connectivity to communities that will keep cultures and local economies stable and prepare them for the future. The committee also awarded the industry’s far-reaching technical ability to observe a war-ravaged theatre and validate information within the ‘fog of war.’ In addition, SSPI’s UK Chapter identified an executive who, in this complex world, has a unique ability to solve problems and design strategies to scale his company and our industry to new heights. This is all ‘business as usual’ for the global satellite community!”

    The Better Satellite World Awards Celebration, a festive networking event and dinner will be held at Whitehall Place on 4 December. It is produced by SSPI and its UK Chapter. The UK Chapter is chaired by Betty Azzarelli, CEO & Founder, AB5 Consulting.
     

    The 2023 Better Satellite World Award Recipients:

    Avanti Communications’ Rural Connectivity Solution
    Avanti Communications’ rural solution is a groundbreaking satellite service designed to bridge the digital divide by connecting ultra-rural villages in Nigeria for the first time. This innovative solution has proven key to the Nigerian Communications Commission's (NCC) National Broadband Plan of 2020, which sets out two national goals: to achieve 90% population coverage and a penetration rate of 70% by 2025.

    Avanti Rural solution uses advanced satellite technology to extend mobile network coverage to the hardest-to-reach areas of Nigeria, that would be impossible to reach using traditional terrestrial infrastructure. This off-grid service is a game-changer in the telecommunications industry, providing cellular services to the most remote communities, and in turn, promoting digital inclusion and socio-economic development.

    As of 2023, Avanti has deployed over 500 ultra-rural sites in 21 Nigerian states, providing 2G and 3G connectivity to 2.5 million Nigerians. All these areas previously had no connectivity, with residents forced to travel on foot or by local bus to the nearest towns with coverage just to use their mobile phones. With the first 500 sites successfully installed, Avanti is now working with local partners to connect 10,000 rural sites over the next 5 years.

    In addition to providing the satellite technology, Avanti also ensures the long-term sustainability of the service by providing skills and training to regionally-based field teams. This approach ensures that the sites are easily maintained by a local crew, so that reliable service is not entirely dependent on Avanti’s own field technicians. Reliable connectivity has dramatically improved the lives of Nigerians in the areas currently covered by Avanti, by reducing the time and money previously spent on traveling to neighboring cities for mobile access. Small businesses are booming in the now-connected villages, including resellers of SIM cards, phone charging and repair facilities and many other new enterprises. The GSMA reports that access to 3G coverage is expected to uplift Nigerian households from extreme poverty by as much as 4 percentage points within a single year and 7 percentage points within 2 or more years of coverage, which is why Avanti has focused on offering 2G and 3G services as standard through its service.

    Avanti’s -rural solution is not only changing the landscape of mobile network coverage in Nigeria but also setting a precedent for other countries with similar geographical and infrastructural challenges. The solution paves the way for these remote communities to have access to vital services such as online education, telehealth and digital commerce, which were previously inaccessible due to lack of connectivity. For its successes, as well as the over 200 new skilled field engineering jobs created in the process, the program was recognized by the Nigerian telecoms industry in its 2021 and 2022 awards.


    The Mapping Invisible Populations Project by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in collaboration with Flowminder and Humanitarian Open Street Map

    The Mapping Invisible Populations project is an innovative initiative by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), created in collaboration with Flowminder and Humanitarian Open Street Map. The project was developed in 2023 with the central aim of providing support services to hard-to-reach populations. This initiative primarily targets fragile and conflict-affected areas which may receive less medical and other humanitarian support. Using satellite imagery mapping techniques and GIS methodologies provided by its partners, the Mapping Invisible Populations project gathers satellite and spatial data and combines it with population estimates analyzed by its partners to determine the location of these underserved populations. Subsequently, these estimates are verified by community informants for further corroboration. The objective is to identify populations living in areas that are large enough to justify IRC investing resources, time, and risk to provide medical and humanitarian assistance.

    The Mapping Invisible Populations project focuses on areas where no humanitarian organization has a presence due to insecurity. Such areas often lack essential, up-to-date demographic data, including census information, displacement data and settlement locations. Accurate population data provides an essential basis for developing access and delivery strategies for the IRC's support services. Once a clear methodology is established, the IRC hopes to replicate it in other regions, allowing for the identification of new settlements. One of the most significant aspects of this project is its potential to bring much-needed attention to communities in need of greater visibility and support.


