Washington Space Business Roundtable

WSBR November Luncheon Featuring Philip McAlister
2023-11-16 12:00 UTC | 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 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 April Luncheon Featuring NASA Deputy Administrator and Former Astronaut, Pam Melroy
2023-04-27 12:00 | 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!

2023 WSBR Annual Flagship Luncheon and Silent Auction
2023-03-14 12:00 - 13:30 | Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20001
Featuring Keynote Remarks from Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman, Ms. Jessica Rosenworcel
March 14, 2023 | 11:00am – 1:30pm ET
Join WSBR on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, for their annual Flagship Luncheon. The event will take place in conjunction with the SATELLITE Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, located at 801 Mt. Vernon Place, NW, Washington, DC. Networking and Registration will begin at 11 am, with lunch to be served at 12Noon ET. The program will conclude at 1:30 pm ET.
Click Here to view and bid on WSBR’s silent auction items donated by leading companies and organizations throughout the space and satellite industry.
Platinum Members, please email info@wsbr.org in order to receive the special discount code for full and half table purchases.
Current Pricing Available Until Wednesday, March 8th
Individual Ticket: $160
Tables:
Full Table (10 seats):$1,550Half Table (5 seats):$775
Platinum Member:
Full Table (10 seats, 2 free seats): $1,270Half Table (5 seats, 2 free seats):$495

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

WSBR December Luncheon with the Honorable Frank Calvelli, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisitions and Integration, Moderated by Sandra Erwin SpaceNews Reporter
2022-12-15 11:30 | Holiday Inn Washington Capitol, 550 C Street, SW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20024
Please join the Washington Space Business Roundtable for our end of year, in-person program on Thursday, December 15, 2022, as we host the Honorable Frank Calvelli, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisitions and Integration.

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 11:30am, with lunch to be served at 11:50 am. The program will conclude at 1:30 p.m.

Hon. Calvelli will be speaking to WSBR at a very critical time for the Air Force as it pursues various acquisition reforms. Further, Hon. Calvelli recently circulated a memo which, according to SpaceNews, “lays out nine ‘space acquisition tenets’ intended to drive change in the procurement of satellites and space systems in general.” Further, Hon. Calvelli was quoted as stating, “To gain speed, we must shorten development timelines by building smaller satellites, acquiring ground and software intensive systems in smaller more manageable pieces that can be delivered faster, using existing technology and designs.”

Hon. Calvelli’s current portfolio entails responsibilities that touch on many aspects of the space industry-at-large. He is responsible for all architecture and integration with respect to acquisition of space systems and programs in the armed forces, chairing the Space Acquisition Council, and overseeing and directing the space acquisition centers in the Department of the Air Force. He also serves as the DAF Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs. For more insight into Hon. Calvelli’s distinguished career, please see: https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/3036330/frank-calvelli/
Ms. Sandra Erwin, who covers military and national security issues for SpaceNews, and is well known to our community, will moderate the discussion with Hon. Calvelli.
Ms. Erwin specializes in Defense Department and Intelligence Community space programs, policy, budgets, technology and the industry that supports this sector. Ms. Erwin also writes a monthly column “On National Security” that appears in the SpaceNews magazine and edits SpaceNews Military.Space, a weekly news-and-insights newsletter. Ms. Erwin joined SpaceNews in October 2017. Before that, she covered the U.S. military, the Pentagon, Congress, and the defense industry for over two decades as editor of the National Defense Industrial Association’s National Defense Magazine and as Pentagon correspondent for Real Clear Defense.
Registration closes on Thursday, December 8th 12 Noon ET.
Registration Rates

Individual Seat
$85.

Half Table (4 Seats)
$320.

Full 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 October Luncheon Featuring Chirag Parikh, Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council
2022-10-05 11:00 - 13:10 | The City Club of Washington, 555 13th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004
Please join the Washington Space Business Roundtable on October 5, 2022 for a conversation on the future of space workforce. The program will feature remarks from Chirag Parikh, Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council. Following remarks award-winning meteorologist, Meredith Garofalo, will lead a conversation with space workforce policy leaders from the National Space Council, Department of Labor, and Department of Education about priorities and actions being taken to strengthen the space workforce and discuss how government and industry can better partner on these efforts.

This conversation follows Vice President Kamala Harris’s announcement at the September 9, 2022 National Space Council Meeting of new commitments from the U.S. government, private sector companies, education and training providers, and philanthropic organizations to support space-related STEM initiatives to inspire, prepare, and employ the next generation of the space workforce.

