WSBR April Luncheon Featuring NASA Deputy Administrator and Former Astronaut, Pam Melroy
2023-04-27 12:00 UTC | Holiday Inn Washington Capitol, 550 C Street, SW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20024
WSBR April Luncheon Featuring NASA Deputy Administrator and Former Astronaut, Pam Melroy
Please join WSBR on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at our in-person luncheon as we host distinguished guest, NASA Deputy Administrator and former astronaut, Pam Melroy.
This event will be held at the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol – National Mall, located at 550 C Street, SW, Washington DC. Networking and registration will begin at 12Noon ET, with lunch to be served at 12:20 pm. The program will conclude at 2:00 p.m.
WSBR is most fortunate to host Pam Melroy, who will discuss some of NASA’s top programmatic and budgetary priorities in 2023. This includes building on the success of the recent Artemis 1 launch with the establishment of the new Moon to Mars Program Office and major mission milestones in the coming months.
We hope you will join us for this truly special in-person event.
Col. (USAF, ret) Pam Melroy was sworn in as the NASA deputy administrator on June 21, 2021.
As deputy administrator, Melroy performs the duties and exercises the powers delegated by the administrator, assists the administrator in making final agency decisions, and acts for the administrator in his absence by performing all necessary functions to govern NASA operations. Melroy is also responsible for laying out the agency’s vision and representing NASA to the Executive Office of the President, Congress, heads of federal and other appropriate government agencies, international organizations, and external organizations and communities.
Melroy was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program in 1983. As a co-pilot, aircraft commander, instructor pilot, and test pilot, Melroy logged more than 6,000 flight hours in more than 50 different aircraft before retiring from the Air Force in 2007. She is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Just Cause, with more than 200 combat and combat support hours.
Melroy was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in December 1994. Initially assigned to astronaut support duties for launch and landing, she also worked on advanced projects for the Astronaut Office. She also performed Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) duties in mission control. In addition, she served on the Columbia Reconstruction Team as the lead for the crew module and served as Deputy Project Manager for the Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Team. In her final position, she served as Branch Chief for the Orion branch of the Astronaut Office.
One of only two women to command a space shuttle, Melroy logged more than 38 days (924 hours) in space. She served as pilot on two flights, STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002, and was the mission commander on STS-120 in 2007. All three of her missions were assembly missions to build the International Space Station.
After serving more than two decades in the Air Force and as a NASA astronaut, Melroy took on a number of leadership roles, including at Lockheed Martin; the Federal Aviation Administration; the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; Australia’s Nova Systems Pty Ltd; and as an advisor to the Australian Space Agency. She also served as an independent consultant and a member of the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group.
Melroy holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College and a master’s degree in Earth and planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Registration closes on Thursday, April 20th at 12pm/Noon ET.
Registration Rates

Individual Seat
$85

Half Table (4 Seats)
$320

Full Table (8 Seats)
$640

TICKET POLICY
Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact Tamara Winns at twinns@thegateam.com with any changes to your registration.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!

WSBR September Luncheon Featuring Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)
2023-09-13 12:00 - 13:30 | The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004
Featuring Senator Ted Cruz, (R-TX)
On Wednesday, September 13, at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, join the Washington Space Business Roundtable for lunch and conversation with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ranking Member of the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Through his leadership roles on Committee and as a steady advocate for the United State’s civil and commercial space sectors, Senator Cruz has secured significant legislative achievements to advance our exploration and use of space – including the extension of the International Space Station through 2030, protection of our Apollo heritage sites, and maturation of NASA public-private partnerships to ensure American leadership in space for the years to come.
In 2003 Sen. Cruz was appointed Solicitor General of Texas. During his five year tenure working for the Lone Star State, he argued eight cases before the Supreme Court. Later in 2012, Sen. Cruz was elected as the 34th U.S. Senator from Texas and was reelected in 2018 to continue his service representing 29 million Texans in the U.S. Senate.
Registration will be limited to the first 70 individuals and there will not be assigned seating. Due to the timing of this luncheon, only individual tickets will be offered, the cost is $85. However, member companies are welcomed to purchase as many tickets as they would like for the event. There will be a chance to handwrite name badges for any last minute attendees.
This luncheon is being held in conjunction with the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Aerospace Summit.

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact Tamara Winns at twinns@thegateam.com with any changes to your registration.

WSBR November Luncheon Featuring Philip McAlister
2023-11-16 12:00 | Holiday Inn Washington Capitol, 550 C Street, SW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20024
WSBR November Luncheon Featuring Philip McAlister: “Commercial Partnerships at NASA”
From the bold decision to contract commercial transportation of cargo and crew to the International Space Station, to today’s initiatives purchasing commercial lunar landing services, supporting private orbital habitats, and transitioning space communications to commercial satellite infrastructure, NASA’s embrace of public-private partnerships has driven a remarkable paradigm shift in the United States’ approach to space. As the industry matures and we look toward the future of this new “commercial” era in space, what can we glean from the successes of the past several years? What opportunities lie ahead? What possibilities exist for commercial partnerships in our long-term future in space?
Join us on Thursday, November 16th, at 12:00 pm (ET) for a luncheon and discussion on “NASA’s Commercial Partnerships” at the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol, located at 550 C Street, SW, Washington DC, featuring Philip McAlister, Director of the Commercial Space Division at NASA Headquarters.

Philip McAlister boasts an impressive and accomplished career at the forefront of commercial initiatives at NASA. He joined the agency in 2005, overseeing the successful Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program and serving as the executive director for the “Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee” (also known as the Augustine Committee). Today, as the Director of the Commercial Space Division, he provides invaluable advice to NASA on matters pertaining to the design, development, and demonstration of commercial spaceflight vehicles, systems, and capabilities. McAlister oversees multiple programs at NASA, including the Commercial Crew Program (including the Suborbital Crew project) and the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) Development Program, encompassing private astronaut missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and the development of new commercial space destinations. In 2010, he was honored with NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal.
Before his tenure at NASA, McAlister served as a director at Futron Corporation, where he managed a division focused on aerospace business analysis and technology assessments. Prior to joining Futron, he held a senior management role during a 10-year career at TRW Corporation. McAlister holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Averett University, a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering from George Mason University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Sciences from the University of Maryland.

Registration closes on Thursday, November 9th at 12pm/Noon ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85Half Table (4 Seats)$320Full Table (8 Seats)$640

Thank You to Our Sponsor!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact Tamara Winns at twinns@thegateam.com with any changes to your registration.

WSBR December Luncheon
2023-12-07 12:00 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
WSBR December Luncheon and Panel Discussion
The space insurance market, a fundamental backbone of the space economy, is shaken in a way perhaps unseen in years. Do these “shocks to the system” foreshadow changes to come?
In recent months, space insurers have witnessed a series of high-profile – and highly costly – satellite and launch vehicle failures, with claims potentially totaling up to $1 billion dollars and rates accordingly rising. Meanwhile, a new generation of low-Earth-orbit satellite “mega-constellations,” the continuing growth of orbital debris, and concerns about the commercial cost of conflict in space are raising questions about the future of the space insurance business. On the flipside, government regulations and liability requirements pose opportunities for space insurers to consider rewarding the most sustainable projects with lower premiums.
At 12:00 Noon ET on Thursday, December 7, join WSBR for a lunchtime panel at Hogan Lovells US LLP, located at Columbia Square, 555 Thirteenth Street, NW Washington DC. Hear from leading executives in the space insurance field on “the state of play today in space insurance” and contribute to an engaging discussion on the current, and future, dynamics shaping the sector with top experts with backgrounds in space insurance, risk management, liability, and regulation.
All proceeds from WSBR events are used to fund the WSBR Education Awards that promote education about and interest in the fields of space and satellite technology among young people in the Washington metro-area.

Chris Kunstadter is Global Head of Space at AXA XL and manages the company’s space insurance team. He is actively involved in all aspects of AXA XL’s space activity, including technical, financial, and actuarial analysis, coverage design, claims handling, industry outreach, and business development.
Chris is a recognized leader in space risk management issues. For over three decades, he has worked closely with global satellite operators and manufacturers, launch providers, industry groups, and others to develop cutting-edge solutions that enable investment and innovation in space. Chris has collaborated with policymakers and space agencies around the world to enhance space safety and promote responsible space activity.
Chris received a BA degree in Literature and an MS degree in Engineering from the University of California. He holds a Commercial Pilot license with Instrument and Multi-Engine ratings and is a Certified Flight Instructor. Chris is an avid musician and serves on the boards of several music-oriented not-for-profit organizations.

Brian Quirk is Director, Treasury Operations and Corporate Risk Management for the Intelsat companies with responsibilities covering satellite and terrestrial insurance procurement, enterprise risk management and Treasury banking operations.
Prior to joining Intelsat in 2008, Brian worked at Network Solutions, Nextel and CACI in various Treasury roles. Brian is a native to Virginia and enjoys family time fishing and boating on the Rappahannock river.