    Maxar News Bureau
    The Maxar News Bureau is a unique partnership program that collaborates with renowned media organizations worldwide, focusing on using technology for social good and global transparency. The program is operated by Maxar Intelligence, a leading provider of secure, precise geospatial intelligence. The Bureau leverages the business’ satellite imagery, analytics and expertise to complement quality journalism and provide irrefutable evidence in an era where credibility is critical. The Maxar News Bureau has provided high-resolution satellite imagery and analysis for notable reports like The New York Times’ 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning report on Russia’s use of shadow warfare and the 2019 Emmy-winning “One Building, One Bomb” story, which reconstructed a chemical attack in Syria. The Bureau’s satellite imagery allowed the Times reporters to enhance their storytelling and lend credibility to their reports.

    In the realm of current events, information is traditionally released by the media, governments or organizations directly involved in the event. The Maxar News Bureau serves as an auxiliary source, providing supporting evidence or context to unfolding situations. In a groundbreaking development, Maxar Intelligence became the primary source of information during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, providing the first evidence of a Russian military convoy heading towards Kyiv, Ukraine. Media organizations and the public did not know about the convoy’s progress or the amount of equipment it carried until Maxar Intelligence distributed the imagery, adding a new dimension to its role in news reporting. Since early 2021, the Maxar News Bureau has been actively monitoring the evolving situation in Ukraine. The Bureau has released images showing the build-up of Russian troops and equipment along the Ukrainian border, providing an in-depth and unbiased view of the conflict. The team has since produced and analyzed thousands of images to identify newsworthy activities in Ukraine, distributing over 400 images of the conflict to journalists and media organizations for public dissemination.

    Maxar Intelligence’s industry-leading imagery has provided indisputable insight into global events, enabling the public, journalists, customers and governments to gain a clearer understanding of complex situations and make informed decisions. The Maxar News Bureau stands as a testament to the powerful convergence of technology and journalism, providing transparency in a world rife with misinformation. Through its innovative use of satellite imagery, the Bureau underscores the importance of irrefutable evidence in journalism and the pursuit of truth.


    About the Better Satellite World Campaign
    Working with partner associations and supporting companies around the world, Space & Satellite Professionals International’s Better Satellite World campaign (www.bettersatelliteworld.com) is changing the global conversation about satellites and their influence on the economy, business and societies everywhere. The campaign was launched in Washington, DC during SATELLITE 2015. It has since become a cornerstone and a viral effort that is successfully communicating the incredible power of satellites for human good.

    SSPI has published a series of stories and videos that dramatize the immense contributions of the “invisible infrastructure” of satellite to life on Earth, which are widely shared by individuals, companies and the media. The Better Satellite World campaign is available for repurposing by any organization or person who wishes to use the content to help promote the industry at www.bettersatelliteworld.com and through the Twitter hashtag #bettersatelliteworld.


    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

     October 26, 2023
  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (October 18, 2023 – New York City, NY) - The Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today presented the 2023 Promise Awards to Bhavi...

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    (October 18, 2023 – New York City, NY) - The Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today presented the 2023 Promise Awards to Bhavi Jagatia of Planet, Julie Newman of Boeing and Onyinye Nwankwo of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The Promise Awards honor the three top-ranked members of the annual “20 Under 35” list of space & satellite employees and entrepreneurs age 35 and under who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the early stages of their career. The three recipients were honored at the 18th annual Future Leaders Celebration in Mountain View, California, in conjunction with Silicon Valley Space Week, produced by SatNews publishers.

    “This is the fifth time in the past 18 years that all the Promise Award winners are women,” said executive director Robert Bell. “The first time was in 2013, so our ‘20 Under 35’ and Promise Awards have been signaling for some time the arrival of extraordinary women employees and entrepreneurs in vital positions, who are gradually eroding the stereotype of an all-male industry.”

    A jury of industry executives donate their time and expertise to selecting the “20 Under 35” honorees and the Mentor of the Year from nominations submitted by SSPI members. In a first this year, SSPI invited members of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame to select the Promise Award winners from among top-scoring candidates in the “20 Under 35” cohort. The Space & Satellite Hall of Fame honors innovators and executives including Joe Spytek of Speedcast, the founders of Planet, Kathryn Lueders of NASA, Steve Collar of SES, Gwynne Shotwell of SpaceX, Tory Bruno of ULA, Matt Desch of Iridium and Dr. Walter Scott of Maxar.
     

