(December 12, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today released Data from the Ends of the Earth, its newest video in the Better Satellite World campaign. It explores how satellite has brought reliable connectivity to polar researchers, allowing them to deliver valuable data on climate change in a race against time to help understand and combat it. Data from the Ends of the Earth is made possible by funding from Speedcast. The video debuted at the 2024 Better Satellite World Awards Dinner in London on December 2.

“The Arctic and Antarctic are where the impact of climate change is most dramatic,” said executive director Robert Bell. “That makes them critical laboratories for understanding global warming’s current and future impact on our world. Our new video spotlights the critical role of advanced satellite communications to bring massive amounts of data from the poles in near-real time to power research.”

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

Inside the Story
For 30 million years, the North and South Poles have been kingdoms of ice and snow. But today, there is nowhere on Earth more at risk from climate change. The Antarctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. Arctic temperatures are rising even faster.

Scientists are in a race against time to understand what is happening at the poles and help the world change the story. Researchers at both ends of the Earth are gathering tens of thousands of data points and creating trillions of bytes of data on the subject. In the race against time, no one can afford to wait months for research ships to return to port with information. They need it now.

Today, a new generation of satellites, including Starlink and OneWeb, is covering the entire globe. But they are especially vulnerable to interference from bad weather, which is common at the ends of the Earth. A company called Speedcast has the answer. It combines satellite service from the equator with the new generation covering the poles. It takes a lot of smart engineering and advanced technology, but it makes sure that polar researchers are never out of touch.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(3 December 2024 – London, UK) – Last night at the 2024 Better Satellite World Awards Dinner, the SSPI UK Chapter named Dr. David Parker FRAeS, Visiting Professor of Space Systems and Policy at the University of Southampton and former Chief Executive at the UK Space Agency, as its 9th Satellite Personality of the Year. The Satellite Personality of the Year Award celebrates an individual for their achievements in the promotion and development of the satellite sector in the UK. In a first for the Award, three nominees were selected for the 2024 Personality of the Year before Dr. Parker was named as the recipient at the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner. Mark Boggett of Seraphim Space Fund and Antonio Franchi of the European Space Agency also received certificates as finalists for the Award.

Dr. David Parker has led a distinguished thirty-five-year career in the space sector, spanning industry, UK government and the European Space Agency (ESA). Until June 2023, he served as ESA’s Director of Space Exploration at ESTEC in the Netherlands, overseeing astronaut missions to the International Space Station, Europe’s involvement in Artemis and pioneering projects like training an astronaut with a physical disability.

Previously, he was the Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency (2013-2016), where he led Tim Peake’s ISS mission and negotiated ESA’s first UK center in Harwell. Starting in the UK space industry in 1990, he contributed to projects like XMM-Newton and ExoMars. Dr. Parker holds a degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a PhD from NASA Langley Research Center. He has received several accolades, including the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Geoffrey Pardoe award. He currently works part-time at ESA, serves on the UK Space Agency Board and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Southampton.

The Satellite Personality of the Year Award is presented each year at the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner, a festive networking event and dinner hosted by the SSPI UK Chapter at Whitehall Place in London. The Better Satellite World Awards honor established companies along with disruptive innovators who make the world more prosperous, healthier, better-educated, more sustainable and more inclusive.

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

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

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(28 October 2024 – New York City & London) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) announced today the recipients of the industry’s tenth annual Better Satellite World Awards. The awards honor established companies along with disruptive innovators who make the world more prosperous, healthier, better-educated, more sustainable and more inclusive. An international jury selected Andre L. Jones, Hughes, Microsoft and Colombia’s MICT – Juntas de Internet: Connectivity Communities program and Speedcast as recipients of this year’s awards. They will be honored at the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner on 2 December in London along with the SSPI UK chapter’s Personality of the Year, who will be announced live at the Dinner.

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

“Once again, we witnessed the growing influence and capabilities of space and the satellite industry to help regions and societies achieve key social and economic goals and stabilize places struck by disaster.  Each of this year’s recipients are commercial enterprises, or people who have served in the industry, who turned their formidable expertise and resources toward the common good. It is what makes the often-misunderstood technologies of satellites a primary tool for a better world,” said Louis Zacharilla, SSPI’s Director of Innovation and host of the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner since its inception.

The Better Satellite World Awards Celebration, a festive networking event and dinner, will be held at Whitehall Place on 2 December. (www.bswdinner.com) It is produced by SSPI and its UK Chapter. The UK Chapter is chaired by Betty Azzarelli, CEO & Founder, AB5 Consulting.
 

The 2024 Better Satellite World Award Recipients:

Andre L. Jones
Andre L. Jones co-founded WANSAT Networks, Inc. to provide connectivity to underserved and unserved areas in his birth country of Guyana. Born in one of the poorest regions of the nation, he witnessed firsthand the challenges that rural communities faced due to their isolation. When oil was discovered in Guyana, for example, the nation experienced rapid economic expansion, but the benefits did not reach many rural areas. Andre turned the years of expertise in the satellite communications industry he had developed as a successful businessman in the United States toward the problem, securing vital partnerships with leading companies operating in the region like Intelsat, Viasat and Telefonica. Through these partnerships, WANSAT was able to deliver connectivity to remote regions unreached by fiber and terrestrial networks, providing those isolated communities with access to essential services and communication options.

