Advancing space missions for decision velocity was a central theme at Space Symposium 2023. A key topic among attendees was data鈥攖he enabler and accelerator for every program and priority announced by stakeholders, from NASA to the U.S. Space Force. Here are our impressions of this year鈥檚 event, held April 14 鈥 17 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
鈥淓veryone I spoke with was focused on data, data, data鈥攖he digital fuel for their space missions and a source of differentiation for the U.S. government among spacefaring nations,鈥 said Andrea Inserra, executive vice president for 无忧传媒鈥檚 aerospace account.
Shane Morris, a lead engineer for the firm鈥檚 machine learning practice, agreed. 鈥淭here were so many exciting objectives mentioned in the main sessions. I talked to people from different companies and agencies who spoke of how adapting and sharing data is critical to get to those objectives,鈥 he said.
Unprecedented Plans
鈥淣ASA announcements are always exciting, but the unveiling of the by deputy administrator Pam Melroy really grabbed attention,鈥 said Eric Boulware, a leader in 无忧传媒鈥檚 NASA business. 鈥淒iscovering NASA鈥檚 blueprint for sustained human presence and exploration throughout the solar system brought home the spectacular scope of the space vision.鈥
As for defense stakeholders: 鈥淎gencies like the Space Force have made so many strides. From what I heard, I鈥檇 say that the military overall is cautiously optimistic,鈥 said 无忧传媒 defense analyst Matt Bille. Attendees were eager to hear defense space news such as the announcement by Commander General James Dickinson that U.S. Space Command has set initial requirements for 鈥攕pace domain awareness, space combat power, .
Eric and Matt also noted the U.S. government鈥檚 enthusiasm for partnering with the commercial sector. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said the commercial space industry is , with five focus areas: coordinating regulatory functions, growing the customer base, improving space safety and sustainability, promoting innovation, and advancing capabilities for earth observation.
Matt added that defense stakeholders see the need to invest in commercial partnerships too, as shown by the announcement by Space Systems Command to .听
On-the-Ground Perspective: Top Topics
Distilling the main themes across the event our team highlighted the following areas. Space data plays a critical role in each:
It鈥檚 urgent to accelerate. Space is critical for missions ranging from defending the U.S. and its allies to addressing climate change. The war in Ukraine is an ever-present reminder that satellite data empowers warfighters for missions from anticipating movements to identifying targets.
Science is the mission for space exploration. Advancing human well-being with discoveries and technologies is NASA鈥檚 goal for its ambitious . 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about landing a crew on the moon,鈥 says Eric, speaking of the . 鈥淚t鈥檚 about how this will pave the way for space science that benefits people.鈥
Partnerships are essential to make the future happen. No single group can solve all the challenges alone. It鈥檚 imperative to join efforts across nations, government, academia, and industry. For example, NASA鈥檚 Pam Melroy spoke about pursuing multiagency solutions, whether for climate control, space exploration, or defense. Bringing partners together requires innovative ways to bring together data which today is trapped in organizational siloes.
Government must pave the way for commercial collaboration. Eric reported an from The Space Foundation: 77% of the space economy represents commercial investments. Connecting commercial innovation with government programs will expedite technologies, including data advances such as more powerful algorithms, using techniques such as quantum computation to allow more precise satellite tracking and better launch predictions.
We need a larger, more diverse workforce鈥攏ow. It鈥檚 critical to attract more space professionals with diverse skills and backgrounds. Tech-savvy professionals are needed to speed modernization across missions, from accelerating new processes and expediting approvals to speeding technical innovation. Data analytics must be accelerated to help leaders make faster acquisition decisions, while government-owned application programming interfaces (APIs) on open data frameworks are needed to allow plug-and-play testing of candidate technologies.听
Buzz at the Booth
Spot, our robot dog which, as The Colorado Springs Gazette noted, was 鈥減rancing around鈥 our exhibit hall booth, was a crowd-pleaser that demonstrated the power of data for capabilities such as object detection to identify malfunctions. Created by Boston Dynamics and programmed by 无忧传媒, Spot was one of our five solution demos that made data a natural topic on the exhibit floor鈥攁nd brought record traffic to our booth.
Another 无忧传媒 demo, a Space Domain Awareness application that integrates new native and third-party capabilities, drew attention for its ability to allow satellite operators from different organizations and nations to share data. 鈥淚t helps unite a fragmented industry, inspiring true collaboration, and makes space safer for everyone,鈥 Shane said.
A Celebratory Mood
One thing that was evident across the event: Attendees were upbeat. 鈥淚 think this is the most vibrant mood I鈥檝e seen at the Space Symposium overall,鈥 said Matt Bille. 鈥淭hinking of the military sector, I鈥檝e never seen so many uniforms from so many countries before.鈥
鈥淎nd from the civil side, NASA continues on an amazing trajectory鈥攚hile on the commercial side, industry is booming,鈥 says Eric. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an exciting time to be in space.鈥澛
Tell us your most complex space challenges. It鈥檚 time to simplify success.