This event will be held at the City Club in Washington, DC, located at 555 13th Street NW. Networking and registration will begin at 11:00 am, with lunch to be served at 11:20 am. The program will conclude at 1:10 pm.

Keynote Speaker Chirag ParikhMr. Chirag Parikh was appointed by the President as the Executive Secretary of the National Space Council on August 2, 2021. As Executive Secretary, he is responsible for advising the Vice President, in her role as Chair of the National Space Council, on developing national policies and strategies across the civil, commercial, and national security sectors. He is also responsible for overseeing the implementation of United States space policies and strategies and working across the United States Government as well as with industry, international, and academia partners to meet Administration objectives through the space sector. Mr. Parikh joined the Administration from Microsoft Azure, where he led the creation of a company-wide business unit, known as Azure Space, to bring together the power of global cloud capabilities with evolving space sector.
Prior to Microsoft, he had a U.S. government career that spanned more than two decades. He has served as a Senior Executive at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) leading collection and tasking of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) sensors and the analysis of GEOINT data. From 2010-2016, he served as the Director of Space Policy on the White House National Security Council overseeing U.S. national security space efforts. He has also served as the Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Science and Technology and as an aerospace engineer at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. He holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
Moderator Meredith GarofaloMeredith Garofalo is an Emmy-nominated award-winning Senior Meteorologist & Space/Science Correspondent for News 12 in the New York City area. She is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designated by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and was the 2021 Chair for its Station Scientist Committee, which focuses on raising greater awareness & outreach when it comes to science/space education for viewers.
Meredith’s personal and professional work has been recognized numerous times over the last decade including being awarded “Favorite Weathercaster of the Year,” Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties’ Community Partner of the Year, and most notably the inaugural Valparaiso University Alumni Association First Decade Achievement Award recipient. In 2022, Meredith was named one of the Top 100 Women in Aviation & Aerospace to Follow on LinkedIn for her involvement in the space community and also was the recipient of several awards for her life-saving coverage during the Long Island Tornado Outbreak in November of 2021.
During her career, she has covered both on-air and in the field some of the most devastating natural disasters around the world including hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, winter storms, and flash flooding. Meredith is also an accomplished reporter and storyteller covering rocket launches, producing in-depth special reports and features on NOAA’s GOES-R and JPSS satellite series, and coverage on some of NASA’s biggest accomplishments. She’s interviewed some of the top scientists and leaders of the space & science industry including astronauts live from the International Space Station, and her career highlight was being selected as the only meteorologist to travel with the GOES-West satellite from Colorado to Florida in 2017 on the C-5M Super Galaxy.
Meredith spends countless hours doing school, career, and motivational talks and participates in podcasts to help encourage women pursuing STEM careers and inspire our future generations.

Panelists

On January 20, 2021, Chike Aguh (Chee-kay Ah-Goo) was sworn in as Chief Innovation Officer (CInO) at the US Department of Labor, appointed by President Joe Biden. Reporting to the Deputy Secretary and also serving as Senior Advisor for Delivery, he leads efforts to use data, emerging technologies, and innovative practice to advance and protect American workers.
Previously, Chike launched the Community College Growth Engine Fund, a national multimillion dollar effort helping community colleges train thousands for careers in high growth fields. He has been a Technology and Human Rights Fellow at the Harvard Carr Center focused on the future of work and racial equity, Venture Partner at Maryland-based New Markets Venture Partners focused on workforce technologies, Council on Foreign Relations’ Future of Work Taskforce member, Lecturer at Columbia University and guest speaker at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.
Additionally, Chike has worked as an education policy official and teacher in America’s largest school system; Fulbright Scholar in Asia; director of corporate strategy and performance technologies at Education Advisory Board (EAB); CEO of a national social enterprise which helped connect 500,000 Americans in 48 states to affordable internet and digital skills; and Senior Principal and Future of Work Lead at the McChrystal Group, a business advisory firm founded by Gen. (ret.) Stanley McChrystal. He has written for, spoken at, or been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Wired Magazine, FORTUNE, Harvard, Wharton, and the White House.
Chike holds degrees from Tufts University (B.A.), Harvard Graduate School of Education (Ed.M), Harvard Kennedy School of Government (MPA), and University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (MBA). He is a former Presidential Leadership Scholar; Council on Foreign Relations term member; 40 under 40 honoree from Wharton and Washington Business Journal; and member of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board.
Additionally, he is a former advisory board member for Teach For America-DC Region, board chair for Baltimore’s Code in the Schools; Advisory Board Chair of the Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund; and appointee of the Prince George’s County Executive to the County Commission on Fathers, Men and Boys. Chike is the son of Nigerian immigrants and the first person in his entire family born in America. Chike, his wife and their two children proudly call Prince George’s County, MD home and are members of Zion Church.
Joaquin Tamayo, a former high school teacher and principal, is Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and a proud LGBTQ+ member of the Biden-Harris Administration. In this capacity, Joaquin supports Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten’s leadership on national PreK-12 policy and departmental budget, operations, and management. Joaquin also leads ED’s STEM and innovation portfolios as well as the Administration’s National Partnership for Student Success.
Previously, Joaquin was a Senior Policy Advisor at EducationCounsel where he helped create and lead the Science of Learning and Development Alliance, and co-founded and was National Director of the Middle School Kindness Challenge (now Teach Kindness) at Stand for Children.
Between 2014 and 2017, Joaquin served in the Obama Administration, first as special assistant to the assistant secretary and then as Director of Strategic Initiatives for Elementary and Secondary Education at ED. Joaquin was also a member of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Federal Taskforce.
Prior to his Obama Administration service, Joaquin was assistant director of the Aspen Institute Education & Society Program, where he managed the Aspen Congressional Education Staff Network. And, in 2005, he led a team of educators to found the Urban Assembly Academy of Government and Law (AGL), a small, government and law-themed public high school in New York City’s Lower East Side. Joaquin began his career in education as a social studies teacher and student activities director in the Los Angeles Unified School District, where his mother has taught middle school children for 41 years.
Joaquin holds a B.A. in political science from Columbia University, a master in public affairs from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and is a graduate of the New Leaders for New Schools urban principal residency program.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

