Speakers

Eric Philips is an Australian polar explorer, adventurer, guide and private astronaut, renowned for his pioneering expeditions across Earth’s most extreme environments.

Eric has led numerous self-supported ski expeditions across major icecaps, including those in Greenland, Ellesmere Island, Iceland, Svalbard, Patagonia, and Antarctica. Notably, he became the first Australian, alongside companion Jon Muir, to ski to both the North and South Poles, locations he has since trekked to more than 20 times. In 1998–99, he completed a 1,425 km ski expedition from McMurdo Station to the South Pole via the untrodden Shackleton Glacier, one of four new rotes he has pioneered to the Earth’s most southerly point.

In 1999, Eric founded Icetrek Expeditions and Equipment, a company specialising in polar guiding and equipment design. He also co-founded the International Polar Guides Association (IPGA) and co-created the Polar Expeditions Classification Scheme (PECS).

In April 2025, at age 62, Eric participated in the Fram2 mission - the first human spaceflight to orbit over the Poles. Launched from Cape Canaveral aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, the mission completed 55 orbits over 3.6 days at an altitude of approximately 430 km. He became the first Australian to fly to orbit under the Australian flag and the fourth Australian in space.

Enrico has led the Australian Space Agency since January 2021. Since his commencement, Enrico has proudly led a diverse team of space agents that have achieved a number of major milestones.
Under his leadership the Agency has reached an agreement with NASA for an Australian designed, built and operated rover to be included in a future mission to the Moon, secured the first launch permits and launch facility licenses under the Australian Space (Launches and Returns) Act, and seen the first commercial spaceflights from Australia.
Before joining the Agency, Enrico spent 14 years in various roles at Virgin Galactic, including establishing and leading a vertically integrated aerospace manufacturing and testing operation for Mach 3, crewed commercial spaceships. From there Enrico was part of the team that launched the New York Stock Exchange listed public company and was appointed Chief Operating Officer.
A Perth native, Enrico graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Physics and Applied Mathematics. He also studied at the International Space University in Strasbourg.

Major General Novak graduated from the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1995 to the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. Early in his career he filled a range of regimental and staff appointments with highlights including Squadron Commander and Operations Officer at the 3rd Combat Signal Regiment, Staff Officer Grade 1 for battlefield digitisation at Army Headquarters, and Commanding Officer of the 1st Combat Signal Regiment.

Post his Regimental command, Major General Novak spent two years seconded to the Office of National Intelligence as a strategic analyst. In this role, he prepared reports covering a range of issues relevant to Australia’s strategic security interests for the Prime Minister, other Government Ministers, and senior Departmental officials. After this secondment, Major General Novak returned to Army Headquarters as Military Assistant to the Chief of Army.

Major General Novak was promoted to Colonel in December 2016 and posted to the United States as the Australian Liaison Officer to United States Strategic Command. Representing Australia’s Defence interests with United States Strategic Command, Major General Novak gained unique insights on strategic deterrence, space as an operational domain, and integrated global operations. He was awarded a United States Legion of Merit for his contributions to these important components of the Australia – United States military to military relationship.

Upon return to Australia in 2019, Major General Novak served as Chief of Staff to the Chief of the Defence Force. This appointment remains a career highlight for Major General Novak as he worked closely with Defence’s most senior leaders and was constantly exposed to the highest level workings of the Department. He was promoted to Brigadier in January 2020 and appointed Commander Defence Strategic Communications in the Chief Information Officer Group, responsible for delivering strategic communications to deployed ADF elements and Defence establishments domestically, regionally and globally.

In December 2021, Major General Novak was appointed Commander of the Australian Army’s 6th Brigade where he led some of Defence’s most capable intelligence, surveillance, electronic warfare, cyber, battlespace control, and force-level engineering units. He was promoted to Major General in October 2023 and assumed his current appointment as Commander Defence Space Command in December 2023.

Operationally, Major General Novak has deployed to Bougainville, Afghanistan, the broader Middle East Area of Operations, and twice to East Timor. Through these deployments, he has served regionally and globally in coalition settings, commanded deployed forces at sub- unit and unit level, and experienced contingency operations as well as scheduled force rotations.

Major General Novak holds a Masters of Science in Information Technology and a Masters of Arts in Strategy and Policy. He held the appointment of Head of Corps for Army’s Royal Australian Corps of Signals from January 2020 to December 2023 and was awarded Member of the Order of Australia in 2023 Australia Day Honours for exceptional service in ADF command and liaison appointments.