WANSAT has installed satellite terminals in remote communities throughout Guyana, allowing previously unconnected citizens to access the government’s telemedicine program, including remote consultations and general healthcare access. This connection is a lifeline for remote villages, providing timely diagnoses and medical advice that were previously out of reach. WANSAT connectivity also facilitates distance learning, enabling rural students to participate for the first time in programs such as the government’s GOAL initiative. Students in remote areas now have access to educational resources and opportunities that were once unimaginable, leveling the playing field and fostering a brighter future for these communities. Guyana’s gold mining industry has been another major beneficiary of WANSAT connectivity. Miners, who often face prolonged isolation from their families, now benefit from satellite internet that keeps them connected to their loved ones. This connectivity not only enhances social cohesion, but also improves workplace safety and personal security, mitigating the extreme hardships that come with long separations.

To ensure that WANSAT’s connectivity offerings continue to benefit communities throughout Guyana, Andre has established training programs to equip local youth and former defense personnel with the knowledge of how to install and maintain satellite systems. He actively collaborated with Guyana’s largest telecom provider, GTT (now One Communications), to ensure sustainable development and increased regional participation in the nation’s rapid economic growth. For Andre, WANSAT is not simply about technology, but about ensuring that no one is left behind in Guyana’s economic transformation.

Hughes, Microsoft and Colombia’s MICT – Juntas de Internet: Connectivity Communities
Hughes, with Microsoft and the Colombian government, brought internet access to some of the most isolated communities in Colombia through Juntas de Internet – Comunidades de Conectividad (Internet Connectivity Communities).

According to the Wireless Broadband Alliance, more than four billion people globally remain without internet access, including 80% of households in poorer countries and 75% of students in rural areas. The Colombian government laid the groundwork for Juntas de Internet in July 2023 with the backing of the country’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MinTIC). The program was established to both enhance existing networks and build new ones. Internet implementation, connection, and maintenance is a joint effort between connectivity communities and regional internet service providers (ISPs). Connectivity communities are non-profit organizations whose income is exclusively used for the administration, operation, and maintenance of fixed community internet service. Hughes, serving as a regional ISP, partnered with Microsoft on Juntas de Internet.

Regions such as Villa del Río in San Juan del César, Chilvicito in Tumaco, and Domingodó in Chocó have long struggled with minimal or no internet connectivity, resulting in high unemployment, increased violence, and economic and labor inequalities. In the initial phase of the program in Villa del Río, Hughes trained community members to install fixed internet connections in all 50 households, providing access to roughly 160 people as of early 2024. In April 2024, Hughes completed the second site survey in Chilvicito while the third site, in Domingodó, became fully operational in June 2024 incorporating solar panels due to the region’s lack of reliable electricity.

As of mid-2024, nearly 485 people from the three regions now have internet access, providing new opportunities for work, study, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Microsoft provided Office 365 licenses for 20 computers at the Villa del Río Educational Institution to enhance educational options and digital literacy for students and their families.

While the tangible end goal of the program is internet connectivity and infrastructure, Hughes and its partners have focused on improving the quality of life and long-term success of these communities. Juntas de Internet involved members of each community, designating a group of four-to-ten representatives to participate in the process. They are trained in topics including taxes, network monitoring, antenna pointing, and cybersecurity so that they can support the program.

In addition to receiving a Better Satellite World Award, Hughes, Microsoft and Colombia’s MICT were also finalists for the “Bridging the Digital Divide” category of the Leading Light Awards in 2024.

Speedcast
Speedcast has consistently demonstrated a commitment to humanitarian aid and disaster response efforts by providing essential connectivity solutions during crises. In areas affected by natural disasters, the company has delivered reliable communications as a vital lifeline for both the affected communities and first responders working to aid them. In May 2024, Speedcast contributed to disaster response efforts in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, when the region experienced catastrophic flooding. Rio Grande do Sul received an entire year’s worth of rain in a matter of hours, leading to widespread landslides, the collapse of a key dam and many deaths. Speedcast took quick action to donate and deliver Starlink terminal kits and airtime to the Brazilian government, providing necessary connectivity to police, hospitals, the Brazilian army and various local and state government departments, which dramatically improved disaster response efforts. These quick-to-deploy solutions from Speedcast proved instrumental in reaching isolated areas and supporting recovery operations.

In August 2023, Speedcast supported local crisis response teams battling wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, providing essential hardware and connectivity, including dozens of Starlink kits. The company’s immediate support allowed the teams to establish critical connectivity within days, improving emergency response efforts and enabling more efficient coordination. Speedcast’s global network, combined with in-region teams and deep expertise in disaster recovery and remote engineering, has enabled the company to respond swiftly to major crises worldwide.

Speedcast is the world’s leading authorized Starlink integrator, with more than 9,000 kits sold since adding the service to their connectivity portfolio in late 2022. Starlink’s high-capacity, low-cost service, paired with its automated, self-aligning terminals, has made it an invaluable tool for disaster response, enabling internet connectivity in mobile and remote sites. Recognizing the need for rapid deployment, Speedcast introduced a new Rapid Deploy Kit designed for on-the-go connectivity and critical disaster response. This portable solution, which hosts a Starlink Flat High Performance Kit and a network device, is packaged in an airline-checkable case, making it an ideal choice for first responders, remote workers, NGOs and humanitarian aid organizations.