    The 2023 Promise Award Winners:

    Bhavi Jagatia
    Astrodynamics Engineer, Planet

    Bhavi Jagatia is an Astrodynamics Engineer at Planet, a position she took on after completing a successful internship for the Orbits R&D team. While at Planet, she has made significant improvements to the tasking system for the company’s high-resolution constellation of imaging satellites, SkySats. Bhavi was initially tasked with evaluating the complex schedule for SkySats, identifying areas of improvement and implementing changes to increase the collection capacity of the fleet. Her work resulted in substantial fulfillment enhancements, and she is now the sole owner and developer of the tool for her team.

    In addition to her success with SkySats, Bhavi has made several other major contributions to Planet since joining the team. Her team developed algorithms to schedule repeatable sunglint images as part of the mission design for Planet’s upcoming hyperspectral imaging satellite constellation. While considering various approaches to validate the tasking model, Bhavi proposed the novel idea of implementing their strategy on Planet’s currently in-orbit satellites as a proof-of-concept experiment. She quickly taught herself the basics of tasking on Dove satellites and wrote scripts to add a new high off-nadir imaging strategy. Bhavi was able to validate her colleagues’ scheduling model by capturing sunglint images on an end-of-life Dove satellite, and her work was published and presented at AIAA Scitech 2023 and IEEE Aerospace 2023, where it received the Best Paper award.

    Outside of work, Bhavi dedicates her time to increasing diversity in STEM and, most particularly, the aerospace industry. She currently volunteers with Ignite by serving as a panelist and sharing her knowledge with girls and non-binary youth at underprivileged schools in the Bay Area and recently organized a field trip for students from a local middle school to tour Planet. Read more about Bhavi.
     

    Julie Newman
    Program Chief Engineer, Boeing

    Julie Newman is Program Chief Engineer for Satelit Nusantara Lima N5 (SNL), a major geostationary communications satellite program, at Boeing. In this role, she has been instrumental in overseeing risk management and problem resolution for the satellite, particularly in the midst of a challenging shift to a different payload. Julie regularly directs and approves the work of senior engineering staff and provides recommendations to the program management office and the customer and has spearheaded multiple process improvement initiatives, including major efforts to improve Boeing’s engineering training and metrics tracking systems. Before taking on her current position, Julie was the Technical Program Manager, a role in which she led a team of 15 engineers to develop the engine controller assembly for the Space Launch System (SLS) first stage rocket. The team consistently exceeded expectations under her leadership while executing a late re-design of the unit to resolve a leakage issue associated with a sneak path discovered during testing of the engineering model.

    Before joining Boeing, Julie served as the Technical Manager & Lead Electronics Hardware Designer for the radar instrument of the Europa Clipper Mission, which will provide detailed mapping of the surface and sub-surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa in order to identify areas most likely to harbor extraterrestrial life. When a late-breaking radiation lot-test failure threatened to derail the entire program, she came up with an innovative discrete component solution that allowed her to remove the suspect integrated circuit and redeem the hardware’s necessary high radiation tolerance. The spacecraft is currently scheduled to launch in 2024, which would not have been possible without Julie’s contribution.

    Outside of work hours, Julie is the best-selling author of Pull Don’t Push: Why STEM Messaging to Girls Isn’t Working and What to Do Instead. She has spent the past decade volunteering in STEM outreach, especially to young girls and young women, in order to teach them about the thrills of solving important, impactful problems through engineering and working with collaborative, supportive teams. Read more about Julie.
     

    Onyinye Nwankwo
    Research Scientist in Atmospheric and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

    Onyinye Nwankwo is an accomplished scientist in the field of upper atmospheric and space sciences, currently pursuing her PhD in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her work is increasing our understanding of how changes in Earth’s upper atmosphere affect radio-wave transmission. Most of the industry’s revenue depends on sending radio signals between Earth and space. So, as a changing climate changes the atmosphere, her award-winning research is paving the way for important advances in satellite communications and the prediction of space weather.