Caryn Schenewerk is a respected leader in navigating the complex regulatory and policy landscape for the spaceflight industry. As the President of CS Consulting, she provides expert guidance to clients on regulatory and policy engagement with all levels and branches of government. Caryn co-authored a space law textbook, International Space Law and Space Laws of the United States, and is honored to share her expertise as an adjunct professor of Space Law at Georgetown University Law Center.
Prior to founding CS Consulting, Caryn served as the Vice President for Regulatory and Government Affairs at Relativity Space, where she helped the company launch the world’s first 3-D printed rocket. Caryn started her career in aerospace at SpaceX, where she spent a decade supporting commercial and civil space operations, facility expansion, and economic development as a lawyer and lobbyist. She has an extensive track record of interacting with U.S. government agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, NASA and the U.S. Space Force in support of launch and recovery operations.
Caryn is a member of the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee for which she leads the Regulatory Working Group. She also serves as the industry lead for the FAA’s Part 440 Aerospace Rulemaking Committee.
Prior to her work in the space industry, she served as the Deputy Associate Director for Legislative Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President. Caryn has also worked in various other roles, including Counsel, Policy Director, and Deputy Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill, starting her career in international trade law.
Caryn obtained her bachelor’s degree from Austin College in Sherman, TX, and her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. She also earned a Master’s in Laws (LLM) from the University of Nottingham in England and is a member of the New York and D.C. Bars.

Charles Thornton is director of Aerospace Risk Management for Northrop Grumman Corporation, a leader in global security.
Thornton leads Northrop Grumman’s aerospace risk management practice and is responsible for the development and retention of the risk management professionals serving the Aeronautics and Space sectors. He is charged with ensuring Northrop Grumman’s aerospace risk profile is minimized by negotiating best-in-class insurance protections. Thornton’s specific insurance program responsibilities include aviation, space, cargo, environmental and cyber insurance and management of all related claims.
Prior to his present role, Thornton was director of risk management and real estate with Orbital ATK. There he was responsible for a small team of risk management and real estate professionals whose mission was to protect the company’s balance sheet and strategically size the company’s real estate footprint in line with growth projections.
As a risk manager, Thornton has been or is currently responsible for all insurance endeavors, claim activities, brokerage and TPA relationships. He also developed crisis management and business resiliency plans and chaired safety committees.
As real estate director, Thornton’s responsibilities included all development, lease and sublease negotiations, property acquisitions and sales, and government incentives negotiations. Thornton led the transition to systematic lease abstraction, critical date tracking, a centralized rent payment function and right-to-use asset accounting treatment.
Prior to Northrop Grumman, Thornton served as director of risk management at US Airways. He was also a broker at Willis and an underwriter at United States Aircraft Insurance Group. Before joining the insurance profession, Thornton was an active flight instructor and flew Beech 18s as a contract pilot to UPS.
Thornton has a long history of volunteerism with Scouts BSA having served as den leader, cubmaster, and scoutmaster in his district. His current role is director for district-wide camporees where multiple troops converge for high-adventure activities, skill building and leadership development.
Thornton earned a bachelor’s degree in Professional Aviation from Louisiana Tech University and a Masters in Business Administration from George Mason University.

Registration closes on Friday, December 1st at 12pm/Noon ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85Half Table (4 Seats)$320Full Table (8 Seats)$640

Thank You to Our Event Partner!

WSBR LUNCHEON WITH RICHARD DALBELLO
2024-02-14 00:00 - 13:30 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
WSBR February Luncheon Featuring Richard DalBello, Director of the Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commerce.
On Wednesday, February 14, join the Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) at Hogan Lovells LLP from 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. for lunch and conversation with Richard DalBello, Director of the Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commerce.
Overseeing a growing team responsible for “fostering the conditions for the economic growth and technological advancement of the U.S. commercial space industry,” and charged with ensuring a safe and sustainable orbital environment through the stand-up of civil space situational awareness capabilities, Director DalBello and his team work at the forefront of today’s commercial space policy and regulatory initiatives and debates.
As Congress and the White House consider tasking the Office of Space Commerce with overseeing a wide range of commercial in-space activities, learn how his office is addressing its important scope of work, his perspectives on the coming year for the commercial space sector, and how the Office of Space Commerce is focusing on ensuring that space remains sustainable in the long-term – both for commerce, and for safety.
Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. In this role he is responsible for managing the Department’s efforts to establish a space traffic control system to ensure safe space operations for commercial and international civil space ventures. In addition, Richard is responsible for the regulation of the US commercial remote sensing industry and for general advocacy, across the government, for commercial space industry interests.
Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Richard was Virgin Galactic’s Vice President of Global Engagement. In this role, Richard was responsible for international business development for the company’s unique fleet of carrier aircraft and space vehicles. Prior to joining Virgin, Richard served as Director, Space and Aeronautics, in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In this role, he served as the principal advisor on space and aeronautics matters to the Science Advisor to the President. In this position, Richard played a key role in the development and implementation of the Administration’s domestic and international space policy and program priorities.
Prior to joining OSTP, Richard served as the Vice President of Government Affairs for Intelsat General. He served previously as president of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, and for more than three years as the president of the Satellite Industry Association.
Richard earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree in law from McGill University, and a doctorate in jurisprudence from the University of San Francisco.
Registration closes on Wednesday, February 7th at 12pm/Noon ET.
Registration Rates

Individual Seat
$85

Half Table (4 Seats)
$320

Full Table (8 Seats)
$640

Thank You to Our Sponsor!

TICKET POLICYTickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact Tamara Winns at twinns@thegateam.com with any changes to your registration.

WSBR April Luncheon with Aarti Holla-Maini
2024-04-04 12:00 - 13:30 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
WSBR April Luncheon Featuring Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
On Thursday, April 4, join the Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) at Hogan Lovells LLP from 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. for lunch and conversation with Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
In her role at UNOOSA, Ms. Holla-Maini leads a team responsible for fostering cooperation in peaceful exploration and use of space at a global level, including alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in the areas of economic and social development.
Prior to joining UNOOSA in 2023, she most recently served as EVP of Sustainability, Policy, and Impact at NorthStar Earth and Space, a commercial company focused on earth imagery and space domain awareness. She served for over 18 years as the Secretary General of the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA), a global non-profit association of the entire satellite ecosystem that takes the lead in addressing global challenges, seizing opportunities, and providing a unified voice for the satellite industry.
In addition to these appointments, Ms. Holla-Maini’s has served as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Space, member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating; member of the Satellite Industry Association of India’s advisory board; Senior Space Policy Adviser to Forum Europe, and as Expert Adviser on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program’s Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Ms. Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France, and she is also an alumna of the International Space University. She is fluent in English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch.
Registration closes on Monday, April 1st at 3pm ET.
Registration Rates

Individual Seat
$85

Half Table (4 Seats)
$320

Full Table (8 Seats)
$640

TICKET POLICY
Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact Tamara Winns at twinns@thegateam.com with any changes to your registration.

Thank You to Our Event Partners!

Thank You to Our Media Partner!

WSBR May Luncheon with Colonel Richard Kniseley, USSF
2024-05-17 12:00 - 13:30 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
WSBR May Luncheon Featuring Colonel Richard Kniseley, Senior Material Leader of the Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office

Join the Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) on Friday, May 17, at Hogan Lovells LLP from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm (ET), for an engaging and insightful luncheon discussion with Colonel Richard Kniseley, Senior Material Leader of the Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office.

As the United States’ commercial space sector innovates at breakneck speed, the Department of Defense’s and Space Force’s recently-released commercial space strategies recognize the growing imperative – and many related policy, contractual, and operational questions about – the future of private sector collaboration with the space warfighting community. At the Commercial Space Office, Col. Kniseley and his team are at the “point of the sphere” for interacting with and integrating the growing U.S. commercial space sector into our national security space architecture.

Colonel Richard Kniseley is the Senior Materiel Leader, Commercial Space Office, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. Colonel Kniseley leads a 90 personnel office that assesses, implements, integrates, and monitors commercial space capabilities for the Department of Defense. Charged with enacting a “Buy Before Build” paradigm shift, Colonel Kniseley executes over $1 Billion in investments mitigating critical capability gaps for the warfighter while interacting with senior Department of the Air Force members, Congressional Staff, and leaders of industry.

Colonel Kniseley entered active duty in 2000 as a graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at Colorado State University. During his career, he has served in a variety of acquisition positions including Program Manager, Flight Test Manager, Flight Commander, Headquarters Staff Officer, Field Command Staff Officer, Legislative Liaison, and Materiel Leader.

Registration closes on Monday, May 13th at 12pm/Noon ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85Half Table (4 Seats)$320Full Table (8 Seats)$640

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Thank You to Our Event Partners!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact Tamara Winns at twinns@thegateam.com with any changes to your registration.

WSBR June Luncheon: Next-Gen Launch Panel
2024-06-25 12:00 - 13:30 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
Launching the Next Generation of Lift: Perspectives from Providers

After years of bottleneck in availability and capacity, the second-half of this decade may be a renaissance in space launch. Several larger, more capable, cheaper rockets – including ULA’s Vulcan, Arianespace’s Ariane 6, Rocket Lab’s Neutron, as well as several other high-profile vehicles – are now entering service or are soon slated to. With these changing dynamics, opportunities (and questions) abound regarding the impact of the next-generation of launch on the space economy.