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

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

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(October 22, 2024 – New York City) – Last night at the Future Leaders Celebration in Silicon Valley, Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) presented the 2024 Promise Awards to Mackenzie Mason of Boeing, Paige Webster of ATLAS Space Operations and Bradley Williams of NASA. The Promise Awards honor the three top-ranked members of the annual “20 Under 35” list of space & satellite employees and entrepreneurs age 35 and under who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the early stages of their career. The three recipients were honored at the 19th annual Future Leaders Celebration in Mountain View, California, in conjunction with Silicon Valley Space Week, produced by SatNews publishers.

“Every year we present these remarkable 20 people to our industry,” said executive director Robert Bell, “I walk away thinking I really need to relive my life over again. But then, I realize that the future of our industry is in the very safe hands of innovators dedicated to a bold future.”

The “20 Under 35,” Promise Award winners and Mentor of the Year are selected by a jury of industry executives who donate their time and expertise to reviewing dozens of nominations received from around the world. Starting this year, the jury includes members of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame.
 

The 2024 Promise Award Winners:

Mackenzie Mason
Engineering Manager for Space Mission Systems Structural Dynamics, Boeing

Mackenzie Mason began her career at Boeing in 2014 as a Structural Dynamics Engineer. Her early contributions to the company were pivotal to the development of the 702MP/MP+ spacecraft, as she provided crucial recommendations to program management offices and customers and led numerous innovations in dynamic loads analysis and testing. Mackenzie spearheaded the dynamic shaker table move at Boeing’s El Segundo site, a project in which she had to overcome numerous challenges, including excavation of the structural test floor, removal of a vacuum chamber and reduction of the structural test lab footprint while adhering to an accelerated schedule. Her strategic planning and oversight ensured that multiple satellites completed testing on the new dynamic shaker table with 100% success, completing a $5 million investment. While working at Boeing, Mackenzie also authored a white paper documenting updated NASA methodologies for predicting shock on composite honeycomb structures based on Boeing’s actual spacecraft-level shock measurements. Her white paper is now a critical reference for resolving requirement and verification disagreements in new satellite programs.

Mackenzie was instrumental in the successful vibration, shock and acoustic qualification of hardware for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, which ensured the successful launches of Orbital Flight Tests 1 and 2 (OFTs). She developed a validation tool that significantly reduced cycle time and errors, enhancing the effectiveness of spacecraft environmental validation efforts. Mackenzie’s work has been reviewed and approved by NASA, contributing to the success of both OFT2 in 2022 and the anticipated Crew Flight Test in 2024. In 2021, Mackenzie was promoted to Engineering Manager for the Space Mission Systems Structural Dynamics department in 2021, where she now leads a team of 16 high-performing engineers. Under her leadership, the team has constantly exceeded expectations, optimizing processes to reduce testing schedules, including a 30% acceleration in the sine vibration test for the Viasat3 F3 spacecraft. Mackenzie has earned multiple accolades for her leadership, including the Satellite World Class Engineer Award in 2019 and 2023. Mackenzie is a key contributor to the 702MP product line, a medium-power variation of the Boeing 702 high-power satellite that offers an affordable and technically adaptable design for the medium-sized satellite market. She was appointed the management focal by Integrated Design Engineering Director to lead the 1000+ engineer large organization on knowledge transfer across multiple sites and programs. In this role, Mackenzie establishes lunch and learn meetings and leads management discussions on skill development and knowledge capture.

Outside of working hours, Mackenzie has served as a Senior Design Project Industry mentor for the California State University, Los Angeles College of Engineering for over six years. She guides students through their capstone projects and helps them develop technical and professional skills. She also serves as a mentor for Boeing’s Mentoring on Rotation Experience (MORE) and as a new hire mentor for engineers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Mackenzie also participates in multiple community service activities, including beach clean-ups, assisting at the LA Food Bank and contributing to park beautifications efforts.
 

Paige Webster
Director of Customer Solutions, ATLAS Space Operations

Paige (Cooley) Webster joined ATLAS Space Operations in November of 2021 as a Technical Sales Engineer in Client Solutions after completing three internships at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her keen eye for identifying process improvements led her to spearhead the development of a new role that aligned the Operations, Integrations, Engineering and Client Solutions teams to create a more streamlined approach to customer relations. Paige’s exemplary performance in this new role she helped create led her to be promoted to her current position of Director of Commercial Solutions, a position in which she focuses primarily on sales and business development, developing ground station solutions for a wide variety of unique missions. She has a unique talent for explaining complex topics in a way that is accessible to diverse audiences, allowing her to bridge the gap between engineering and sales. As a Director of Commercial Solutions, Paige led ATLAS’ effort to design the ground station solution to support Blue Origin’s DarkSky-1 and follow-on Blue Ring missions. Simultaneously, she oversaw the solution development for more than 12 customer campaigns and managed ATLAS’ commercial contracting, resulting in great customer satisfaction. Since joining ATLAS in 2021, Paige has quickly become a significant contributor to the company. She has closed approximately 40% of 2024’s current revenue, and is on track to close more than 70% of ATLAS’ Commercial and Fed Civil sales by the end of 2024.