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 In-Person Program Featuring Dr. Derek Tournear, Director of the Space Development Agency
2022-09-14 11:30 - 13:30 | The City Club of Washington, 555 13th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004
Please join the Washington Space Business Roundtable for our return to in-person programming on September 14, 2022 as we host Dr. Derek Tournear, Director of the Space Development Agency (SDA). This event will be held at the City Club in Washington, DC, located at 555 13th Street NW. Networking and registration will begin at 11:30 a.m., with lunch to be served at 11:50 a.m. The program will conclude at 1:30 p.m.

Dr. Tournear will be speaking to WSBR at a very exciting time for SDA. The Agency recently celebrated the successful on-orbit optical inter-satellite links of its Mandrake 2 satellites, a major milestone in achieving a successful proliferated architecture in Low Earth Orbit. In addition, SDA is marching towards the launch of its first Tranche 0 satellites in September 2022.

Created in 2019, SDA is leading the way in developing an ever-evolving pLEO architecture by working with industry to take advantage of commercial capabilities that can be deployed quickly and affordably. SDA recently awarded contracts to two companies for its Tranche 1 Tracking Layer, and also began seeking proposals for a demonstration of communications from space-based platforms to an airborne platform.

Dr. Derek TournearDr. Derek Tournear is currently the Director of the Space Development Agency, within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD(R&E)). SDA will unify and integrate space capability development and deployment across the department to achieve the DoD space vision while reducing overlap and inefficiency. He previously served as the Assistant Director for Space, responsible for developing the research and engineering roadmap to address future gaps in the DoD space architecture.
Dr. Tournear previously held leadership roles in industry, most recently the director for the Harris Space & Intelligence (SIS) research & development. SIS was a $2B business focused on providing advanced technical solutions addressing the top National Security threats from underwater to outer space.
Prior to industry, Dr. Derek Tournear was a Senior Program Manager (SNIS-HQE) at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). At IARPA, Dr. Tournear served as a senior scientist for space activities and space technologies in the Office of Smart Collection.
Prior to IARPA, Dr. Tournear was a Program Manager for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Tactical Technology Office and Strategic Technology Office. At DARPA, he initiated and directed a large portfolio of program, with an emphasis on sensors and space.
He has professional experience at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) managing intelligence and defense programs. During his time at LANL, he initiated a new field of study in gamma ray optics, and developed sensors for nuclear material detection.
Dr. Tournear has a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University and a B.S. from Purdue University. In 2010 he received an “Outstanding Alumnus” award from Purdue University and a 2008 DARPA award for “Outstanding Accomplishments in a Systems Technology Area.” Dr. Tournear is a 2011 recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service, and a 2012 recipient of the Office of Director of National Intelligence Award for Exceptional Public Service.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

