ISC 2023 - The Biggest Virtual Space Industry Conference in 2023

International Space Convention 2023, taking during March 16-19, will be the biggest virtual conference in the industry to date, presenting over 150 top speakers covering the technological advances, critical issues and opportunities, and bringing business leaders, experts and organizations and 15,000 attendees from over 65 different countries together in one place over the four days.

ISC 2023 Objectives

''Reaching The Unconnected''

Working towards connecting the world by enabling persistent high data rate communications for customers across the globe through satellite constellation operations.

''Space Sustainability''

Number of satellites has increased over the last years. Resulting in more space debris orbiting Earth, hindering the ability of nations to operate in the space environment and putting the future space missions at risk.

''International Cooperation Initiatives''

Focus on strengthening relationships through cooperative initiatives to achieve international partnerships, integration and innovation, and to jointly shape the future of space activities.

The Big Ideas of the ISC 2023

By attending ISC 2023 you will get access to 64 virtual keynote sessions and 16 dynamic round-table discussions, and engage with the industry’s 150 biggest names from government space agencies, research institutions, private company representatives, and science communicators discussing:

• Applying AI Capabilities for Managing Big Data from Space-Based Assets;

• Satellite Constellation Operators: Reaching the Unconnected; • From Payloads to Commercial Spaceflight: Supporting the Increasing Launch Rates;

• Space Law & Regulations: Keeping up with the Ever-Increasing Launch Rates and Spacecraft Production;

• Space Stations and On-Board Manufacturing;

• The Role of Public Communication in NewSpace Development;

• Catalyzing Space Industry Growth in Developing Regions;

• Supporting Early Stage Space Start-ups to Ensure Steady Growth of Space Economy;

• Doing Business with the Government;

• Enabling Commercial Opportunities in Lunar Exploration;

• Commercial LEO Destinations;

• Reinventing SmallSat Infrastructure & Ground Systems;

• Space Workforce Development;

• Space Junk: Creating a Sustainable Space Ecosystem;

• Future of Space Exploration: Where Government Meets Private;

• Space Infrastructure: From Launch to Connectivity;

• And 64 other keynote topics.

Access the Industry's Leading Experts in Space

At the four-day International Space Conference in 2023, more than 150 company executives, industry professionals, and organizations will gather to discuss challenges and possibilities in the space industry. They will discuss more than 80 different topics, each of which will provide a distinctive point of view.

Andrew Williams - European Southern Observatory

Andrew is responsible for external relations at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) - an intergovernmental organization of 16 Member States that constructs and operates world-leading astronomical facilities and fosters international cooperation. Andrew supports strategic relationships with current and future Member States, the EU, UN, and international organizations such as the ESA and CERN. He represents ESO at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and recently has been dealing with the policy aspects of the impact of satellite constellations on astronomy.

Simone Pirrotta – Italian Space Agency

Simone has a MD in Mechanical Engineering; PhD in Materials Engineering. He is working at the Italian Space Agency – ASI since 2007, he is currently the Head of the Robotic Exploration Missions Office at ASI. He acts as Project Manager for the ASI missions: “Italian-Kenyan University NanoSatellite – IKUNS”, “ArgoMoon” (Deputy PM), “Light Italian Cubesat for Imaging of Asteroid - LICIACube” with DART, “Laser Relativity Satellite LARES2”, “Astrobio” and “High Energy Rapid Modular Ensemble of Satellites – Scientific Pathfinder – HERMES SP Payload”. He also was in charge of the technical management of the Italian instruments on board of the ExoMars ESA mission, and is the Deputy Italian Delegate at the ESA Rover Instrument Steering Committee. He is Italian Delegate at the ESA Exploration and Utilization Board – EUB and at the International Space Exploration Coordination Group ISECG, he also is the PoC for the NASA SSERVI – ASI cooperation.

The Ital-GovSatCom satellite was the first mirror project of the Italian Space Agency. (Image credit: CNES)

Andrea Vena - European Space Agency

Andrea Vena is the Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer of the ESA. He has over than thirty years of experience in the space sector both in industrial and institutional areas. Graduated in Electronic Engineering, with a Master in Telecommunication Systems, he started his career in Alenia Spazio, the space branch of Finmeccanica (today Leonardo). In 2000, Andrea started his career at ESA by joining the Strategy Directorate. In 2006 he was appointed head of the Corporate Strategic Planning Office and, in 2016, head of the Corporate Development Office, in charge of establishing a corporate strategy for the development of the organisation. On June 1st, 2021, Andrea has been appointed Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer to ensure that ESA and its programmes contribute to the Paris Agreements on Climate Change and the European Green Deal.

Model representing the space debris environment. (Image credit: ESA)

Scott Asbury - Sierra Space

At Sierra Space, Scott is the Senior Director of Programs for Space Destinations. In 2001, he became a program manager at Ball Aerospace. There, he oversaw the development of satellites and payloads for Earth observation missions, such as NOAA's JPSS-1 polar-orbiting weather satellite and SAGE-III on the International Space Station. In 2022, he started working for Sierra Space, where he runs the Orbital Reef program.

A rendering on a Dream Chaser spaceplane in orbit. (Image credit: Sierra Space)

Carlos Garcia-Galan - NASA

Carlos is the Manager of the Integration Office for the European Service Module (ESM). He is in charge of putting the ESM, which was made by ESA, into Orion as a whole. Carlos has worked for the Orion Program since 2010 in a number of key technical and management roles. He has been in charge of integrated spacecraft design and performance, mission analysis, cross-program integration, and launch and flight operations support, among other things.