    Her fascination with radio and the atmosphere has deep roots. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in her home country of Nigeria. During her studies, she also served as a trainee Radio Signal Officer learning signal processing for the Nigeria Port Authority. She went onto become a Scientific Officer with Nigeria’s space and atmospheric research agency. There, she used her growing skills in data processing and imaging to investigate “airglow.” That is a faint light emitted by our atmosphere at night, which can reveal activity that is undetectable during the day. Leaving Nigeria, she gained one Master’s degree in Space Geophysics from Brazil’s national space research institute, and a second in Climate and Space Science from the University of Michigan in the US. That’s where she works today while completing her Ph.D – except for a project that took her to Japan’s Space-Earth Environment Research Institute.

    Onyinye has served as a leader throughout her academic career, taking on roles such as Vice President and Treasurer for Graduate Rackham International (GRIN), Treasurer for the Graduate Society of Black Engineers and Scientists (GSBES), and External Relations Officer for the Graduate Society of Women Engineers (GradSWE). Outside of working and study hours, Onyinye serves as a mentor for the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, guiding high school students interested in upper atmospheric and space science research. She also volunteers with the University of Michigan’s Xplore Engineering program, which provides hands-on experience in engineering to children in grades 4 through 7. Read more about Onyinye.


    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

     October 18, 2023
  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (September 26, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today released

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    (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

     September 26, 2023
  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (December 18, 2023 – New York City) The New York Space Business Roundtable (NYSBR) is delighted to announce that

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    (December 18, 2023 – New York City) The New York Space Business Roundtable (NYSBR) is delighted to announce that Karen Utz, Regional Director, Western New York at Empire State Development, will be a featured speaker at the upcoming virtual event on December 20. The event, titled “Commercial Space & Tonawanda, New York: A Return to Glory,” will focus on the state of the space industry in small towns in New York, posing the critical question: can space and satellite revive old industrial New York?

    Joining Karen Utz will be:

    • Adam Maher, CEO, Ursa Space, and 2011 SSPI Promise Award Recipient
    • Asad Malik, CEO, iRocket, and 2023 20 Under 35 Honoree
    • Gregory C. Ray, Sr. Director, New York Consortium for Space Technology Innovation & Development

    The roundtable discussion will provide an update on “The State of Space,” featuring insights from Patrick Chase and Evan Learner, Cofounders of Empire Space, as a compliment to our regular Significant Digits feature, this month provided by Jason Rainbow, Sr. Staff Writer at SpaceNews. Louis Zacharilla, SSPI Director of Innovation will moderate and Joseph D. Fargnoli, of the New York Space Alliance, will provide his always insightful “New York Minute” reaction to the discussion.

    Key questions to be addressed in the Roundtable include:

    • What has transpired in New York since the initial inquiry into whether the commercial space and satellite industry can revitalize industrial hubs?
    • Is New York, with its talent, financial prowess, and historic innovation, successfully capitalizing on the continued growth of the sector?
    • What is the state of mind in New York concerning commercial space, and where is the investment flowing?
    • Are cities like Buffalo, Schenectady and Rochester experiencing the anticipated economic revitalization?

    The NYSBR invites media representatives, industry professionals, and the public to participate in this engaging discussion on December 20. The event promises to shed light on the dynamic intersection of commercial space endeavors and the revitalization of New York’s industrial landscape. You can learn more and register for the Roundtable at www.sspi.org/events/nysbr-dec-2023-commercial-space-tonawanda-new-york.


    About the New York Space Business Roundtable
    The New York Space Business Roundtable is a regularly scheduled monthly program that explores the business, financing and ethical governance of the commercial space sector. Because of New York’s prominence as a global financial center, it is the place where “Space does business.” It is also the place where the industry will discuss social issues that impact the finance and business of Space and the highly charged and fast-growing Satellite industry.

    Produced in association with the New York Space Alliance and with the support of the Consulate General of Luxembourg Office of Trade and Investment Office (LTIO), as well as SpaceNews magazine, the World Teleport Association and the Washington Space Business Roundtable, the Roundtable gathers every third Wednesday of the month.


    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

     December 18, 2023
  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (July 13, 2023 – New York City) – SSPI-WISE (SSPI Women in Space Engagement) has announced to announce the results of its 2023 officer...

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    (July 13, 2023 – New York City) – SSPI-WISE (SSPI Women in Space Engagement) has announced to announce the results of its 2023 officer election, which took place over the final week of June.

    The membership of SSPI-WISE has elected former Vice Chair Jomya Lei of Viasat to the newly created position of President and Vinitha Lalvani of AvL Technologies as its first Vice President. Presidents and Vice Presidents of SSPI-WISE will serve one-year terms with the Vice President taking on the role of President in the year following her service as Vice President. Vinitha Lalvani will also continue to serve in her previous capacity as Co-Chair of the Social Media Working Group.