Before her time at ATLAS, Paige contributed to multiple flagship missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, implementing rigorous flight system and payload verification and validation procedures on the Mars 2020 and Europa Clipper programs. Her work on Europa Clipper ensured that the suite of more than 10 sensors and science instruments onboard were fully tested so they perform and adequately meet their mission objectives once on orbit. Paige was published in the 2021 and 2022 IEEE Conference on Aerospace proceedings as part of her work on the mission, and launch of the project is currently scheduled for October 2024. During this time, Paige also worked at the University of Michigan as a Graduate Student Research Assistant, where she researched magnetic modeling of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa while supporting active NASA mission proposal efforts. Her achievements prompted a former professor from Principia College, where Paige completed her Bachelors of Science in Engineering Science, to ask her to teach a full course load in the Mechanical Engineering department for the 2023-2024 academic year, which Paige did while continuing full time work at ATLAS. She has since been asked to return for the 2024-2025 academic year. Paige also holds a Master of Engineering in Space Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Dakota.

Outside of work, Paige mentors undergraduate engineering students, advising them in their professional career preparation and assisting with internship placement. Additionally, she teaches a review course for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam, preparing students to successfully pass the exam upon graduation. Paige is also a competitive triathlete, who races on the local, national, and world stage, including at the 2023 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
 

Bradley Williams
Acting Associate Director for Flight, Heliophysics Division, NASA Science Mission Directorate

Bradley Williams began his career in aerospace at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, where he served as a Project Manager and Systems Engineer collaborating with faculty and research teams to identify proposal opportunities and develop spaceflight proposals for NASA. He went on to serve as the Director of Civil Space Programs at Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems (now Terran Orbital Corporation, LLAP), a role in which he led the development of project/program management processes that prepared the company for trading on the New York Stock Exchange. While at Tyvak, Bradley led the NASA Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator CubeSats project, which included the TeraByte InfraRed Delivery (TBIRD) payload achieving a groundbreaking 200 Gigabits per second optical communications downlink. He also provided critical leadership during the design and integration phases of the CAPSTONE mission, a landmark project that continues to operate in cislunar space. Upon joining NASA, Bradley was a vital member of the OSIRIS-Rex Camera Suite (COAMS) team, contributing to both development and launch successes as a member of the systems integration and test team, management team and later as the ALTO lead and primary inte4rface to the spacecraft team. Following the OSIRIS-Rex launch, Bradley served as Deputy Payload Manager on GUSTO, a first of its kind, balloon-borne observatory selected as a Mission of Opportunity out of NASA’s Astrophysics Division. GUSTO completed the longest duration flight from Antarctica on a long duration balloon after its launch in 2023.

In his current position at NASA, Bradley has worked on significant projects such as the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), the Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS), the HelioSwarm mission and the Solar Cruiser solar sail technology project. He also serves as Senior Program Executive for the NASA Space Weather Program. In 2023, Bradley led the complete overhaul of a mission that was facing intense technical and schedule scrutiny as well as momentous project management challenges at the mission level. He was able to rapidly evaluate performance, identifying gaps and weaknesses in the mission implementation, and established an incremental approach to regaining confidence in the mission development plan. This ultimately resulted in a successful replan and continuation of an Explorers mission, which is on track to launch in 2025. Bradley’s success also enabled the NASA Heliophysics Division to expand its pool of small satellite providers that can and will design, build and integrate spacecraft for exploration of the Sun-Earth connection.

Outside of working hours, Bradley is a member of SSPI and a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), having served in several leadership positions, including as a leadership council member in the Tuscon section and Orange County section, a Region VI Deputy Director and the Communications Committee Chair in the Young Professionals Group. He served on the Commercial Advisory Board to the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group at the Lunar & Planetary Institute and as a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, and he is currently a Fellow at the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership. Bradley frequently donates his time as a speaker inspiring the next generation to work in space and STEM fields. He gave a TED Talk in 2024 on his path to NASA and finding his place in space at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, which was attended by hundreds.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(October 15, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) has appointed Tamara Bond-Williams as Deputy Executive Director effective October 1, 2024. In her new role, she will have primary responsibility for the association’s membership programs, sponsorship, content development, events and partnerships.

Tamara joined SSPI in 2001 as Membership Director after serving in administrative positions with other nonprofit associations. Under her management, SSPI upgraded its member communications and introduced a Corporate Membership program that enabled employees to become individual members at no cost, boosting membership by 300%. As Membership Director, she was instrumental in creating the annual “20 Under 35” talent recognition program (www.20under35.com), launching the New York Space Business Roundtable and establishing the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner (www.bswdinner.com). Advancing to Director of Engagement, Tamara continued to drive innovation within SSPI, expanding the Space Business Roundtable program to include London, and supporting SSPI-WISE (Women In Space Engagement), a fast-growing global movement within SSPI aimed at elevating and championing women within the space and satellite industry.

“People can just work in an industry, or they can be truly engaged in it, treating it as an ecosystem in which even fierce competitors know their success depends in part on everyone else’s,” said Executive Director Robert Bell. “Tamara has embodied that understanding in her work, and SSPI has been the better for it.”

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(October 3, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today released Byte-Sized Space, its newest video in the Better Satellite World campaign. It explores how the space and satellite industry is going digital with software-defined satellites, digital ground systems and more. Byte-Sized Space is made possible by funding from Hughes Network Systems LLC and is part of SSPI’s Digital Space topic campaign. Byte-Sized Space debuted in the newest issue of SSPI’s online magazine, The Orbiter.