James Palmer MEM, CompIEAust, EngExecFounder, Space Centre Australia
As the founder of Space Centre Australia, James has over 20 years’ experience as a Chartered Engineering Executive Leader.
James began his career as a submariner in the Royal Australian Navy. During this time, he gained extensive experience in engineering vehicles to withstand hostile conditions, both deep underwater and in space.

As CEO and Owner of Space Centre Australia, James specialises in project management, engineering, environmental science, land management, andof course, space systems. James’ educational achievements include a Master of Philosophy from the Queensland University of Technology, a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Australia, and a Master of Engineering Management from Southern Cross University.

Mr. Ronald ‘Ron’ Caton is the Space Security and International Partnerships Mission Area Lead, Air Force Research Laboratory(AFRL). He leads engagements with international allies and partners toward development of cooperative partnerships and works with the Department of Defense space security cooperation enterprise to develop strategies and priorities addressing the S&T needs of the US Space Force (USSF).

Mr. Caton joined the Geospace Environment Division, AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate in 2009 where he led the Radio Frequency (RF) Spectrum Operations Technical Team from 2020-2022. He served as the Directorate’s Senior International Focal Point (SIFP) from 2017-2022.

Mr. Caton has published more than 100 papers and reports in national and international journals and conference proceedings including one of the “Top 20 Most Downloaded Articles” in Radio Science from 2017-2019. He is a member of the International Union of Radio Scientists (URSI) and a subject matter on ionospheric impacts on RF signals and warfighter systems.

Dr. Ioana Cozmuta, is the founder and CEO of G-SPACE Inc., a company building the data intelligence layer for in-space manufacturing. G-SPACE combines physics-and ML informed models, analytics, and predictive software design tools to quantify, optimize, and scale materials and biological systems beyond conventional gravity-bound conditions.

A recognized leader in microgravity research, space commercialization, and in-space manufacturing, Dr. Cozmuta brings more than two decades of experience across NASA, deep-tech entrepreneurship, and the emerging space economy. During her 15 years at NASA, she contributed to major missions and programs including Stardust, Mars Science Laboratory, and Constellation Orion, and later played a key role in advancing the low-Earth orbit economy through ISS commercialization initiatives such as the Spaceborne Computer, Vascular Tissue Challenge, and Crops in Space/Mars-related programs.

As a serial entrepreneur, she has notably impacted the New Space economy founding several ventures including a company specializing in space-based optical fiber manufacturing. Her 2014 TEDx Future Spoiler predicted the rapid rise of in-space manufacturing, a field that has since become a major focus of the commercial space sector.

Dr. Cozmuta is an elected member of the International Academy of Astronautics and serves on the Advisory Committee of the U.S. International Space Station National Laboratory. She is a frequent speaker and advisor on New Space, microgravity-enabled products, and commercial space innovation, including lectures for MBA and entrepreneurship programs.

Her work bridges science, product development, and commercialization, with a focus on turning microgravity from an experimental environment into a scalable manufacturing and design variable. She holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and completed postdoctoral work at Caltech and Stanford University. She has authored more than 200 publications.

Naoko Sugita has more than 25 years of experience in the space sector. She has led numerous projects in fostering innovation with the private sector and strategic research for the executives. Currently, at JAXA, she is serving as the Japan lead for trilateral Earth Observing Dashboard with NASA and ESA, to make information from satellites available to decision-makers and the public. She is also promoting public-private-academia partnerships through the Consortium for Satellite Earth Observation (CONSEO), with more than 300 member companies and specialists.

Dr. Marie Le Pellec is the Space Sustainability Coordinator within the Strategy department at the European Space Agency. She leads the development of the Agency’s space sustainability strategy, that aims to amplify the impact of sustainability related activities led across ESA, on Earth, in Earth’s orbit, on the Moon and deep space. With 15 years of experience in sustainability strategy, her international career spans the French space agency (CNES) and the Australian Space Agency. Her expertise spans ecodesign and sustainable procurement, space debris mitigation, and responsible lunar exploration. Marie is committed to turning sustainability vision into practical reality, through technology development and strategic tools.

Gilles Barrier has been the Consul General of France in Sydney since 15 August 2025. Prior to this appointment, he served as Deputy Director for Oceania at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Throughout his career within the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, he has held several diplomatic positions, including Deputy Head of Mission at the French Embassies in Malaysia and Sweden, Deputy Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, and Third Secretary at the French Embassy in Portugal.