    Debra Facktor of Airbus U.S. Space & Defense will serve her final year of a three-year term as Chairwoman of SSPI-WISE in 2023. Beginning this year, the position of SSPI-WISE Chairwoman will also include appointment in a non-voting capacity to the SSPI Board of Directors.

    “The acceleration of SSPI-WISE from an idea to a movement within SSPI has been nothing short of amazing,” said executive director Robert Bell. “In addition to these changes, SSPI is giving WISE a permanent seat on our Board of Directors to ensure that the voices of our female members are heard and respected.”

    SSPI-WISE’s membership also elected three new candidates to officer positions and two returning officers to new positions:

    • Divya-Kala Bhavani, Head of PR, Communications & Marketing, Dhruva Space, and Toni Lee Rudnicki, Fractional CMO and Founder, TLR Consulting will serve as Co-Chairs of the SSPI-WISE Elevating Women Working Group
    • Manal Tadros, Boeing Satellite Systems Insurance Office Manager at The Boeing Company will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Sustainment & Infrastructure Working Group
    • Helen Weedon, Owner and Senior Account Director, Radical Moves Ltd. and Managing Director, Satcoms Innovation Group will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Social Media Working Group
    • Heidi Anne White, Outreach Officer, Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE STEM Outreach Working Group

    Continuing to serve as SSPI-WISE officers are:

    • Alix (Hornig) Wright, Senior Vice President, Marketing Communications, Speedcast will serve as SSPI-WISE Secretary
    • Silvia Borges, Pre Sales Engineer, Hispasat will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Mentoring Working Group
    • Negar (Moinee) Feher will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Elevating Women Working Group
    • Jennifer Hoil, Director of Product Marketing, ST Engineering iDirect will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Sustainment & Infrastructure Working Group
    • Justyna Kosianka, Senior Remote Sensing Scientist and Product Owner, Ursa Space Systems will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE STEM Outreach Working Group
    • Andrea Maleter, retired, Space Business Booster will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Mentoring Working Group
    • Wendy (Lewis) Newman, Public Relations and Communications Consultant, Strategic Voice will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Mentoring Working Group
    • Melissa Orlick, Sales & Business Development Manager, Intellian Technologies will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Sustainment & Infrastructure Working Group
    • Audrey Puderbaugh, Spacecraft Engineer, Iridium will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE STEM Outreach Working Group
    • Rosario Toxqui, Senior Director of Marketing, Comtech Telecommunications Corp. will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Social Media Working Group
    • Elisabeth Tweedie, Founder and Owner, Definitive Direction will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Social Media Working Group

    SSPI-WISE was founded in December 2020, with the goal of engaging women in the space and satellite industry on topics ranging from STEM outreach and mentoring to networking and elevating women. In this new election cycle, the Networking Working Group will function in an ad hoc capacity, and SSPI-WISE did not elect leads for its function.

    SSPI-WISE membership is open to women who are SSPI members, and has a mailing list option for those who identify as allies of women. Members may serve on working groups including working groups that focus on STEM Outreach, Elevating Women, Social Media and Mentorship. SSPI-WISE holds networking events at various conferences, and bi-monthly meetings that are open to men and women, with informative guest speakers.


    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

  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (July 11, 2023 – New York City) – After an election by the membership, the Board of Directors of Space & Satellite Professionals...

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    (July 11, 2023 – New York City) – After an election by the membership, the Board of Directors of Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) welcomes four new Directors for three-year terms beginning July 1:

    • Julie Baker, Chief Operating Officer & Co-founder, Ursa Space Systems
    • Jessica Beahn, Vice President & Chief Engineer, Maxar Technologies
    • Chris Kinman, Chief Commercial Officer, Momentus Space
    • Jennifer Little, Vice President of Sales & Sales Operations, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

    In addition, the election returned two Board members for a second term:

    • Sharyn Nerenberg (SSPI Treasurer), Vice President, Corporate Communications, Hughes
    • Mike Safyan, Vice President of Launch, Planet

    “Our Chairwoman, Katherine Gizinski, and President, James Trevelyan, have made it a priority to drive the diversification of our Board to better represent the space and satellite industry,” said executive director Robert Bell. “Our new Board is made up of executives from satellite communications fleets, launch systems, spacecraft manufacturing, earth observation, ground segment technology and operations, IoT, data analytics and licensing. In an industry seen as male-dominated, nearly half of our Directors are women in senior positions within their organizations. We hope that raises expectations across the industry.”