“SSPI’s campaigns draw attention to the most meaningful trends in the space and satellite business,” said executive director Robert Bell. “Not for us in the industry but for the potential customers, employees and investors who know little about how we can meet their needs.”

You can watch the video in the newest issue of The Orbiter, on SSPI’s website and on Youtube.

Inside the Story
Once upon a time, a very long time ago, the world was analog. We stored music in tiny grooves on vinyl discs and listened to it on record players. Our telephones had dials instead of buttons. They needed wires to send your voice to other phones. Your TV got its programs from the invisible airwaves through metal antennas. Sound and video were recorded on magnetic tape. And if you could find a computer anywhere, it took up a whole room.

Now, for billions of us, the world is digital. Your computer may be the size of a phone or even smaller. You listen to music stored as 1s and 0s in computer memory. You watch TV and movies and look at funny cat pictures on the digital cloud. Our telephones go everywhere with us and exchange 1s and 0s over the air. Finally, it’s time for space to be digital as well.

To keep up with our digital world, companies like Hughes Network Systems are launching software-defined satellites. Instead of fixed beams, they can change on the fly to offer connectivity where it’s needed most. Digital processing maintains their intricate orbits and automatically hands off service from one satellite to another. Digital ground systems from Hughes and other companies keep those satellites connected with Earth. Satellites are even exchanging text and voice with ordinary mobile phones.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

Joan will be honored along with this year’s “20 Under 35” outstanding young professionals at the 19th Annual Future Leaders Celebration on October 21 in Silicon Valley

(September 24, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced that it will present its 2024 Mentor of the Year Award to Joan Tang Mancuso, Marketing & Business Development Consultant and former marketing and sales executive at multiple global communications enterprises. Joan will be honored on October 21 at SSPI’s 19th Annual Future Leaders Celebration for the attention, support, wisdom and guidance she has provided to young professionals and colleagues throughout and after her career in the industry. During the Celebration, SSPI will also honor the “20 Under 35” space and satellite professionals to watch in the coming years and present three of them with its Promise Award for outstanding achievement.

“Joan is one of those invaluable people who do the quiet, persistent work of mentoring the coming generation of leaders in our business,” said SSPI executive director Robert Bell. “She does it because it needs to be done and for the deep satisfaction it brings. I look forward to interviewing her in front of the audience at the Future Leaders Celebration.”

The 2024 Future Leaders Celebration (www.satfuture.com) will take place live on October 21 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA in conjunction with Silicon Valley Space Week 2024, produced by SatNews publishers. The proceeds of the Celebration go to fund SSPI’s educational, professional development and industry growth initiatives.
 

The SSPI 2024 Mentor of the Year:

Joan Tang Mancuso
Consultant, Marketing & Business Development

Joan Mancuso has provided expert guidance, mentorship and support to young people in the space & satellite industry throughout her more-than-30-year career and long after retiring from full-time work. As a member of the SSPI Mid-Atlantic Chapter Board, she spearheaded the creation, promotion and implementation of a scholarship program to help inner city high school students with STEM education. An inaugural participant in SSPI-WISE’s Mentorship program, Joan mentored four different women across three countries, guiding them through career development, job changes, promotions and professional and personal challenges. Of particular note, she guided one mentee through a successful career transition from a technical role to a managerial position and helped another advance her career while navigating a difficult international relocation. Joan has also provided her insights and expertise to broader groups of women and industry professionals through a number of SSPI-WISE panels and online discussions.

Joan began her career in the space & satellite industry as Director of Global Sales & Marketing at COMSAT in 1983. Over the next three decades she served in a variety of senior marketing and sales positions for other key players in the evolution of the industry, including AT&T, GE and L-3. Throughout her career, Joan was responsible for managing and growing complex sales organizations and played a major role in successfully closing multi-million-dollar contracts in Asia, South America and throughout the United States. She was responsible for the establishment of the pioneering VSAT network at the Staten Island Teleport, as well as the development of specialized network solutions for multiple rural and remote communities worldwide. Following her service as Vice President of Sales & Marketing at L-3, Joan applied her extensive managerial expertise to advising non-profits and small start-ups, first as part of Broadband International LLC and then as an independent consultant.

Joan’s colleagues and mentees consistently describe her as highly competent, dedicated and willing to accept and complete any assignment, no matter how challenging. She has been known throughout her career as a “go-to” person when launching new products, breaking into new markets or revamping existing ones. Even after retiring from full-time work in the industry, Joan continues to dedicate time to helping and guiding others, through her roles with the SSPI Mid-Atlantic Chapter and SSPI-WISE. She has volunteered at George Washington University, the Newseum and, most recently, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where she has and continues to mentor students, volunteers and interns.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(September 19, 2024 – New York City) – The Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced the seventh annual “20 Under 35” list of outstanding young space and satellite professionals age 35 and under. The honorees will be celebrated at SSPI’s 19th annual Future Leaders Celebration on October 21 during Silicon Valley Space Week, produced by SatNews publishers.

SSPI’s annual list of the "20 Under 35" features 20 employees and entrepreneurs likely to step into industry leadership roles in the future. They were selected from nominations submitted by the membership and evaluated by a panel of judges made up of many of the Mentors supporting SSPI’s student outreach programs as well as Members of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame. At the Future Leaders Celebration, the three top-ranked members of the 20 Under 35 will be named as this year’s Promise Award winners.