On Tuesday, June 25, join the Washington Space Business Roundtable for our next expert luncheon – featuring a panel of executives from several leading launch providers working on next-gen capabilities: Arianespace, Rocket Lab, & United Launch Alliance. Through open discussion with our speakers, hear their views on the shifting launch market, how they’re competitively positioning their vehicles, and what the future of an evolving launch sector may hold for the broader space community.

Panelists

Andy Bunker

Vice President, Government Operations and Business Strategy, Rocket Lab

As Vice President of Government Operations and Business Strategy, Andrew Bunker is primarily responsible for the development and execution of Rocket Lab’s federal, state, and local government strategy. Mr. Bunker also plays a leading role in strengthening Rocket Lab’s engagement with industry associations. Mr. Bunker brings more than a decade of experience in legislative affairs and space regulation to the Rocket Lab team. Prior to joining Rocket Lab in November 2021, Mr. Bunker held the role of Director of Government Operations at United Launch Alliance (ULA). In this role, he was responsible for representing ULA before Congress on matters of importance to the company, including national security, civil, and commercial space. He also supported ULA’s engagement on regulatory matters before various federal agencies. Prior to working at ULA, Mr. Bunker worked for House Speaker John A. Boehner, where he served in a variety of positions supporting legislative efforts and operations on the House Floor. Mr. Bunker serves on the Boards of the Washington Space Business Roundtable and Commercial Spaceflight Federation, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Wake Forest University.

Clint Hunt

Director, Intelligence and defense Programs, United Launch Alliance

Clint Hunt, Colonel, USAF (Retired), is the director of intelligence and defense programs for United Launch Alliance (ULA). In this role, Clint is responsible for engagement with the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community to ensure the missions need are met.

Clint previously served 27 years as an operator and acquisition officer in the United States Air Force, focusing largely on space control, intelligence and space launch systems. In his final assignment, he was the director, Office of Space Launch at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). In this role, Clint led several hundred government and industry team members at five locations, executing a multi-billion dollar budget across the future year’s defense plan. He was also responsible for the technical and operational planning and execution of the NRO’s launch requirements.

Prior to this assignment, Clint served as the chief, Space Control and Advanced Technology Division at headquarters Air Force, representing an eight-billion dollar portfolio that encompassed 28 space control-related programs, and advocating for Space Control requirements with the other services, Congress, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, Intelligence Community and the White House. He held numerous other leadership assignments during his career, serving as the chief of the Space Professional Management Office at Headquarters Air Force Space Command and commanded the 1st Air and Space Test Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base. He also held positions in the NRO’s Signals Intelligence Directorate, as the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program Element Monitor and duties at the Squadron and program office level. Clint holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Master of Science degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology and Lesley University and is Level III certified program manager.

Steven Rutgers

Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer, Arianespace

Steven Rutgers was named Arianespace’s Chief Commercial Officer in January 2023, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Israël and joining the company’s Executive Committee.

Rutgers began his career in the space industry over two decades ago, working his way progressively through the ranks – initially as the international market and account manager with Inmarsat distributor Xantic in the Netherlands.

He subsequently worked in Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore with Stratos and Inmarsat, negotiating complex bids and supporting commercial development. His career has spanned the globe, from Europe to the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, where he has conducted business with multiple sectors – including satellite operators and the government, telecommunications, oil and gas, mining, logistics and fisheries industries.

Prior to joining Arianespace, Rutgers was the Vice President of Sales with the IoT (Internet of Things) company Hiber, where he successfully executed deals with large customers served by the satellite industry.

Rutgers holds a Bachelor’s degree from the International School of Economics and Management, Rotterdam.

Moderated By

Steve Kaufman

Partner, Hogan Lovells

A Corporate & Finance partner and Satellite practice co-head, Steve Kaufman uses industry knowledge and versatility to negotiate and close many types of deals globally.

For 18 of his 30 years at the firm, Steve served as outside general counsel for satellite clients, leading strategic joint ventures, “bet-the-company” contracts, financings, and M&A.

What Steve does best: understanding complex business issues and translating them into legal documents. If a client can describe something, Steve can draft it. Working from complicated to simple, he has many times reduced a lengthy contract into a few pages of bullet points, showing the client what it needs and how to obtain it. He has even written abusiness and financing model for parties in the form of an agreement. Many clients comment that the business guidance from Steve is as valuable as the legal advice.

Steve relies on his familiarity with issues common to satellite and communications companies to give him an edge in negotiations. This experience produces extra benefits when Steve deals with specialized satellite contract terms, targeted warranties, creative covenants, use of insurance to close gaps, license and spectrum issues, and even finance and accounting matters. According to Chambers Steve Kaufman is “a real authority and somebody who will always know the answer.”

Registration closes on Thursday, June 20th at 12pm/Noon ET.

Individual Seat$85Half Table (4 Seats)$320Full Table (8 Seats)$640

Thank You To Our Event Partners!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact Tamara Winns at twinns@thegateam.com with any changes to your registration.

WSBR October Luncheon With Dr. Jason Rathje, OSC
2024-10-29 11:30 - 13:00 | Rocket Lab USA, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, DC, 20003, United States
WSBR October Luncheon Featuring Dr. Jason Rathje, Director of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC)

On Tuesday, October 29, join the Washington Space Business Roundtable for a critical and timely luncheon conversation with Dr. Jason Rathje, Director of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), which just launched its first federal credit product for companies supporting critical technologies.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin created the OSC in December 2022 to attract and scale private capital for national security priorities. With unique financing tools such as loans and loan guarantees, combined with interagency partnerships, OSC works to complement the innovative power of the private sector with the modern industrial strategy that makes strategic public investments in America’s workforce, and in key industry sectors and supply chains.

Hear from Dr. Rathje about OSC’s scope of work and intent; the progress in the office’s plans to develop new financing tools aimed at supporting space technologies; the latest updates on OSC’s calls to industry; and his vision for the future of the office, the national security space ecosystem, and the relationship between the government and the private investment community.

Previously, Dr. Rathje served as director and co-founder of AFVentures, the Department of the Air Force’s commercial investment arm under AFWERX. In that role, he managed $1.8 billion of combined government funding and private capital for scaling early- to mid-stage technology ventures to support Air Force operations. Dr. Rathje holds a doctorate degree of philosophy in strategy and policy from Stanford University, as well as a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from MIT.

Dr. Jason Rathje currently serves as the Director of the Office of Strategic Capital in the U.S. Department of Defense. OSC’s mission is to attract and scale private capital in support of national security. OSC’s current focus is on the development and implementation of new financial tools to increase public-private investment in our Nation’s enabling and frontier technologies.

Previously, Dr. Rathje served as Director and Co-founder of AFVentures, the Department of the Air Force’s Commercial Investment Arm under AFWERX. In that role, he managed $1.8B of combined government funding and private capital for scaling early to mid-stage technology ventures to support Air Force operations.

Dr. Rathje holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Strategy and Policy from Stanford University, as well as a Bachelors of Science and a Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering from MIT.

Registration closes on Tuesday, October 22nd at 12pm/Noon ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85Half Table (4 Seats)$320Full Table (8 Seats)$640

Thank you to Our Event Partners!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

WSBR December Luncheon with Major General Steven Whitney, USSF
2024-12-11 12:00 - 13:30 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
WSBR December Luncheon Featuring Maj. Gen. Steven Whitney, Director of Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Space Force

On December 20, 2019, the United States’ newest military service, the Space Force, was signed into creation. With a charge to secure the United States’ interests in, from, and to space, the service’s development has been a focused interest for the space community – stakeholders in industry, members of Congress, the Administration, international partners and allies – in the five years since.

Join the Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) on Wednesday, December 11, at Hogan Lovells LLP from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm (ET) to hear from a senior USSF leader, Maj. Gen. Whitney, on the directive and direction he and his colleagues are achieving for the United States’ security in the space domain.

What has the Space Force achieved in that time? Where is the Space Force going from here? What are the threats today? How can industry partner with USSF to provide innovative solutions?

Keynote

Major General Steven Whitney

Maj. Gen. Steve Whitney is the Director of Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Space Force, the Pentagon. In this role, he synchronizes policy, plans, positions, procedures and cross-functional issues for the U.S. Space Force headquarters staff.

General Whitney graduated in 1992 from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and completed the university’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program as a distinguished graduate. Through the years, he has served in a wide variety of space system acquisition and operations leadership positions within the Air Force, Space Force, Joint Staff, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and National Reconnaissance Office. His assignments include serving as a crew commander, spacecraft engineer, senior flight commander, director of engineering, squadron commander, senior materiel leader, program director and program executive officer. Prior to his current assignment, Maj. Gen. Whitney was the Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, Washington, D.C. He was responsible for research and development, test, production, product support and modernization of Space Force programs worth more than $27 billion annually.