    Continuing in service on SSPI’s Board of Directors are:

    • Julie Bettinger, Chief Marketing Officer, ST Engineering iDirect
    • Josef Bogosian, Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing, Commercial Satellites, Boeing
    • Jonathan Crawford, President Media & Broadcast, Roberts Communications Network
    • Katherine Gizinski (SSPI Chair), Chief Executive Officer, ManSat
    • James Hinds, Chief Executive Officer, Airbus OneWeb Satellites
    • Aaron Lewis, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Government Relations, Arianespace, Inc.
    • Marie-Pierre Pluvinage, Director, Business Development, Airbus US Space & Defense
    • Christodoulos Protopapas, Chief Executive Officer, Hellas Sat
    • Nicole Robinson, Chief Growth Officer, Comtech Telecommunications
    • James Trevelyan (SSPI President), Executive Vice President of Sales, Speedcast
    • Mark Witsaman, Vice President, Product Engineering, Globalstar
    • Elias Zaccack, Executive Vice President, Global Sales, SES Networks

    Elizabeth Evans of K&L Gates serves as General Council.


    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

  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (September 4, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced the beginning of

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    (September 4, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced the beginning of Eternal Orbit, a multi-week campaign featuring videos, podcasts, live online conversations and a new issue of SSPI’s digital magazine, The Orbiter. The campaign 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. Eternal Orbit is underwritten by Hughes Network Systems.

    The campaign begins this week with a live conversation from SSPI-WISE (SSPI Women in Space Engagement): The Enduring Value of GEO. The conversation, which will take place on September 7, will feature four women from diverse companies with a focus on GEO missions to bring us up to speed on new innovations in the field. Geo 2.0, the podcast series of Eternal Orbit, will launch next Monday on September 11. New Eternal Orbit content will be published weekly at www.sspi.org/cpages/eternal-orbit.

    “Our attention is always drawn to bright, shiny toys – and Starlink and OneWeb are the brightest and shiniest so far,” said executive director Robert Bell. “In this campaign, we salute the original orbit, the eternal orbit of GEO and the needs it will uniquely continue to meet today and in the decades to come.”


    About Eternal Orbit
    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 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.

    You can learn more about the Eternal Orbit campaign on SSPI’s website.


    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

     September 04, 2023
  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (June 13, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today released

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    (June 13, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today released Keeping Open the Road to Space, its newest video in the Better Satellite World campaign. It explores the growing threat that space debris poses to all future space operations and what steps governments and companies around the world are taking to make sure the road to space stays open for the future. Keeping Open the Road to Space is made possible by funding from the Space Shuttle Children’s Trust Fund.

    “As rocket launches become a monthly, even weekly thing, it’s easy to take success in space for granted,” said executive director Robert Bell. “But space is a dangerous place, starting with that ride into orbit on a column of fire, for people and machines. We have made space a place to do business thanks for a half-century of engineering experience. That same half-century has also filled LEO with the entirely human-made danger of space debris. The good news is that what people have made, people can fix, as our video makes clear.”

    You can watch the video on SSPI’s website and on Youtube. Keeping Open the Road to Space is part of Reducing the Risks of Space, SSPI’s latest campaign that explores policy, law, technology and operations in development now to manage the challenging space environment of the future.


    Inside the Story
    For the entire half-century length of the space age, we have been littering the road to space with rocket engines, failed satellites and broken equipment. Earth orbit holds almost 100 million pieces of debris moving at blazing speeds. A piece of junk no larger than a softball can hit with the force of a bomb. When things collide in orbit, they make more debris. In just one incident, a failed Russian spacecraft smashed into a commercial satellite, and in an instant, thousands of pieces of junk were added to the sky. And we keep launching satellites by the hundreds and thousands. The more we launch, the closer comes the day when Earth orbit could become a minefield that neither people nor machines dare enter.

    To combat the growing problem of space debris, government and industry are making new rules for spacecraft to stop adding to the threat. Companies and space agencies are testing ways to get rid of the most dangerous debris, a challenge roughly as difficult as catching a softball moving at 20 times the speed of sound. Governments and industry are also building better radar systems to track debris. Automatic warnings will give operators time to move spacecraft out of the way as the International Space Station does today. We are designing for a future of constant maneuvering in orbit that will test the ingenuity of engineers like nothing before.