“We received impressive nominations from organizations in 10 nations,” said SSPI executive director Robert Bell, “and the judges selected an outstanding group of 9 women and 11 men for this year’s ‘20 Under 35.’ That’s one more sign that our industry is leaving behind its old boys’ club culture in favor of attracting the world’s best and brightest.”
 

The 20 Under 35 of 2024:

• Yaqoob Alqassab, Engineering Specialist, National Space Science Agency, Bahrain
• Howard Chang, Assistant Chief Counsel, NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center
• Konark Chopra, Griffin Mission Propulsion Lead, Astrobotic Technology
• Paige Cooley, Director of Commercial Solutions, ATLAS Space Operations
• Alberto Diago Gallardo, Director, Strategic Solutions, Mynaric
• Alexandria (Alex) Duran, Integration & Test Lead, Viasat
• Katie Gwozdecky, Spacecraft Operations Manager, Rocket Lab USA
• Bryan Ho, Member of Technical Staff, Systems, MDA Space
• Scarlett Koller, Co-Founder and CEO, Mithril Technologies
• Ryan Kramlich, Senior GNC Engineer, Astroscale US
• Thomas Larkin, Founder, NanTenna
• Joseph Lyon, Senior Spacecraft NPI Applications Engineer, Planet
• Mackenzie Mason, Engineering Manager for Space Mission Systems Structural Dynamics, Boeing
• Jane McNicoll, Manager of Mission Management and Payload Integration, Rocket Lab USA
• Casey McNulty, Solar Array Design Engineer III (Unit REA), Boeing
• Katina Mruk, Associate Director of Strategy and Transactions, RKF Engineering Solutions
• Megan Owen, Space Vehicle Systems Engineer, Stellar Solutions
• Atilla Saadat, Spacecraft GNC Engineer, Turion Space Corp.
• Sam Arne Whalley, Business Development Proposal Writer, Isar Aerospace
• Bradley Williams, Acting Associate Director for Flight, Heliophysics Division, NASA Science Mission Directorate

Full profiles of the 20 Under 35 will be available shortly at www.20under35.com.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(September 3, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced the beginning of Digital Space, a multi-week campaign featuring videos, podcasts, live conversations and a new issue of SSPI’s digital magazine, The Orbiter. The campaign explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning and space-based digital infrastructure, from the ground breaking developments in Lunar data storage to the innovative software that powers the next generation of sales. The Digital Space campaign is underwritten by Hughes Network Systems, LLC.

The campaign begins this week with the first episode of a new podcast series, underwritten by Hughes and RKF Engineering Solutions, LLC, featuring an interview with Chris Stott, Founder, Chair and CEO of Lonestar Data Holdings, Inc. Later this month, SSPI-WISE (SSPI Women in Space Engagement) will conduct a panel session of women experts to discuss the growing market and the opportunities it opens up for women. New Digital Space content will be published weekly at www.sspi.org/digitalspace2024.

“SSPI’s topic campaigns highlight important trends and enduring value provided by the space and satellite industry,” said SSPI executive director Robert Bell. “Our industry has long clung to its analog roots, but the digital revolution is upon us, bringing both disruption and opportunity. The Digital Space campaign shines a light on all of it.”

About Digital Space
Our digital technology world owes a debt of gratitude to space. It was the need to miniaturize electronics for the first civilian and military space programs that created demand for the integrated circuits independently invented by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce of Intel in 1960. From that pioneering work came today’s silicon chips that cram 100 million transistors in a space the size of the head of a pin.

Today, more than 60 years later, space is going digital at last. Human activity in Earth orbit has long been ruled by radio waves, which transmit information in a continuous analog stream unlike the series of separate bits in digital circuits. Satellites were designed to send and receive to fixed spots on Earth’s surface and were unable to adapt to changing market demand. Deliberately designed for simplicity, they beamed back to Earth whatever analog signal they received. The ground systems they connected to were assemblies of analog hardware that amplified, split, combined and switched communications.

The new generations of satellite being launched into GEO, MEO and LEO are increasingly commanded by onboard software that interacts with AI-enabled software on the ground. They steer their electronically-generated beams wherever needed, adapting minute by minute to demand. The digital capacity of space keeps growing with new satellites, on-orbit servicing and debris removal spacecraft. Businesses have been funded to put data storage systems in orbit and on the Moon. And ground technology is beginning a revolution to replace analog systems with end-to-end digital, creating the possibility of seamless interconnection with the world’s telecommunications networks. An industry long restricted to an insignificant slice of telecom spending has begun a journey toward a much bigger role in connecting and comprehending the planet we share.

You can learn more about the Digital Space campaign on SSPI’s website.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(May 16, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today released Putting a CAP on Climate Change, its newest video in the Better Satellite World campaign. It explores how nations in the European Union are benefiting from the fusion of multi-orbit, public and private satellite data to meet ambitious goals for reducing GHG emissions from food production. Putting a CAP on Climate Change is made possible by funding from Planet with additional support from Artel,Comtech and RKF Engineering.

“Before we started this project, I had no idea how much modern agriculture contributes to carbon emissions and climate change,” said executive director and video producer Robert Bell. “The EU is trying to do something hugely ambitious in supporting farmers while driving reform in farming methods. We are proud to tell the story and share Planet’s contribution to the success of the program.”

