
2024 Space Summit | Potomac Officers Club
WHAT
The global race for space dominance is underway. New technologies, commercial investments and adversarial threats are shaping the future of space, and the United States must act quickly to solidify its superiority in a rapidly evolving and increasingly contested domain. Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Space Summit to get an in-depth look at how the nation’s space experts, government leaders and industry executives are tackling the most urgent issues while forging a path forward in space.
Space officials Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of the U.S. Space Command, Space Development Agency Director Dr. Derek Tournear, Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins and U.S. Space Force's Deputy Chief of Space Operations, Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton are slated to keynote this engaging and informative summit.
Speakers

MAJ Austin Baker
Deputy Director for the DIU Space Portfolio
Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)

Dr. Patrick Biltgen
Principal in Artificial Intelligence and Space Mission Engineering
Booz Allen

Devin Brande
Director, Commercial Operations Group
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)

Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton
Deputy Chief of Space Operations, Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements,
U.S. Space Force

Jason Bryant
Senior Supervisory Computer Scientist Over Autonomous Command and Control and Mission Planning
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

Lt. Gen. Heath Collins
Director
Missile Defense Agency (MDA)

Robert Conrad
Vice President of Business Development and Strategy
Kepler Communications

Dr. Tabitha Dodson
Program Manager, Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations [DRACO]
Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA)

Greg Heckler
Director, Commercial Communications Services Division, Space Communications and Navigation Program
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)

Justin Kasper
Chief of Technology
BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC

Kate Kelly
Director of Space & Emerging Programs
BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC

Col. Richard Kniseley
Senior Materiel Leader, Commercial Space Office
Space Systems Command

Dr. Steven Meier
Associate Director of Research, Naval Center for Space Technology
Naval Research Laboratory

Peter Muend
Director, Commercial Systems Program Office
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)

Lt Col Thomas Nix
Space Nuclear Power Lead and Senior Military Advisor, Spacecraft Technology Division (RVS)
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

COL Joseph O'Callaghan Jr.
XVIII Airborne Corps, Chief of Fires
U.S. Army

Peter Schemmel
Deputy Chief, Space Communications and Spectrum Management Office & Manager, Communications Services Project (CSP)
NASA Glenn Research Center

Michael Smith
Nuclear Portfolio Lead, Operational Energy-Innovation (OE-I)
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment (OUSD A&S)

Dave Sterling
Founder &CEO
Royce Geospatial Consultants Inc.

Eric Stuckey
Chief Technology Officer
ARKA

Dr. Derek Tournear
Director
Space Development Agency (SDA)

Deirdre Walsh
Executive Vice President of Strategy & Government Affairs
ARKA

Gen. Stephen Whiting
Commander
U.S. Space Command [USSPACECOM]

Dave Wooddell
Practice Manager, National Security Professional Services
Amazon Web Services
Agenda
7:00am | 8:00am | Networking Reception |
8:00am | 8:05am | Welcome and Opening Comments |
8:05am | 8:45am | Opening Keynote: Gen. Stephen Whiting |
8:45am | 9:20am | Morning Keynote: Dr. Derek Tournear Keynote Introducer: Deirdre Walsh |
9:20am | 9:50am | Networking Break |
9:50am | 10:50am | Panel A: Optical Space Data Relay Supporting Human Spaceflight Communications: MAJ Austin Baker, Robert Conrad (Moderator), Greg Heckler and Peter Schemmel. |
9:50am | 10:50am | Panel B: Advancements in Commercial Space Imaging to support future US Defense & Intel initiatives: Devin Brande, Col. Richard Kniseley, Peter Muend, COL Joseph O'Callaghan Jr. and Dave Sterling (Moderator) |
10:50am | 11:00am | Break |
11:00am | 12:00pm | Panel A: Leveraging AI and Autonomous Solutions to Meet Current Threats: Dr. Patrick Biltgen, Jason Bryant, Dr. Steven Meier, Eric Stuckey (Moderator) and |
11:00am | 12:00pm | Panel B: No Power, No Mission: Dr. Tabitha Dodson, Kate Kelly (Moderator), Lt Col Thomas Nix and Michael Smith |
12:00pm | 12:30pm | Networking Lunch |
12:30pm | 1:05pm | Afternoon Keynote: Lt. Gen. Heath Collins Keynote Introducer: Justin Kasper |
1:05pm | 1:40pm | Closing Keynote: Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton Keynote Introducer: Robert Conrad |
1:40pm | 1:45pm | Closing Comments |