He has also worked extensively in multilateral diplomacy, focusing on human rights, humanitarian affairs, and economic and development issues within the United Nations Directorate of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, as well as at France’s Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva and New York.

Originally from Lyon, he is married and the father of three children.

David is the Regional Director Australia New Zealand for Lockheed Martin Space, representing the space portfolio of capabilities and services in the region. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, David was the Chief Executive Officer of the Space Environment Research Centre (SERC), and also held leadership roles in the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) for more than a decade, culminating in his tenure as Chair of the SIAA during 2020. With over 25 years of experience in the space, communications and defence sectors David has spent a significant portion of his career specialising in satellite communications and has held senior positions with several commercial satellite communications operators, including Intelsat and PanAmSat. David’s previous roles encompassed sales management, business development, customer service engineering, space systems design and spacecraft and launch vehicle acquisition.

Earlier in his career David was an electronics engineering officer in the Royal Australian Air Force responsible for engineering management of Defence communications systems with his final posting focused on military satellite communications systems. David holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree (Communications Engineering), a Graduate Diploma in Business Management and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance. David is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

As CEO of Av-Comm Space and Defence, Michael has worked extensively across the implementation of complex ground segment projects, as well as the research and development Australia’s first sovereign designed and manufactured multi-orbit satellite ground terminal – the Cassowary.

Michael’s focus in recent years has been to reinforce Av-Comm’s position within the international market by identifying industries that strategically align with Av-Comm’s technical expertise and infrastructure, with a strong vision on collaborating with domestic and international clients and partners to deliver effective solutions in an ever-evolving industry.

Av-Comm is an ISO certified business, working with clients throughout the defence industry to provide sovereign satcom solutions to further Australia’s national security. Michael is passionate about the importance of multi-orbit satellite architecture in Australia’s military communications network, and is an advocate for the diverse uses of military satcomms.

A highly accomplished scale-up C-Level Executive, and Advisor, who has a consistent track record of creating commercial and financial strategies that transform businesses, drive growth and accelerate commercial and operational success. With extensive experience across the technology, digital, deep tech, electronics, audio, sporting, media, and banking sectors, Matt is a leader in business transformations that increase revenue, optimise structure, streamline operations and increase productivity. Matt also brings strong experience in financial leadership and management, with a proven ability to oversee financial strategy, revenue and profitability, transactional management, compliance and reporting.

Dr. Jason Held is the CEO and founder of Saber Astronautics, a global space technology company that operates satellites and develops mission-critical software for spacecraft operations, mission planning, and risk management. Saber works with government and commercial customers to fly large satellite constellations, lead efforts in emerging space traffic management, and deliver software that enables reliable decision-making in complex, high-consequence environments. He also invented machine learning diagnostics for satellites, which were used in contracts with NASA, the ADF, and several large Primes.

Dr. Held has more than 28 years of experience across civil, military, and commercial space programs. Early in his career he served in U.S. government space organisations and operational research roles supporting military space operations. As a civilian engineer, he contributed flight software for the Hubble Space Telescope and testing for the International Space Station, working on systems where reliability, safety, and long-term performance were critical.

Alongside his industry work, Dr. Held has been deeply involved in connecting academic research and innovation to economic and industrial development. He has lectured for the International Space University, the University of New South Wales, and the IRS Space Station Design Workshop; led a research expedition in the high Canadian Arctic; and founded multiple technology and entrepreneurship initiatives, including innovation hubs, startup accelerators, and the University of Sydney Space Engineering laboratory.

In 2016, Dr. Held was appointed to the Expert Reference Group that designed the Australian Space Agency, contributing to its establishment in 2019. His work is driven by a commitment to lowering barriers to entry in the space industry, building sustainable industrial capability, and enabling international collaboration and trade.

Dr Catherine Grace is the Acting General Manager, Space Capability at the Australian Space Agency, leading national efforts to shape and deliver Australia’s civil space capability, technology priorities and programs.
She provides whole‑of‑government strategic guidance on capability development, international civil space engagement, and space‑enabled technologies that deliver national, economic and societal benefit.