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

Inside the Story
Agriculture produces 1/4 of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, more than transportation or industry. Fertilizer and animal waste don’t stay on the farm, but wash into rivers, lakes and oceans.

We need more sustainable ways to grow the food that gives us life. That’s what the European Union decided to do through changes to its Common Agricultural Policy or CAP. The CAP distributes more than €50 billion each year to support farmers and keep food affordable.

In 2019, the EU added a new goal: make European agriculture climate neutral by 2035. That would mean replacing traditional practices with sustainable ones across hundreds of millions of hectares of farmland. Is that even possible?

With the help of satellite data and imagery, it is. Using public satellite data from Europe’s Sentinel-2 mission, countries can capture visible changes in their farmers’ fields from planting to harvesting. But in some parts of Europe, governments found it hard to analyze the complicated layouts of small farms with just the available data. So, they turned to a service from Planet, a global Earth observation company.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(May 15, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today opened nominations for the “20 Under 35” cohort of 2024. The “20 Under 35” will be honored at the annual Future Leaders Celebration on October 22 during Silicon Valley Space Week 2024. Nominations are due by July 29, 2024.

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

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

“Every year, someone in the audience for the Future Leaders Celebration says the same thing about our ‘20 Under 35’ list,” said executive director Robert Bell. “They say ‘our industry is in good hands!’ It still comes as a welcome shock to many that the new generation of satellite executives and entrepreneurs are so accomplished, creative and dedicated – the same qualities that have made the industry what it is today. We’re proud to be the ones to point the industry’s attention to the people who will build its future.”

Nomination forms are available on SSPI’s website.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Associate
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(April 22, 2024 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced the beginning of Invisible, Indispensable Infrastructure, a multi-week campaign featuring videos, podcasts, live conversations and a new issue of SSPI’s digital magazine, The Orbiter. The campaign explores the little-known, frequently surprising ways in which satellite technology contributes to life, health, welfare and the economy on Earth.

The campaign begins this week with the first episode of a new podcast series, underwritten by SES, featuring an interview with Karl Horne, SES VP of Digital and Cloud Solutions. Later this week, SSPI-WISE (SSPI Women in Space Engagement) will conduct a panel session of women experts to discuss how satellite technology contributes to modern life and progress. New Invisible, Indispensable Infrastructure content will be published weekly at www.sspi.org/cpages/invisible-indispensable-infrastructure.

“Our new campaign offers valuable insights to students, new hires, customers and investors in our industry – and a few surprises even for those who have worked in satellite for years,” said director of engagement Tamara Bond-Williams. “We thank the many corporate and individual members who have helped us bring the campaign forward.”

About Invisible, Indispensable Infrastructure
Our world is supported by infrastructure that no one can see. It keeps computer and communication networks running. It detects hurricanes and wildfires as they form and tracks the carbon driving climate change. It guides ships and aircraft, connects homes and schools, battles disease and uncovers illegal activity.

Unlike other infrastructure, it consumes no concrete or asphalt and needs no heavy steel beams for support. It circles the entire Earth, but your eyes never see it nor do your fingers ever touch it. It is the network of communication and observation satellites orbiting the world, thousands in number and growing fast. Day in and day out, they generate knowledge, share information and experiences and help protect, feed, inform and connect us. Without the invisible, indispensable infrastructure of satellite, life as we know it would be impossible.

You can learn more about the Invisible, Indispensable Infrastructure campaign on SSPI’s website.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

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

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

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

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

The 2023 Better Satellite World Award Recipients:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

Debra will be honored along with this year’s “20 Under 35” outstanding young professionals at the 18th Annual Future Leaders Celebration on October 18 in Silicon Valley

(September 7, 2023 – New York City) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced that it will present its 2023 Mentor of the Year Award to Debra Facktor, Head of U.S. Space Systems at Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Debra will be honored on October 18 at SSPI’s 18th Annual Future Leaders Celebration for the attention, support, wisdom and guidance she has provided to young professionals and colleagues throughout her career in the industry. During the Celebration, SSPI will also honor the “20 Under 35” space and satellite professionals to watch in the coming years and present three of them with its Promise Award for outstanding achievement.

“Mentors are the unsung heroes of our industry,” said executive director Robert Bell. “Quietly, consistently and persistently, they develop the skills, talents and understanding of future leaders, not with formal training or policies but by listening, suggesting, sharing enthusiasm and introducing them into the professional networks that power career success. We are honored to add Debra to our list of unsung heroes including Steve Bates and Donna Potter of Maxar, Dawn Harms of Momentus, Randy Segal of Hogan Lovells and Clay Mowry of Voyager Space.”

The 2023 Future Leaders Celebration (www.satfuture.com) will take place live on October 18 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA in conjunction with Silicon Valley Space Week 2023, produced by SatNews publishers. The proceeds of the Celebration go to fund SSPI’s educational, professional development and industry growth initiatives.
 

The SSPI 2023 Mentor of the Year:

Debra Facktor
Head of U.S. Space Systems, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.