Moderated By

Kristin Fisher, CNN

Kristin Fisher has been leading CNN’s televised space coverage since 2021 when she joined the network as its space and defense correspondent. She’s covered every major space event over the last three years, broken news about the crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission to the moon, secured exclusive access to the Space Force’s first guardian-only basic training, and interviewed some of the most famous – and infamous – players in the global space industry. She was the first western journalist to interview the controversial former head of Russia’s space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, after he ascended to the role of Roscosmos director general. Kristin recently switched roles at CNN from correspondent to contributor to create a space-related YouTube channel, which will be launching in December 2024.

As the daughter of two NASA astronauts, Kristin grew up in the space industry and spent five years covering the Trump and Biden Administration’s space policies as a White House Correspondent for FOX News. During that time, she also covered two presidential impeachment trials, the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, and two administration’s efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic. She also traveled extensively with the President and Vice President, including a top secret trip to Afghanistan with former President Donald Trump.

Prior to joining FOX News in 2015, Kristin worked her way up through local TV news markets in Grand Junction, Colorado; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Washington, D.C. where she won an Emmy Award as a one-man-band reporter for the city’s CBS affiliate. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Boston University’s College of Communication.

Registration closes on Friday, December 6th at 2pm ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85Half Table$320Full Table$640

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TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

WSBR January Virtual Panel: What's in Store for Space in 2025
2025-01-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Washington, DC
2024 was a year of dynamism in the global space community – and the pace of change seems to only be accelerating in 2025. A fleet of new rockets seem poised to shake up the launch sector; new actors in the international community are actively bringing their capabilities to market; outstanding questions about the future of space sustainability and space regulation remain to be settled; the use of space as a domain for national security continues to get strong attention; and a switch-up in political leadership may shake up national programs and space efforts across the world.

The space community at the end of 2025 may look quite different than at the start. What could the future hold?

At noon on Wednesday, January 22nd, join the Washington Space Business Roundtable for our first event of the year, a free virtual discussion on “what’s in store for space in 2025.” Participating in this dialogue are some of the leading journalists and reporters “in the know:” SpaceNews’ Jeff Foust; Breaking Defense’s Theresa Hitchens; Reuter’s Joey Roulette; and Defense Scoop’s Mikayla Easley.

Panelists

Mikayla Easley, DefenseScoop

Mikayla Easley reports on the Pentagon’s acquisition and use of emerging air and space warfare technologies at DefenseScoop. She began covering defense as a staff reporter for National Defense Magazine, and prior to that was a reporter and assistant editor for the Columbia Missourian, where she covered Missouri state politics. She holds a bachelor’s in Russian language and literature from the University of Michigan and a master’s in journalism from the University of Missouri.

Jeff Foust, SpaceNews

Jeff Foust writes about space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews. He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science from the California Institute of Technology.

Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense

Theresa Hitchens is the Senior reporter, Space at Breaking Defense. The former Defense News editor was a senior research associate at the University of Maryland’s Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM). Before that, she spent six years in Geneva, Switzerland as director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).

Joey Roulette, Reuters

Joey Roulette is a journalist for Reuters covering the space industry, NASA and international space relations. Writing about space matters since 2018, Joey has previously reported for The New York Times, the Verge and as a freelancer in his home state of Florida, where he also covered politics and surveillance technology until 2019. He received a Bachelor’s in International Relations from the University of Central Florida in 2018 and currently lives in Washington, D.C. To reach Joey, share a confidential tip or just chat about space stuff, you can email him at joey.roulette@thomsonreuters.com or hit him up on Signal at jrou.41.

Registration closes on Wednesday, January 22nd at 10am ET.

WSBR February Luncheon: New Year, New Look at Space Cyber Security Issues
2025-02-04 12:00 - 13:30 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
WSBR February Luncheon Featuring Dr. Dianne Poster, NIST, and Ryan Roberts, Deloitte

Happy New Year! Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) warmly invites you to join us for 2025’s first in-person program: New Year, New Look at Space Cyber Security Issues. This month, our discussion is led by Mr. Ryan Roberts of Deloitte’s Cyber Risk practice, with panelists Erin Miller of Space ISAC, Lauryn Williams with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, and Dr. Dianne Poster of the DOC’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). We hope you will join us for this in-depth look at emerging issues at the intersection of Space and Cybersecurity, along with the good food, networking, and audience participation Q&A you’ve come to know and love at WSBR.

Panelists

Erin Miller

Ms. Erin M. Miller is the Executive Director of the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC). Space ISAC serves as the primary focal point for the global space industry for “all threats and all hazards.” Stood up at the direction of the White House in 2019, Erin led the Space ISAC to open its operational Watch Center, alongside its Cyber Malware and Analysis Vulnerability Laboratory in Colorado Springs, CO, USA. Under Erin’s leadership, Space ISAC’s headquarters facility is already serving several countries to achieve its mission of security and resilience for the global space industry. Each year Space ISAC puts on the Value of Space Summit (VOSS), co-hosted with The Aerospace Corporation at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

Erin has over a decade of experience building meaningful tech collaborations and has formed hundreds of formal partnerships between government, industry and academia to solve problems for warfighters and national security.

As a serial entrepreneur in the non-profit space, she thrives in launching new programs and new organizations from stand up through building and scaling operations.

Erin was the Managing Director of the Center for Technology, Research and Commercialization (C-TRAC) and brought three USAF-funded programs to bear at the Catalyst Campus for Technology & Innovation (www.catalystcampus.org). Her expertise in brokering unique partnerships using non-FAR type agreements led to the standup of the Air Force’s first cyber focused (#securebydesign) design studio, AFCyberWorx at the USAF Academy, and the first space accelerator, Catalyst Accelerator, at Catalyst Campus in Colorado Springs – in partnership with Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX.

In 2020 Erin was a recipient of the Woman of Influence award. In 2018 Erin was recognized by the Mayor of Colorado Springs as Mayor’s Young Leader (MYL) of the Year Award for Technology. She is also the recipient of the Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Award for Young Female Leader in 2018.

In her previous roles she developed and managed intellectual property portfolios, technology transfer strategies, export control/ITAR, secure facilities, and rapid prototyping collaborations. Erin serves on the advisory board of CyberSatGov, CyberLEO and is a board member for the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce & EDC. She has guest lectured at Georgetown University, United States Air Force Academy, University of Colorado at Boulder, and Johns Hopkins University. She is frequently found public speaking at notable events like, Defense Security Institute’s Summits, CyberSatGov, State of the Space Industrial Base, and other forums focused on security and space resiliency and critical infrastructure.

Dr. Dianne Poster

Dr. Poster provides more than two decades of technical experience in research and development for measurements, standards, technology, and data at the United States (U.S.) Department of Commerce (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Her current work supports the U.S. DOC National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Space Commerce promoting U.S. space commerce through international technical standards development and innovation in space systems, data, and cybersecurity technologies. She leads DOC representation for the U.S. interagency supporting space activities, including developing principles for national strategies in cislunar science and technology, planetary defense, low Earth orbit research and development, and in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing.

Lauryn Williams

Lauryn Williams most recently served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy in the U.S. Department of Defense, where she spearheaded release of the first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan. Immediately prior, Lauryn was Director for Strategy in the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) and drove the White House strategic initiative on space system cybersecurity. This work – which leveraged extensive interagency, industry and international collaboration – resulted in the first-ever minimum cybersecurity requirements for federal space systems included in President Biden’s January 2025 cybersecurity executive order. The White House simultaneously released a report capturing findings from a series of regional technical workshops that brought together over 125 U.S. and multinational space companies to discuss cyber challenges and opportunities.

Lauryn joined ONCD from the Department of Defense, where she led efforts to better leverage commercial space capabilities and to develop the first-ever U.S. norms of responsible behavior in space. She has also served in the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Lauryn received her bachelors degree from Stanford University and masters degree from Princeton University.

Moderator

Ryan Roberts

Mr. Roberts is a leader in Deloitte’s Cyber Risk practice where he focuses on providing cyber operations capability and services to clients in the Defense sector. He is widely recognized as an expert in cyber risk issues in space, and is frequently called upon as a subject matter expert in this area. Ryan served in the Marine Corps and has over 25 years of experience in IT and cybersecurity.

Registration closes on Thursday, January 30th at 12:00/Noon ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85.00Half Table$320.00Full Table$640.00

Thank You To Our Sponsors!

Thank You To Our Event Partner!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

2025 WSBR Annual Flagship Luncheon and Silent Auction
2025-03-11 11:00 - 13:30 | Arnold & Porter, 601 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC, DC, United States
Featuring an in-depth interview with Gen. Michael A. Guetlein, Vice Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force, led by Mandy Vaughn, CEO and Founder, GXO, Inc.

Join WSBR on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, for our Annual Flagship Luncheon and Silent Auction. The event will take place one block from the Convention Center, at the offices of Arnold & Porter, 601 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20001.

Networking and registration will begin at 11:00 am, with lunch to be served at 12:00 pm, giving you ample time to review and bid on the auction items donated by leading companies and organizations throughout the space industry. The program will conclude at 1:30 pm.

At this time, the event is at full capacity. However, we are happy to Add you to our waitlist in case any spots become available.