    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

  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    Awards Given to Industry Companies, Organisations and People Who Make the World Better Through Satellite...

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    Awards Given to Industry Companies, Organisations and People Who Make the World Better Through Satellite Technology

    (New York City and London, 8 June 2023) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today opened nominations for the 2023 Better Satellite World Awards. The winners will be honoured at the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner on 4 December in London. Nominations are due by 18 September 2023.

    As part of its Better Satellite World Awards Dinner, SSPI and an international panel identify three organizations that have demonstrated the use of satellite to make a significant contribution to human welfare, good governance, safety, peace and security, improved education or other measures of human achievement. The Better Satellite World Awards are produced by SSPI and the Awards Dinner is hosted by its UK Chapter. Click here to learn more about the awards and past winners and to access the nomination forms.

    The UK Chapter and Board of SSPI also selects and presents an award to the UK Space and Satellite Industry’s “Personality of the Year.” Click here to learn more about the award and past winners.

    Previous recipients of Better Satellite World Awards include ASTERRA’s potable water detection technology, the United Nations’ Crisis Connectivity Charter, SATMED e-health satellite platform delivered by SES, the Bidi Bidi project in sub-Saharan Africa of Avanti Communications, and Speedcast’s support for Peru’s Willka Yachay nonprofit, among many others.

    This year’s sponsors include ST Engineering and Astroscale. Tables and tickets are now on sale at https://uk.sspi.org/events/2023-better-satellite-world-awards-dinner.

    “The recognition in the media and in many quarters of the world of the beneficial role satellites and the companies and passionate individuals linking their business models to space data are playing has grown significantly. SSPI is very pleased to be able to again reward the growing list of companies who genuinely make a difference in human society,” said Louis Zacharilla, Emcee of the London Dinner and Director of Innovation for Space and Satellite Professionals International.


    About the Better Satellite World Campaign
    The modern world literally runs on satellite – from data networks and TV to Internet, agriculture, energy and transport – though far too few people know it. The commercial satellite industry is now attracting a new generation of entrepreneurs and investors dedicated to lowering launch costs, downsizing spacecraft, servicing them in orbit and delivering ubiquitous connectivity at competitive prices. The Better Satellite World campaign shows the world why our industry, though often invisible, is indispensable to modern life, through powerful stories and videos that depict space and satellite technologies contributing to the economy, society and sustainability of planet Earth. More at www.bettersatelliteworld.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

  • Victoria Krisman posted an article

    (New York City, April 26, 2023) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today opened nominations for the “20 Under...

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    (New York City, April 26, 2023) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today opened nominations for the “20 Under 35” cohort of 2023. The “20 Under 35” will be honored at the annual Future Leaders Celebration in October during Silicon Valley Space Week 2023, produced by SatNews publishers. Nominations are due by July 17, 2023.

    Every year, during its Future Leaders Celebration, SSPI honors its list of the “20 Under 35” (www.20under35.com) young space and satellite professionals to watch in the years ahead. “20 Under 35” honorees are employees or entrepreneurs under the age of 35 who have demonstrated initiative, creativity and problem-solving skills that created new capabilities, overcame major challenges, and ensured excellence in technology and service.

    The “20 Under 35” are selected by a panel of judges based on scoring of nomination forms. SSPI will unveil the list in September. At the Future Leaders Celebration, SSPI will honor the “20 Under 35” and present the three top-scoring honorees with its Promise Award in recognition of their potential to advance into leadership roles in the industry. On the same evening, SSPI will honor its Mentor of the Year: a space and satellite executive who has devoted time and energy to fostering the next generation of industry employees and entrepreneurs.

    “SSPI has honored 100 outstanding individuals with membership in its 20 Under 35 cohorts since 2018” said executive director Robert Bell. “On average, 45 percent of the 20 Under 35 are female and 55% are male. Their specialties range from engineering to medicine, science to management, sales and law. They offer a cross-section of the best of us from sixteen nations in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. I can hardly wait to meet the 2023 cohort that we will announce in September.”

    Nomination forms are available on SSPI’s website.


    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 Associate
    Space & Satellite Professionals International
    vkrisman@sspi.org

     April 26, 2023