NASA sends Orion spacecraft to go around the Moon with first SLS launch. (Image credit: NASA)

Brent Barbee – NASA/Dart Mission

Brent's current work includes serving as a member of the Investigation Team for NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft mission, leading interagency spacecraft mission design research for planetary defense against hazardous asteroids and comets, serving as the technical lead for NASA's Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Targets Study (NHATS), and serving as a chair of the International Academy of Astronautics Planetary Defense Conference series. His prior work includes serving on the Flight Dynamics Team for NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, serving on the 2017 NASA Near-Earth Object Science Definition Team, and being an author of the U.S. National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan. Main-belt asteroid 120208 was renamed "Brentbarbee" in honor of his contributions to asteroid missions and planetary defense.

Artist's concept of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. (Image credit: NASA)

Taryn Tomlinson – Canadian Space Agency

Taryn Tomlinson has spent her career committed to exploring and discovering space, from roles in academics to industry and now in government. Taryn worked as an engineer in a number of California and German firms, co-founded a high-tech space startup in 2003, and subsequently joined the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in 2008 to work on the robot “Dextre” for the International Space Station. Over the past 12 years, Taryn has served as a senior project manager and systems engineer at the CSA, has served as the Chief of Staff to the President. She is now a Director in the branch that uses Earth Observation (EO) data in an effort to help solve the greatest challenges of our planet today, including climate change.

Canadian Space Agency will provide the Canadarm3 robotic arm for the lunar Gateway. (Image credit: NASA/CSA)

Barbara Belvisi - Interstellar Lab

Barbara is an entrepreneur passionate about space, biology, and AI. She started her career in finance at 22 investing in tech companies worldwide and launched several global initiatives to foster scientific innovation and entrepreneurship. Youngest woman founder of a venture capital fund at 26 and is in the top 10 women in Tech in France and Forbes Top 100 in Europe in 2018. Self-taught in engineering and architecture, she spent a year with NASA engineers before launching Interstellar Lab to develop food production and habitation modules for sustainable living on Earth and space.

Interstellar Lab will develop living systems on Earth and in space. (Image credit: Interstellar Lab)

Vasu Dubey – ISRO

Vasu is an Electrical Integration Engineer at Gaganyaan mission. Gaganyaan mission is aimed at the maiden human spaceflight from India. He has worked previously on the initial technology demonstration mission for the same like atmospheric re-entry and pad abort tests. Apart from the Crew Module electrical design, Vasu worked on electrical integration of Geo Synchronous Launch Vehicle upper stages. Academics wise, he has completed his Bachelor's in Avionics and Masters in Space Engineering from University of Surrey, UK as a Chevening scholar-2018/19.

The LVM3-M2 mission was launched on October 22. (Image credit: ISRO)

Naeem Altaf – IBM

Naeem is IBM's CTO for Space Tech Industry-leading work for IBM in collaboration with NASA and SETI for the Frontier Development Lab (FDL) program. Leads innovation group to design and build a first-of-a-kind proof of concepts and technical prototypes using Edge Computing, Data Services, and Blockchain technologies, augmenting spaceflight, satellite launches, and space exploration. Partnering with various Space Tech companies to bring IBM technologies to Space Tech Industry. Naeem also leads technical client engagements in building Public, Private and Hybrid Solutions for IBM enterprise customers and strategic ISVs for migration & transformation on IBM Cloud.

This AI-powered assistant was on a mission to join astronauts on the ISS. (Image credit: IBM)

Glenn King - NASTAR Center

Mr. King is COO and Director of Advanced Pilot and Commercial Space Flight Training. He also serves as Chief Instructor, company test pilot and Director of Military Physiology and Space Training. Mr. King has directed the NASTAR Center for 15 of his 32 years at ETC (the parent company of NASTAR Center). He is a Certified High Performance Human Centrifuge Test Pilot. 4,200+ hours in 18 different centrifuges around the world. Training Program Developer – Military & Civil Aviation and Commercial Space. Chief Instructor for SpaceX, Axiom Space and Virgin Galactic. Trained 450+ Commercial Space Pilots, Astronauts and Space Enthusiasts. He has achieved the very first FAA AST Safety Certifications for; o High Performance Human Centrifuge (SA 10-001) o High Altitude Chamber (SA 12-004) FAA Private Pilot, SEL, MEL Instrument 3,800+ hours + 250+ hours fast jet. Active HALO jumper. 12,500+ jumps, 280 jumps above 25,000 ft.

Inspiration4 crew completed centrifuge training at NASTAR Center. (Image credit: John Kraus)

By providing the ideal platform for the virtual exchange of experiences and sharing insights on the critical issues, the international Space Convention 2023 is keen to catalyze growth in the developing regions and drive international cooperation hence pushing the industry on to an even more advanced level. ISC 2023 also aims to spread the message to the youth that they can make a difference, and accomplish great things in the soon-to-be one trillion-dollar space industry.

Watch online sessions from 160+ of biggest names of the space industry, speakers from: NASA, European Space Agency, ISRO, UK Space Agency, Sierra Space, Canadian Space Agency, Northrop Grumman, ESO, and many others.