To join the waitlist, please contact us at info@wsbr.org.

Keynote

General Michael Guetlein

Gen. Michael A. Guetlein is the Vice Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force. As Vice Chief, he is responsible for assisting the Chief of Space Operations in organizing, training and equipping space forces in the United States and overseas, integrating space policy and guidance, and coordinating space-related activities for the U.S. Space Force and the Department of the Air Force.

The U.S. Space Force organizes, trains, equips and maintains mission-ready space forces that provide missile warning, space domain awareness, positioning, navigation and timing, communications and space electronic warfare for North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Space Command and other combatant commands.

Gen. Guetlein was commissioned through the ROTC program at Oklahoma State University in 1991. His acquisition experience spans air and space capabilities and systems across special operations, global power projection, missile warning and detection, and counterspace mission areas. The general has commanded and led at the flight, squadron, division, directorate, Program Executive Officer and Field Command levels. Notable assignments include serving as the Commander, Space Systems Command; Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office and Commander of the Air and Space Force Element; Program Executive for Programs and Integration at the Missile Defense Agency; Director of Remote Sensing Systems; Commander of the Rapid Reaction Squadron; the Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition; and a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow.

Mandy Vaughn

Mandy is one of the most innovative and influential leaders in the US space industry. She founded GXO in 2021 to drive innovation, unlock new opportunities, and address emerging threats.

Prior to founding GXO, at Virgin Orbit, Mandy worked on the LauncherOne program for government and commercial customers—including NASA and OneWeb. She served as president and CEO of VOX Space (a Virgin Orbit subsidiary) with a specific focus on the national security launch market.

Additionally, Mandy has worked within General Dynamics Mission Systems, the Air Force as an active duty officer , and Kinsey Technical Services to advance next-generation innovations in GPS, satellite communications, defense, and security. Mandy holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics, both from MIT.

All proceeds from this event go directly to the WSBR Education Fund, providing resources to various STEM initiatives in the greater Washington, DC area and beyond.

Thank You to our sponsors!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferrable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

WSBR June Luncheon: Conversation With FCC Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwarz
2025-06-16 12:00 - 13:30 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
WSBR June Luncheon Featuring Jay Schwarz, Chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s Space Bureau

Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) warmly invites you to join us on Monday, June 16th for a conversation with FCC Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwarz. This in-person luncheon event will focus on the Space Bureau’s priorities for 2025 and beyond, including spectrum modernization in a world with greater spectrum demand than ever before, a look at the licensing process, and implications for novel space capabilities such as ISAM.

We hope you will join us for this in-depth discussion on timely issues in satellite licensing, along with the good food, networking, and audience participation Q&A you’ve come to know and love at WSBR.

Keynote

Jay Schwarz

Jay Schwarz recently rejoined the FCC as Chief of the Space Bureau. Before rejoining the FCC, he served as Vice President of Public Policy at Comcast, focusing on broadband policy. Previously at the FCC he was Wireline Advisor to former Chairman Ajit Pai and held positions within the Wireline Competition Bureau, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and the Office of Strategic Planning. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh and an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Registration closes on Tuesday, June 10th at 12:00pm ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85Half Table (4 Seats)$320Full Table (8 Seats)$640

Thank You to Our Sponsor!

Thank you to our event partner!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

WSBR July Luncheon: Space Nuclear Panel
2025-07-15 11:30 - 13:30 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
Event Summary

The first nation to operate a nuclear reactor on the Moon to survive the lunar night will unlock a new era of development and settlement, while setting new standards and norms of behavior for humanity. How can the United States position itself to be that nation rather than follow China’s lead?

That question and others were addressed by Dr. Bhavya Lal at this WSBR luncheon. She delivered the first public briefing on a new study she led for DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory. Dr. Lal recommended taking a strategic, stepping stone approach to space nuclear development, starting with the demonstration of a small power reactor on the lunar surface.

Dr. Lal then joined a panel with space nuclear experts Joseph Cassady of L3Harris Technologies, Alex Gilbert of Zeno Power and Dr. Robert O. of USRA. The discussion covered a number of issues that must be addressed to ensure forward progress, including White House direction, a lead agency/agencies, mission pull, funding, regulatory compliance, and liability.

WSBR extends a hearty thanks to our luncheon sponsor, USRA, and our host, Hogan Lovells, for making this event possible.

WSBR 7/15/25 Event – Weighing the Future: Strategic Options for U.S. Space Nuclear LeadershipDownload

Despite decades of investment, U.S. space nuclear progress is limited. Dr. Bhavya Lal and other space nuclear experts will discuss the full space fission landscape—surface and in-space, civil and defense, government needs and emerging commercial markets—and the urgent decisions ahead.

Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) invites you to join us on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, for a discussion on U.S. space nuclear strategy with Dr. Bhavya Lal, consultant and former NASA Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy, Joe Cassady, Director of Civil Space at L3Harris, and Alex Gilbert, Vice President of Regulation at Zeno Power. Dr. Lal will present the findings from her recently completed INL-funded report, Weighing the Future: Strategic Options for U.S. Space Nuclear Leadership. This will be followed by a panel discussion with our three experts on U.S. space nuclear strategy.

We hope you will join us for this in-depth discussion on timely issues in satellite licensing, along with the good food, networking, and audience participation Q&A you’ve come to know and love at WSBR.

Panelists

Dr. Bhavya Lal, Professor and Former NASA Associate Administrator for Technology, Strategy, and Policy

Dr. Bhavya Lal is currently a Professor at RAND School of Public Policy. She most recently served as NASA’s Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy, advising the NASA Administrator and senior leadership on a broad spectrum of domestic and international policy issues, strategic planning, and technology investments. During her tenure at NASA, she also broke new ground as the first woman to act as NASA’s Chief Technologist. In the early days of the Biden Administration, she was the highest-ranking Administration appointee at NASA, serving as the acting Chief of Staff. In all these roles, Dr. Lal was instrumental in advancing the NASA Moon-to-Mars program, and spearheading initiatives in planetary defense, space sustainability, space ethics, and space nuclear systems. She also played a pivotal role in formulating critical policies on international competition and commercial space ventures.

Before joining NASA, Dr. Lal directed influential analyses at the Institute for Defense Analyses’ (IDA) Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI), leading high-impact studies on space commercialization, government investment strategies, and economic policy frameworks for emerging space sectors. Her research has directly influenced U.S. space industrial policy, orbital debris mitigation strategies, and market-driven approaches to national security space programs.

Dr. Lal has frequently testified before Congress and the National Space Council on economic and policy issues related to space commerce. She has authored peer-reviewed papers and reports on topics including space nuclear power investment models, asteroid resource economics, and private-sector participation in space infrastructure development. She continues to shape the future of space economics through formal advisory roles at NASA, the National Academies, and international space policy organizations. She currently chairs the International Astronautical Federation’s Space Economy Committee.

Dr. Lal’s extensive research and leadership have earned her numerous accolades including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Associate Fellowship at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the AIAA Public Service Award for “lasting and sustained leadership in national space policy and setting the course for NASA’s future missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond,” and induction into the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and YWCA’s Academy of Women Achievers.

Her academic credentials include bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a second master’s from MIT’s Technology and Policy Program, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Public Administration from George Washington University. She is a member of the honor societies for both nuclear engineering and public policy and public administration.

Joe Cassady, Director of Civil Space Programs, L3Harris

Mr. Cassady is the Director of Civil Space Programs in the Washington DC Operations for L3Harris where he helps oversee strategy development and architectures for future space and launch systems. He obtained his BS (1981) and MS (1983) in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University as well as a Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering at the George Washington University in 2005. His current interest areas include architectures for human missions to Mars, Space Mobility and Logistics (SML) and space debris remediation. Mr. Cassady holds five U.S. Patents for Electric Propulsion (EP) technology. He has four decades of experience in propulsion development, flight operations, mission architecture and systems analysis. He has authored more than 75 technical papers dealing with EP, power systems, attitude control systems and mission analysis and recently co-authored a textbook, Rocket Propulsion, with Professors Heister, Anderson, and Pourpoint of Purdue University. Prior to joining the Washington office, Mr. Cassady held roles in Development Engineering, Project Management, and Business Development and led flight project teams for the 26 kWe ESEX arcjet system (which still holds the record as the highest power EP system flown) and the EO-1 Pulsed Plasma Thruster system. In addition, he has served on a number of advisory groups for NASA and the DoD. Currently he is a member of the National Academies Space Technology Industry Government and University Roundtable (STIGUR), which advises and reviews the NASA technology portfolio. He is an Associate Fellow of the AIAA, is vice-president of the Electric Rocket Propulsion Society and serves as Executive Vice President and member of the Board of Directors for ExploreMars, a 501c(3) non-profit dedicated to promoting STEM and human Mars exploration. In 2021, he was named as an Outstanding Aerospace Engineer by the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue and he was elected as a Member of the International Academy of Astronautics in 2024. It is his lifelong goal to see humans join their robotic precursors on the surface of the Red Planet.