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 Virtual Program and 2022 Annual Silent Auction
2022-07-20 12:00 | Washington, DC
Two Special Speakers

“Space Pioneers Blue Origin’s Audrey Powers and Axiom’s Michael López-Alegría Describe their Two Separate Missions and their Predictions for the Future of Commercial Human Spaceflight”

Please join us Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at 12Noon ET, to hear from our distinguished speakers: Astronaut Audrey Powers, who joined William Shatner (aka Captain Kirk) and two other crew members on Blue Origin’s New Shepard on October 13, 2021; and Michael López-Alegría (aka Mike L-A) – a decorated astronaut who recently returned to low-Earth orbit for the fifth time in 2022 as Commander of Axiom Mission 1, history’s first all-private crew to the International Space Station.

Since our annual auction is dedicated to raising funds for STEM, WSBR thought it appropriate to have two speakers who are outstanding role models for next generation of space explorers.

Engineer and attorney Audrey Powers who has devoted much of her career to advancing the commercial space domain and pioneering astronaut Mike L-A who has devoted his post distinguished NASA astronaut career to advocating with the U.S. Congress and pertinent Executive Agencies for favorable public policy on behalf of the commercial spaceflight industry.

Immediately following the speaker portion of the program, we will move into the virtual silent auction portion of the program. Bids for the WSBR virtual auction will be accepted until 1:05 PM ET, with winners being announced immediately afterward.

The auction site is live and online bidding is open!

Click here to visit the auction site: https://www.32auctions.com/wsbrsilentauction2022

“I’m so proud and humbled to fly on behalf of Team Blue, and I’m excited to continue writing Blue’s human spaceflight history.”

– Audrey Powers, FAA designated astronaut describing her flight to edge of space (as first Blue employee – following owner Jeff Bezos’ flight). Powers worked as a flight controller at NASA mission control, serving as an engineer for 10 years with United Space Alliance, and working for Blue Origin since 2013.

Audrey Powers is the Vice President of Mission & Flight Operations for Blue Origin where she is responsible for New Shepard flight operations and training, vehicle maintenance, and launch complex infrastructure at Launch Site One. Audrey is also an astronaut, having flown on the second human flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard program, NS-18.
Previously, Audrey served as Vice President of Legal & Compliance for Blue Origin, overseeing a wide variety of legal matters, including regulatory affairs, legislative and policy matters, supplier and customer negotiations and management, maritime law, crisis response, and legal operations.
Audrey received a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1999 and worked as an engineer for almost 10 years prior to becoming a lawyer. As a guidance and controls engineer, she was a flight controller for NASA with 2,000 hours of console time in Mission Control for the International Space Station Program. After leaving NASA she supported government satellite programs for Lockheed Martin and received a Juris Doctor in 2008 from Santa Clara University School of Law.
Audrey previously served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation and is the Executive Sponsor of Blue Origin’s New Mercury Business Resource Group, which promotes gender diversity in the workforce at Blue Origin.
“Part of it felt extraordinarily familiar. I’ve told people that it’s not like going back to your home, but it’s like maybe going to your parents’ home, where you grew up, and it’s been slightly remodeled since you were there.”
– Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut and commander of the Ax-1 private astronaut mission, on what it was like to return to the International Space Station last month for the first time since a long-duration spaceflight there 15 years ago, when the station had not yet been fully assembled.

Michael López-Alegría is a decorated astronaut who returned to low-Earth orbit for the fifth time in 2022 as Commander of Axiom Mission 1, history’s first all-private crew to the International Space Station. “Mike L-A” (as he’s known to the space community) is involved in both operational and business development efforts within Axiom Space.
He has more than 40 years of aviation and space experience with the U.S. Navy and NASA in a variety of roles including Naval Aviator, engineering test pilot and program manager, NASA astronaut, and International Space Station commander. He also holds NASA records for most extravehicular activities (EVAs) or ”spacewalks” (10) and cumulative EVA time (67 hours, 40 minutes). He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2021.
Mike L-A is the former president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, where he was a spokesman, thought leader, and advocate with the U.S. Congress and pertinent Executive Agencies for favorable public policy on behalf of the commercial spaceflight industry. He has served on several advisory boards and committees of public and private organizations, including the Human Exploration and Operations Committee of the NASA Advisory Council and the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) to the FAA, and is the current chairman of ASTM International’s Committee on Commercial Spaceflight as well as past President of the Association of Space Explorers. He earned a B.S. in systems engineering at the United States Naval Academy and an M.S. in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.

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.