A medical doctor and International Space University graduate, Catherine brings a rare multidisciplinary perspective across space, defence and disruptive technologies. She is known for connecting strategy to execution, linking policy, capability and technology with real‑world outcomes. Catherine a sought‑after voice on building resilient capability, strengthening international collaboration, and shaping the future impact of space‑enabled services

Steven Freeland is Emeritus Professor of International Law at Western Sydney University, where he was previously the Dean of the School of Law, and Professorial Fellow at Bond University. He also holds Visiting or Adjunct positions at various other Universities/Institutes in Copenhagen, Vienna, Toulouse, Hong Kong, Montreal, Kuala Lumpur, Vancouver, Mumbai and London. Prior to becoming an academic, he had a 20-year career as an international commercial lawyer and an investment banker. He is a government-appointed Member of the Australian Space Agency Advisory Board and has been an advisor to the Australian, New Zealand, Norwegian and several other Governments on issues relating to national space legislative frameworks and policy. He has represented the Australian Government at Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) meetings and, in June 2021, was appointed by UNCOPUOS as Vice-Chair of a 5-year Working Group addressing issues related to the exploration, exploitation and utilisation of space resources. He has also been a Visiting Professional within the Appeals Chamber at the International Criminal Court, and a Special Advisor to the Danish Foreign Ministry in matters related to the International Criminal Court. He is a co-Principal of specialised space law firm Azimuth Advisory and is also a Director of the International Institute of Space Law, a Member of the Space Law Committee of the International Law Association and a Member of the Space Law and War Crimes Committees of the International Bar Association. In addition to co-Editing the Annotated Leading Cases of International Criminal Tribunals book series, he also sits on the Editorial Board / Advisory Board of several internationally recognised academic journals.

Tamara leads the space industry portfolio, supporting export opportunities, market research and promoting Australia’s space ecosystem in collaboration with the Australian Space Agency. She draws on her experience in stakeholder relations, industry capability development and identifying global market trends, working closely with industry on activities including the UK-Australia Space Bridge and Australian Space delegations to the US, Japan, India and ROK.

Applying strategic leadership and valuing diversity she co-chairs the Austrade Gender Equality Network, implementing new initiatives to support gender diversity, intersectionality, and visibility at Austrade. Previously as Executive Director of Aviation/Aerospace Australia, she delivered on organisation goals and launched Women in A/AA.

Dr Stefania Peracchi is the Irradiations Team Leader at the ANSTO’s Centre for Accelerator Science. She holds a Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, Italy (2016), and a PhD from the University of Wollongong (2021), focused on the development of novel detectors for astronaut radiation protection. Prior to relocating to Australia, she worked at the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) as a nuclear engineer, investigating the impact of cosmic radiation on aircrew members.

A nuclear physicist with over a decade of experience, her expertise spans space radiation environments, detector development, Monte Carlo simulations, and radiation effects on electronics, materials, and biological systems. She leads the advancement of accelerator capabilities and irradiation testing for applications across space, defence, health, and nuclear sectors. Internationally recognised, she collaborates extensively with industry and academia and was awarded the International Scientific Cooperation Medal by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2023 in recognition of her career achievements and contributions.

Lisa is CEO and Founder of Indo-Pacific Space, an advisory and consulting practice focused on accelerating the growth of the Indo-Pacific’s emerging space industry. She is also Strategic Advisor, Indo-Pacific, and Bid Director for IAC 2029 Houston for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

Lisa Vitaris was appointed to the Board of Engineers Australia in October 2021. She is Chair of the Member and Stakeholder Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.

She serves on the Advisory Board of Monolith LLC, which develops mission management programs to support emerging space nations, and is an Honorary Board Director for Space4Climate, a global initiative helping millions of school students understand the critical role of space in addressing climate change.

Lisa is a globally recognised voice in the space sector, having presented at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in Vienna, at COP30 in Brazil, and at leading international forums spanning space, health, mining, and technology.

Previously, Lisa served as Interim CEO of the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) and Director of IAC 2025 Sydney, which attracted more than 7,400 delegates and 19,500 public attendees, delivering approximately AUD $42 million in economic impact to New South Wales.

Her executive career spans high-growth and listed organisations across space, technology, telecommunications, financial services, automotive, and tourism. She has held senior leadership roles including Chief Marketing Officer, working with brands such as amaysim (Optus), Tyro, CMC Markets, Hyundai, Tourism Tasmania, Volvo, and LG.

In addition to her work in space, Lisa is Founder and Director of 10 Pieces, a sustainability initiative focused on environmental action and behaviour change, reflecting her commitment to climate and responsible innovation.

Lisa is an Engineering Executive (EngExec) and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). She holds a Master of Business (International Marketing) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Sharan Banagiri is an OzGrav fellow and gravitational-wave astrophysicist at Monash University mapping the life and death of stars. He has a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Minnesota and moved to Monash after a postdoctoral stint at Northwestern University.