Alex Gilbert, Vice President of Regulation at Zeno Power

Alex Gilbert is the Vice President of Regulation at Zeno Power, spearheading regulatory strategies for commercial radioisotope power systems for space, maritime, and terrestrial applications. He is also a PhD candidate in Space Resources at the Colorado School of Mines, researching astronaut nuclear safety and space nuclear governance for applications on the Moon and Mars. Previously, Alex was at the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, pioneering regulatory modernization for advanced reactors at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Dr. Robert C. O’Brien, Director, USRA’s Center for Space Nuclear Research

Dr. Robert C. O’Brien serves as USRA’s Director of the Center for Space Nuclear Research and is an adjunct Professor at the University of Idaho. Dr. O’Brien is a subject matter expert in advanced space power, propulsion and energy utilization technologies including nuclear systems testing, as well as in-situ resource utilization, material extraction, and manufacturing science and engineering. Prior to joining USRA, Dr. O’Brien led special reactor concept projects, advanced nuclear instrumentation, nuclear fuels, national and international projects, and initiatives at Idaho National Laboratory for NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense.

Dr. O’Brien led the development of Advanced Manufacturing capabilities for DOE including first-of-a-kind capabilities to utilize electric Field Assisted Sintering Techniques (eFAST) and was responsible as architect of capabilities at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex Advanced Fuels Facility for the first experiments and production of nuclear reactor fuels using 3D Printing techniques. As Principal Investigator under the DOE Transient Testing Program, Dr. O’Brien served as part of the TREAT Reactor Restart Project (2012-2018) and led some of the first modern experiments in TREAT as Principal Investigator of the NASA SIRIUS Testing campaign (testing Space Nuclear Propulsion Program fuels under hydrogen at temperatures up to 3000 K). Prior to his experience within the DOE laboratory system, Dr. O’Brien’s early career was as a researcher at the University of Leicester Space Research Center where he initiated assessments for a UK – European solution for radioisotope power, and the use of 241-Am as a heat source fuel; performing early americium oxide-cermet encapsulation experiments.

Dr. O’Brien holds a Masters of Physics with Space Science & Technology from the University of Leicester (2006), and a PhD in Physics Research from the University of Leicester (2010). He was nominated Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society 2008. Dr. O’Brien holds multiple patents and patents pending in advanced nuclear fuel, Directed Energy, ceramic processing, ballistic materials, nuclear and non-nuclear feedstock processing.

Registration closes on Thursday, July 10th at 12:00pm/noon ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85Half Table (4 Seats)$320Full Table (8 Seats)$640

Thank You to Our Event Partner!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

WSBR August Luncheon Featuring Kevin Coggins, Deputy Associate Administrator for the NASA SCaN Program
2025-08-26 11:30 - 13:30 | Sheppard Mullin, 2099 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20006, United States
This event has reached maximum capacity. Please click “Register Now” For information on how to join our Waitlist.

NASA’s Multi-Billion Dollar Communications Pivot to Commercial Partnerships

Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) invites you to a fireside conversation with Kevin Coggins regarding opportunities for commercial partners to shape and drive next generation space-based communications architecture – from LEO to the Moon and beyond.

Kevin oversees significant budget funding for the Commercial Services Project (CSP) dedicated to developing commercial partners focused on the communications infrastructure needed for a vibrant space economy, including NASA’s science and exploration requirements. This is especially critical as our government-owned and operated TDRS system approaches the end of its service life.His office has funded Space Act Agreements with six commercial space partners – Inmarsat, Amazon Project Kuiper, SES Satellites, SpaceX, Telesat, Viasat – and one unfunded space act agreement (Kepler).As Kevin has stated elsewhere, “We are contributing to a competitive space communications ecosystem that will drive innovation and success for decades to come for the Earth, Moon, Mars and beyond!”

We look forward to welcoming your attendance and participation in what promises to be a dynamic discussion regarding how our space community can most effectively support Kevin and his team’s pivot to market-driven innovation.

Keynote

kevin Coggins, Deputy Associate Administrator and Program Manager, Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN), NASA

Kevin Coggins is the Deputy Associate Administrator for the NASA SCaN program. He is responsible for the development, acquisition, and management of reliable and cost-effective communications and navigation services to meet NASA and other Government Agency requirements for human and robotic space exploration programs in Earth, Lunar, Mars, and Deep Space.

Kevin has served in senior executive roles in industry and the government, including as the Army’s first director of the Assured PNT Cross-Function Team and Direct Reporting Program Manager for PNT. Kevin’s industry experience ranges from senior executive roles at Booz Allen Hamilton, engineering roles across the aerospace and defense industry, and founder of a technology startup.

Kevin is a native of Pensacola, Florida, and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps where he served as a Force Reconnaissance Team Leader. He has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida, is a Senior Member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a Strategic Advisor to the Space ISAC, and has studied at the Naval Postgraduate School, Defense Acquisition University, and Darden School of Business.

Moderated By

Caitlin O’Neill, Assistant Program Manager for Mission and Stakeholder Engagement, Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN), NASA Headquarters

Caitlin O’Neill currently serves as NASA SCaN’s (Space Communication and Navigation) Assistant Program Manager for Mission and Stakeholder Engagement. In this role, she is responsible for stakeholder engagement inside and outside NASA in support of mission commitment and execution. As the Assistant Program Manager, she is also responsible for SCaN’s internal and external communications strategies, leading a team of communication professionals to successfully drive SCaN’s mission forward.

Prior to working with NASA, she served as a strategic communications lead for Booz Allen Hamilton, where she provided strategic communication planning and implementation expertise in support of Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security contracts. Most notably, she established the public affairs office for the Assured Positioning Navigation and Timing Cross-Functional Team under U.S. Army Futures Command.

Ms. O’Neill is from the Northern Virginia area. She received her master’s in public administration from George Mason University in 2011 and her bachelor’s in criminal justice from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2007. She currently holds certifications in change management and Project Management.

Registration closes on Thursday, August 21st at 12:00pm/noon ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85Half Table (4 Seats)$320Full Table (8 Seats)$640

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Thank You to Our Event Partner!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

China, Space, and Geopolitics: A WSBR Luncheon Featuring Christian Davenport, Dean Cheng, and Chris Williams
2025-10-22 11:30 - 13:30 | Sheppard Mullin, 2099 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20006, United States
Join WSBR on October 22 for a Luncheon Discussing China and Space Geopolitics

Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) invites you to join us Wednesday, October 22 for a 2-part program featuring:

Christian Davenport, Washington Post reporter and author of Rocket Dreams

Dean Cheng, Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies

Chris Williams, Chair of the Moorman Center for Space Studies, National Security Space Association

Moderated by Kelli Kedis Ogborn, Vice President – Global Space Programs, Space Foundation

The program will begin with remarks from Christian Davenport discussing his new book, Rocket Dreams: Musk, Bezos, and the Inside Story of the New, Trillion-Dollar Space Race. He will discuss, amongst other topics, the competition between Blue Origin and SpaceX, as well as the emerging threat in space posed by China.

The program will then transition over to a discussion among Davenport, Cheng, and Williams regarding China and space geopolitics, followed by a designated short Q&A period.

We look forward to welcoming your attendance and participation in what promises to be a dynamic discussion.

Featured Speaker

Christian Davenport, Reporter, the Washington Post

Christian Davenport covers NASA and the space industry for The Washington Post’s Financial desk, and is the author of 2 books, Rocket Dreams: Musk, Bezos, and the Inside Story of the New, Trillion-Dollar Space Race and The Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos. Outside of his reporting and writing, Christian was a consulting producer of Space: The Private Frontier, a two-hour documentary that aired on the Discovery and Science Channels, and a producer and co-host of Space Launch Live, the networks’ Emmy-award-winning live broadcast of SpaceX’s first crewed mission. He has also served as a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a fellow at the Alicia Patterson Foundation.

Panelists

Dean Cheng, Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies

Dean Cheng currently serves as Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, specializing in the US relationship with China. Prior to being with the Potomac institute, he recently retired as Senior Research Fellow for Chinese Political and Military Affairs at the Heritage Foundation. Previously, he worked with the China Studies Division (previously, Project Asia) at the Center for Naval Analysis, the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), and the US Congress’ Office of Technology Assessment in the International Security and Space Division. His published work includes the volume Cyber Dragon: Inside China’s Information Warfare and Cyber Operations. He has testified before Congress and spoken at the National Space Symposium and various elite educational institutions. He has appeared frequently in print and broadcast media to discuss Chinese space and military activities.

Chris Williams, Vice President and Chair of the NSSA Moorman Center for Space Studies, National Security Space Association

Chris Williams serves as Vice President and Chair of the NSSA Moorman Center for Space Studies, providing expert analysis and insight to NSSA. Mr. Williams has held senior positions in the Executive and Legislative branches of government, including as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense and acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Mr. Williams also served on various Government boards that advised the Secretary of Defense on national security policy and military strategy matters, and a series of Leadership and Committee professional staff positions in the United States Senate and House of Representatives.

Moderated By

Kelli Kedis Ogborn, Vice President – Global Space Programs, Space Foundation

Kelli Kedis Ogborn’s leadership has played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of companies entering the space market. With extensive experience in R&D and cutting-edge technology applications for the U.S. government and private sector, her methodologies guide organizations and companies that are transitioning from development ecosystems to market capitalization.