Throughout her more than 30 years in the space industry, Debra Facktor has served as a mentor and guide for more than 25 interns and young leaders beginning their careers and countless more leaders as they continue their professional journeys. Of note, she provided vital advice and support to Gary Lai, who went on to become the Chief Architect at Blue Origin, when he was an intern and young engineer starting out at Kistler Aerospace. Debra founded the Women in Aerospace (WIA) Foundation in 2009 – which has provided scholarships to 35 women pursuing higher education degrees in aerospace fields over the past 13 years – and served as a mentor to the inaugural recipient, Dr. Whitney Lohmeyer, whom she still mentors today. She is a sought-after speaker for panels, business deals and general industry advice due to her powerful combination of enthusiasm, energy and sharp business acumen. Debra has an impressive ability to connect with people and recall details about their lives and professional history, and she knows someone at every event she attends. As a colleague at Airbus U.S. puts it, “People line up to catch up with Debra because she delights in their successes. She is a source of empathy and direct, unflinching advice during times of challenge.”

Debra is Head of U.S. Space Systems for Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, a position she has held for 3.5 years. In her current role, Debra leads the company’s space business line with a focus on small satellite constellations and space exploration, and serves on the board of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites joint venture. Her contributions have been vital to the company’s remarkable 4-year compound annual growth rate of 145%. Before joining Airbus U.S., she served as Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Operations at Ball Aerospace, where she led the firm’s D.C. operations and expanded its strategic capabilities in the defense, civil and commercial sectors. Debra’s previous positions also include President and an owner of AirLaunch LLC, which won funding from DARPA to develop an operationally responsive small launch vehicle under her leadership. She served as Vice President for Business Development and Strategic Planning at Kistler Aerospace, which raised over $600 million in private capital to develop a reusable launch vehicle for commercial markets. Her strategies laid the groundwork for what became commercial resupply of the International Space Station. Debra began her career at ANSER, where she served in a variety of leadership positions before becoming Chief of Moscow Operations.

Outside of work, Debra serves in many advisory and leadership roles in the greater industry. She is Chairwoman of SSPI-WISE (SSPI Women in Space Engagement) – which includes a non-voting seat on the SSPI Board of Directors, a member of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) Advisory Board, a member of the Future Space Leaders Foundation Board and a mentor for the Brooke Owens, Matthew Isakowitz and Patti Grace Smith Fellowship programs. Debra serves or has contributed as an advisor, mentor and board member for many other aerospace and women’s leadership organizations as well, including the University of Michigan Aerospace Engineering Industrial Advisory Board, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the AIAA ASCEND Guiding Coalition, Women in Aerospace (former chair of the board) and the WIA Foundation, the International Women’s Forum and CHIEF. She is a fellow of AIAA and the American Astronautical Society and an academician of the International Academy of Astronautics. Debra recently completed the Stagen Leadership Academy Integral Leadership Program, an intensive, year-long program designed for senior executives who want to specialize in transformational leadership.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org

(September 12, 2023 – New York City) – The Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) today announced the sixth annual “20 Under 35” list of outstanding young space and satellite professionals age 35 and under. The honorees will be celebrated at SSPI’s 18th annual Future Leaders Celebration on October 18 during Silicon Valley Space Week, produced by SatNews publishers.

SSPI’s annual list of the “20 Under 35” features 20 employees and entrepreneurs to keep your eye on in coming years. They were selected from nominations submitted by the membership and evaluated by a panel of judges made up of many of the Mentors supporting SSPI’s student outreach programs as well as Members of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame. This year, SSPI received a record number of nominations for the “20 Under 35” list. At the Future Leaders Celebration, the three top-ranked members of the 20 Under 35 will be named as this year’s Promise Award winners.

“This year marks the sixth cohort of ‘20 Under 35’ honorees identified by our independent judges and members of the Space & Satellite Hall of Fame,” said executive director Robert Bell. “That is 120 of the smartest, most dedicated and creative individuals in our global business, many of whom have already made a name for themselves and influenced the direction of the industry. I can’t wait to help introduce them to our audience at the Future Leaders Celebration on October 18.”

The “20 Under 35” of 2023:

• Aysha Alharam, Acting Head of Satellite Design and Development, National Space Science Agency, Bahrain
• Andrew Chau, Space Mission Program Manager, Millennium Space (A Boeing Company)
• Amy Comeau, Lead, Office of the Chief Engineer, Boeing
• Laura Cummings, Regulatory Affairs Counsel, Astroscale U.S.
• Bhavi Jagatia, Astrodynamics Engineer, Planet
• Christian Keil, Chief of Staff, Astranis
• Srikanth Kodeboyina, Founder & CEO, Blue Eye Soft Corp dba Blue Space
• Dr. Justyna Kosianka, Technical Product Owner, Ursa Space
• Neha Lin, Space Systems Engineer, Iridium
• Dr. Zhe Liu, Senior Materials & Process Engineer, Maxar
• Armando Loli, Project Engineer, Boeing
• Asad Malik, Founder, Chairman & CEO, iRocket
• Julie Newman, Program Chief Engineer, Boeing
• Onyinye Nwankwo, PhD Candidate in Atmospheric and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Klaus Okkelberg, Electrical Design & Analysis Engineer, Boeing
• Matej Poliacek, ISS Flight Operations Engineer & STRATOS Flight Control Team Deputy Lead, DLR – German Aerospace Centre
• Sapna Rao, Senior Systems Engineer, Lockheed Martin
• Alix Rousseliere, Strategy Consultant for Satcom, Euroconsult
• Glory Sikka, Technical Program Manager, Maxar
• Kenneth Smith, Risk Manager and Project Engineer, The Aerospace Corporation

Full profiles of the “20 Under 35” will be available shortly at www.20under35.com.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org