Constellations - Explore Space Network Technologies with Industry Leaders

Grace Khanuja of Novaspace investigates how satellite operators embracing virtual ground systems aren't simply trying to reduce their hardware footprints but also to integrate with telecom networks, maximize capacity and move customers to an OpEx model to compete with megaconstellations such as Starlink. Novaspace laid out the business case for virtual ground in a February white paper, even comparing the financial models for a virtualized versus traditional hardware-based systems over five years.

Colonel Tim Trimailo is the Director of the Commercial Space Office (COMSO), the Space Force's front door to industry. He leads efforts to integrate commercial capabilities directly into operational missions. Colonel Trimailo has played a key role in bringing commercial systems into military operations, strengthening resilience across constellations, and rethinking how the U.S. and its allies operate in increasingly contested domains. Listen to Colonel Trimailo as he explores how the commercial industry is accelerating the future of military space operations.

​​Melanie Stricklan, Executive Director, SWFT & Chief Innovation & Advancement Officer at Space Foundation discusses the hidden complexity of modern space operations—why success isn't just about satellites, but about orchestrating entire ecosystems across space, ground, and cloud. Listen to Melanie as she unpacks the unseen challenges like semantic misalignments, operational debt, and AI-driven autonomy that shape the future of space missions.

Paul Lasserre of Loft Orbital discusses how AI is quietly expanding its role in determining what satellites notice, flag and send home. He weighs how this progression could reshape long‑standing assumptions about who — or what — directs outcomes in orbit.

Earth's orbit is full of space junk like out-of-service satellites that completed their mission long ago. One study even estimated that 100 trillion pieces of space debris are floating outside the planet. Joel Sercel, CEO and Founder of TransAstra, shares insights on space debris capture technology that has the potential to make space more accessible and sustainable for future generations.