At Space Foundation, Kedis Ogborn is Vice President of Global Space Programs and is responsible for developing and delivering high impact programming that advances national security space, drives civil space engagement, accelerates commercial innovation, and fosters international collaboration across the global space ecosystem. In her previous role of Vice President of Space Commerce and Entrepreneurship, she led Space Commerce Institute, an initiative aimed to empower countries and companies to carve out their market niche and scale in the rapidly expanding space economy.

Prior to joining Space Foundation, Kedis Ogborn was President and Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Rockets Corporation (an aerospace company specializing in hypersonic flight), President and Chief Executive Officer of H.S. Dracones (a consulting company specializing in technology commercialization) and was contracted as the Congressional Liaison to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In the DARPA liaison role, she provided advice to senior leadership and technical offices on Congressional engagement strategies to maintain the agency’s position and reputation as a premier science and technology organization.

Kedis Ogborn is an often-published author and speaker on the market applications of innovation and has worked extensively as an authoritative voice within the emerging space economy – qualifying and quantifying the economic drivers and technology trends driving the industry forward and shaping its investment potential and growth. She is also a frequent panel reviewer and technology assessor for commercialization merit of government R&D proposals and mentor for entrepreneurs.

She holds an International Security and Conflict Resolution Bachelor’s Degree from San Diego State University, a Political Science Bachelor’s Degree from Stockholm University, and a Master’s Degree in Government and Security Studies from The Johns Hopkins University.

registration closes on Monday, October 20th at 12:00pm/Noon ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85.00Half Table (4 Seats)$320.00Full Table (8 Seats)$640.00

Thank You to Our Event Partner!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

WSBR December Luncheon Featuring Taylor Jordan, Director of the Office of Space Commerce (OSC)
2025-12-16 11:30 - 13:30 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
The Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) invites you to a special fireside conversation with Taylor Jordan, Director of the Office of Space Commerce, discussing his recent appointment to the position and his thoughts regarding the near-term and long-term future of space commerce.

In his new position, Mr. Jordan will lead the office’s mission to oversee and promote economic activity in space, using economic efforts to help further the country’s prominence in the global space sector.

In a recent press release, Mr. Jordan stated “I am deeply honored to lead the nation’s principal office dedicated to promoting commercial space activity,” said Jordan. “Strengthening America’s leadership in space is a top priority of this Administration, and I look forward to working with industry and government partners to advance U.S. commercial interests in the space domain.”

Originally formed in 1988, the Office of Space Commerce has achieved a wide variety of accomplishments in recent years, including streamlining numerous space regulations, establishing a modern space traffic safety system (TraCSS), and encouraging international space business partnerships and trade.

We look forward to welcoming your attendance and participation in what promises to be a dynamic discussion regarding the Office of Space Commerce’s plans under Mr. Jordan, as well as how our space community can most effectively support and ultimately benefit from the office’s mission of furthering economic efforts in space.

Keynote

Taylor Jordan, Director of the Office of Space Commerce

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has announced the appointment of Taylor Jordan as Director of the Office of Space Commerce (OSC), underscoring the Trump Administration’s commitment to strengthening U.S. leadership in space commerce. Mr. Jordan will continue to serve concurrently as assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Mr. Jordan brings more than 15 years of space policy and operational experience to the role. He previously served nearly a decade on the staff of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology as the committee’s subject-matter expert on NOAA, environmental satellites, and civil space programs. In that capacity, he was the lead author of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017.

During President Trump’s first term, Mr. Jordan served as a senior policy advisor at NOAA, where he supported the agency’s satellite programs and provided strategic oversight of major space-system acquisitions. Most recently, he was a principal at Innovative Federal Strategies, advising commercial space and technology companies on legislative and executive-branch engagement.

Moderator

Kevin O’Connell, Founder and CEO of Space Economy Rising, LLC

Kevin O’Connell is a recognized expert on space commerce, the global space economy, international intelligence and U.S. national security matters. For almost four decades, he has focused on space commercialization and technological competitiveness and how to advance them in global markets. He has also focused on how these innovations impact U.S. and allied national security.

His U.S. government assignments include the Department of Commerce (SES), The Department of Defense, The Department of State, The National Security Council, The Office of the Vice President, and The Office of the Director of Central Intelligence. Within the private sector, Mr. O’Connell was a senior research analyst at RAND and was the first Director of RAND’s Intelligence Policy Center. In 2007, he founded Innovative Analytics and Training, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in assessing high-tech market areas including geospatial markets, cloud computing, and cyber analytics.

Mr. O’Connell’s most recent role was Director of the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. He was the principal architect of outreach to U.S. private space companies to facilitate innovation and encourage increased market growth and viability. He focused on the growing role of the private sector in space, encouraged new space partnerships, worked to ensure the competitiveness of the U.S. commercial space industry, and advanced American leadership in space safety and sustainability. Mr. O’Connell testified before Congress on space policy and regulatory issues, American space competitiveness, and the growth of space commerce. He was awarded the Vice President’s Dedicated Service Award for his support to the National Space Council.

Mr. O’Connell also expanded international outreach on space commerce issues with a wide range of U.S. allies and partners, especially to compare notes on regulation, encourage new partnerships and advance space safety and sustainability. His overseas space engagements included participation in the U.S.-Japan Comprehensive Space Dialogue, as part of a Space Delegation to Luxembourg, and including high-level discussions with the EU, India, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Commonwealth partners.

Mr. O’Connell is a recognized expert on the policy, security, and commercial aspects of satellite remote sensing technologies and markets. He served as the Executive Secretary of the Independent Commission on the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) in 2000 and later as an advisor to the Director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He was a long-standing member of NOAA’s federal advisory committee, ACCRES, including as Chair between 2012 and 2016.

Mr. O’Connell has been a regular author on space commerce issues. He contributed the foreword to “Space Policies for the New Space Age: Competing on the Final Economic Frontier,” by Bruce Cahan and Mir Sadat (NewSpace New Mexico, December 2020). He co-authored Commercial Observation Satellites: at the Leading Edge of Global Transparency (ASPRS/RAND, 2000). He taught graduate courses in Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the RAND Graduate School for many years and has lectured at academic and research organizations around the world.

Registration Closes On Friday, December 12th at 12:00pm/Noon ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85.00Half Table (4 Seats)$320.00Full Table (8 Seats)$640.00

Thank You To Our Sponsor!

Thank You to Our Event Partner!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

2026 WSBR Annual Flagship Luncheon and Silent Auction
2026-03-23 11:00 - 13:30 | Arnold & Porter https://www.google.com/maps/place/601+Massachusetts+Ave+NW,+Washington,+DC+20001, 601 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20001, United States
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Featuring a Fireside Chat with Congressman Rep. Mike Haridopolos, Chairman of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee.

Please join WSBR on Monday, March 23, 2026, for our annual Flagship Luncheon featuring keynote speaker, Congressman Mike Haridopolos, Chairman of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee.

The event will take place one block from the Convention Center, at the offices of Arnold & Porter, 601 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20001.

Networking and registration will begin at 11:00 am, with lunch to be served at 12:00 pm, giving you ample time to review and bid on the auction items donated by leading companies and organizations throughout the space industry. The program will conclude at 1:30 pm.

Congressman Haridopolos will share his views on advancement of America’s leadership in technology and entrepreneurship, especially as it relates to the emerging commercial space sector. He will also share his thoughts on the Committee’s activities, a new Commercial Space Bill, the nation’s space program, and how the private sector can best be harnessed to advance the President’s space ambitions.

Featured Speaker

Congressman Mike Haridopolos

Congressman Mike Haridopolos is an experienced leader with a rich history of public service, business success, and a steadfast lifelong commitment to conservative values.

Congressman Haridopolos began his career teaching United States History and Political Science at Brevard Community College—now Eastern Florida State College, and taught classes as an instructor at the Bob Graham Center at the University of Florida.

Representing communities in Brevard County in the Florida House of Representatives and the State Senate from 2000-2012, Mike championed transparency, reduced taxes, and advanced conservative reforms. In the Florida Legislature, Mike quickly established himself as a capable lawmaker who stood firmly rooted in his conservative values, and pushed for greater government transparency and accountability for Floridians, leading the effort to put the state’s budget online. In 2008, he sponsored and championed Florida’s constitutional amendment reducing property taxes and allowing homeowners to bring their tax savings with them when they move to a new home.

Serving as President of the Senate from 2010-2012, Mike made transforming the Florida Senate into a more conservative policy body a key objective of his time in office.

After leaving office in 2012, Haridopolos started a successful business and political consulting company. He was elected to represent Florida’s 8th Congressional District in 2024, following the retirement of Congressman Bill Posey.

Mike lives in Indian Harbour Beach with his wife Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos. They have three adult children, Alexis, Hayden, and Reagan. Mike is dedicated to serving Brevard, Indian River, and Orange Counties with integrity, strength, and vision.

Moderator

Alicia Brown

Executive Director, Commercial Space Federation

Registration Options

Individual Ticket: $125

Tables:

Full Table (8 seats): $960

Half Table (4 seats): $500

Registration closes on Friday March 20th at 12pm ET

All proceeds from this event go directly to the WSBR Education Fund, providing resources to various STEM initiatives in the greater Washington, DC area and beyond.

Check out our silent auction!

Registration closes on Friday, March 20th at 12:00pm/Noon ET

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Thank you to our Sponsor!

Ticket Policy:

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferrable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

WSBR April Luncheon Featuring Dr. Nicola Fox, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA
2026-04-22 11:30 - 13:30 | Novel DC, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004
SOLD OUT!

The Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) invites you to a special fireside conversation with Dr. Nicola “Nicky” Fox.

Dr. Fox oversees a portfolio representing more than 30% of NASA’s total budget, spanning Earth science, astrophysics, heliophysics, and planetary exploration. At a moment when NASA—under Jared Isaacman—is placing renewed emphasis on commercial partnerships and “space-as-a-service” models, her perspective sits at the center of where policy, science, and industry intersect.

This luncheon offers a timely and unique opportunity to engage directly with one of the most consequential leaders shaping the future of the U.S. space enterprise.

Keynote Dr. Nicola Fox, Associate Administrator Science Mission Directorate, NASA

As the Associate Administrator (AA) for the Science Mission Directorate, Dr. Nicola Fox directs ~100 NASA missions to explore the secrets of the universe–missions that use the view from space to assess questions as practical as hurricane formation, as enticing as the prospect of lunar resources, as amazing as behavior in weightlessness, and as profound as the origin of the universe. As the AA, Dr. Fox creates a balanced portfolio of carefully chosen missions and research goals to enable a deep scientific understanding of Earth, other planets, the Sun, and the universe. These efforts lay the intellectual foundation for the robotic and human expeditions of the future, while meeting today’s needs for scientific information to address national concerns.

Dr. Fox joined NASA in 2018 as SMD’s Director of the Heliophysics Division, where she led a world-class team in understanding Earth’s most important and life-sustaining star. She oversaw NASA’s work to study key space phenomena and improve situational awareness of the very space our astronauts, satellites, and robotic missions travel through as they explore the solar system and beyond. Her portfolio also included NASA’s robust space weather research to help the U.S. government better predict space weather, which can interfere with radio communications, affect GPS accuracy, and even–when extreme–affect electrical grids on the ground.

Dr. Fox has authored numerous scientific articles and papers, in addition to delivering science presentations worldwide. She is known for her keen ability to make science accessible to a broad range of audiences, as well as her stellar leadership, creating a sense of purpose and belonging in her teams. In 2021 she was awarded the American Astronautical Society’s Carl Sagan Memorial Award for her demonstrated leadership in the field of heliophysics. In 2020 she was awarded NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal. In 2024, she received an honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Hertfordshire and an honorary fellowship of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Prior to August 2018, Dr. Fox worked at the Applied Physics Lab at the Johns Hopkins University, where she was the chief scientist for heliophysics, as well as the project scientist for NASA’s Parker Solar Probe–humanity’s first mission to a star. Dr. Fox’s extensive project, program, and supervisory experience included serving as the Deputy Project Scientist for the Van Allen Probes and the operations scientist for the International Solar Terrestrial Physics program.

Dr. Fox graduated from The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London with a B.S. in Physics. She received an M.S. in Telematics and Satellite Communications from the University of Surrey. She then returned to Imperial College to complete a Ph.D. in Space and Atmospheric Physics.

register now

Registration Closes On Monday, April 20th at 12:00pm/Noon ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85.00Half Table (4 Seats)$320.00Full Table (8 Seats)$640.00

Thank you to our sponsors!

Thank you to our Event Partner!

* Note the entrance is located next door to the National Theatre

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

“When Launch Stops: Is the Space Economy Built for Disruption?”
2026-06-30 11:30 - 13:30 | Sheppard Mullin, 2099 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20006, United States
Join WSBR on June 30th for a Luncheon Discussing Launch Disruption

Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) invites you to join us Tuesday, June 30 for a panel discussion featuring:

Kelvin Coleman, Baines Advisory Group

Mike French, Space Policy Group

Sean Mulligan, Virginia Spaceport Authority

Isaiah Wonnenberg, Commercial Space Federation

Moderated by Lisa Wood, Sophon Consulting

We look forward to welcoming your attendance and participation in what promises to be a dynamic discussion.

Panelists

Kelvin Coleman, Founder and Principal, Baines Advisory Group

Kelvin Coleman is the former Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation at the Federal Aviation Administration, where he directed the agency’s regulatory and safety oversight of the U.S. commercial space transportation industry. Over a 29-year federal career, he held senior leadership positions that shaped national policy, licensing frameworks, and operational practices during a period of unprecedented growth in commercial launch and reentry activities.

Mr. Coleman is now Founder and Principal of Baines Advisory Group, a strategic advisory firm specializing in aerospace, regulatory strategy, business growth, and investment due diligence. In this role, he provides guidance to organizations at the intersection of commercial space transportation, government policy, and private sector innovation.

He holds an engineering degree and an MBA and continues to serve as a trusted advisor to industry, government, and investors on the future of commercial space.

Mike French, Founder, Space Policy Group

A space policy veteran with experience as NASA’s Chief of Staff, at the White House, and in industry, Mike brings deep relationships across space agencies, regulators, Congress, and the global space community. Mike has advised senior government leaders on space policy, developed market forecasts and growth strategies for industry executives, and analyzed major space investments for companies and funds. He is a recognized expert on space policy and space market developments, serving as a regular media contributor, Congressional witness, and frequent public speaker on space topics. In addition to leading the Space Policy Group, Mike also serves as a senior advisor on space issues to global consulting firm BCG.

Sean Mulligan, COO & Deputy Executive Director, Virginia Space Port Association

Isaiah Wonnenberg, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs Commercial Space Federation

Isaiah Wonnenberg is the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the Commercial Space Federation (CSF). He supports CSF members in their shared mission of promoting the development of commercial human spaceflight and the commercial space industry, pursuing ever-greater levels of safety, and sharing best practices and expertise among the industry and policymakers.Prior to CSF, Isaiah served as a Professional Staff Member for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where he was responsible for developing and managing legislation relating to aviation and space policy, holding congressional hearings on issues of concern to the aviation and space sectors, and performing oversight of relevant U.S. federal agencies. Isaiah contributed to the Senate passage of numerous bills enacted into law, including the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018, the Transportation Security Administration Modernization Act, the National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act, and the National Quantum Initiative Act.Isaiah received a Master in Public Affairs from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of South Dakota. He was recognized as a member of USD’s “30 Under 30” class for 2023.

Moderator

Lisa Wood, President, Sophon Consulting

A dynamic aerospace executive with over 35 years of leadership experience advancing civil space programs across NASA, industry, and academia. Lisa is an expert in strategic program development, Earth and space sciences, advanced technologies, and policy integration. She has a proven track record of leading large, cross-functional teams, influencing national science priorities, and delivering impactful space missions.

Passionate about advancing science and exploration through strategic partnerships, innovation, and public policy, Lisa founded Sophon Consulting to bring her unique blend of scientific insight, policy expertise, and strategic leadership to help organizations navigate complex aerospace challenges, accelerate innovation, and build mission-driven collaborations across the civil, commercial, and academic space sectors.

registration closes on Friday, June 26th at 3:00pm ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85.00Half Table (4 Seats)$320.00Full Table (8 Seats)$640.00

Thank You to Our Event Partner!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.

"From Demo to Dollars: Why Promising Space Companies Still Hit a Wall on the Way to a Program of Record"
2026-08-25 11:30 - 13:30 | Hogan Lovells LLP, 555 13th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20004
Join WSBR on August 25th for a Luncheon Discussing the demo to program transition

Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) invites you to join us Tuesday, August 25 for a panel discussion featuring:

Clive Cook, Precursor

Tahara Dawkins, Astroscale U.S.

David Turner, Former Senior Professional Staff Member, Space and Science Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Col. Dan Urban, United States Space Force

Moderated by Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense

Senior military officials, civilian agency leaders, and members of Congress routinely emphasize the urgency of bringing fast-moving, innovative space companies on as government customers, and of fielding new capabilities at speed. Yet many of the same companies that successfully demonstrate a capability — through a prototype, pilot, or Commercial Solutions Opening award — hit a wall when they try to convert that success into a sustained program of record or a durable, funded requirement. Innovation has no defined requirements!

﻿This panel will unpack why the “demo-to-program” transition remains so difficult, and what concrete, practical fixes could unstick it.

We look forward to your attendance and participation in what promises to be a dynamic discussion.

registration closes on Friday, August 21st at 3:00pm ET.

Registration Rates

Individual Seat$85.00Half Table (4 Seats)$320.00Full Table (8 Seats)$640.00

Thank You to Our Event Partner!

TICKET POLICY

Tickets are refundable up to 10 business days prior to the event date and are transferable at any time. Please contact info@wsbr.org with any changes to your registration.