Sharan's research focuses on understanding the properties of the black holes that we have started detecting in the last decade or so, particularly with gravitational-wave interferometers.

Sharan develops and uses novel statistical methods in order to uncover how these black holes form, and the nature and properties of stellar ancestors from which they evolved. When not doing astronomy, Sharan is passionate about science communication, exploring nature, sustainability and fighting climate change.

Professor and Discipline Lead in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at RMIT University, Melbourne. He is also Research Cluster Lead for Electrical & Electronic Engineering and Deputy Director of the Centre for Opto-electronic Materials and Sensors. With more than 22 years of experience across industry and academia, he previously held senior industry R&D roles managing satellite and telecommunications programs exceeding AUD 120 million. His research spans satellite communications, radar and spectrum sensing, RF localisation, machine learning, and spaceborne sensing systems. His translational work includes interference mitigation for spaceborne synthetic aperture radar, Doppler-based localisation, and RF authentication and anti-spoofing across major industry and government-funded research projects totalling more than AUD 15 million, including major collaborations with the European Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). He has authored more than 170 peer-reviewed publications and received recognitions including the Australian Space Industry Academic of the Year Award in 2024, an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship in 2024, and appointment as an IEEE AESS Distinguished Lecturer for 2025–2027.

Growing up in 1980s USA, Katie fell in love with Space as a small child and has been working in the domain since 2021 (if you can dream it, you CAN do it – Space needs everyone!) after COVID upturned her successful Fashion Photography business and deposited her in the Australian Public Service. Katie’s career has also included time as an Executive Support Guru, Recruiter and Retail whiz in the early days. Currently working in the Australian Space Agency’s International Partnerships team, Katie has also worked in Civil Space Policy and National Missions.

A passionate advocate for Women, Diversity and Inclusion in STE(A)M, and a personal supporter of events and organisations which encourage all to consider a career in STE(A)M, Katie also has a particular interest in First Nations connections to Sky and Country and appreciates the sharing of learning and experiences.

Katie cares deeply about being a champion for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, not only in her workplace but also through external activities, and takes great pride in leading by example, consideration and intent.

Easily recognised by her warm smile, colourful outfits and Space themed accessories – Katie’s unique conversation starters have helped build genuine connections with her ever-growing network of peers who support the belief that we should seek to lift others as we ourselves rise.
Katie is an alumni of Melbourne Business School’s “Women’s Leadership Program”, is a Masters level member of the Australian Human Resources Institute, member of the Women in Aviation/Aerospace Australia organisation and an inaugural committee member of the Australian Space Diversity Alliance. She is currently completing her PSMP through QUT. She participates as a mentor in programs which focus on supporting young women in the Space arena.

In her downtime, Katie can be found keeping her hand in Photography (both Film and Digital), working on Vintage Sportscars and getting the living room “just right” (for the thousandth time, much to her cats’ displeasure).

Dr Rebecca Allen is the Co-Director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute at Swinburne University of Technology. She completed her PhD in Astrophysics at Swinburne where she used information from powerful telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope to study the evolution and growth of galaxies going back to when the Universe was barely a billion years old. Now, Dr Allen applies her scientific expertise to help support Australia's growing space industry. To this end, she supports the translation of cutting-edge research in areas such as microgravity experimentation and Earth observation to build climate change resilient communities and support innovations for Earth. When she’s not studying space or sending things there, she’s inspiring and empowering future space leaders by communicating the wonders of the Universe and creating immersive, hands-on learning experiences.

Lloyd Damp is CEO of Southern Launch and is at the forefront of the space industry in Australia. He founded Southern Launch in 2017 and the company conducted the first commercial space launch from Australian soil in 2020 and Australia’s first commercial space return in 2025.
Today, Southern Launch employs 30 people and operates two licensed space launch and return facilities in Koonibba and Whalers Way on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. These multi-user space launch facilities have been used by domestic and international customers with the Koonibba Test Range hosting the launch of the first high-powered rocket under Australian legislation.
Lloyd leads a team dedicated to developing world-class space launch and return facilities in South Australia and providing bespoke solutions for customers. Lloyd’s vision is to build a connected space industry centred around domestic launch and return capabilities to establish Australia as the next global space hub.
Prior to starting Southern Launch, Lloyd spent over 12 years working for the Australian Government specialising in complex program design and delivery. While there Lloyd also played a small part in helping Australia undertake regular rocket launches into space from Woomera.

Dr Sara Webb is an astrophysicist at the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology, and Course Director of Swinburne Astronomy Online. Her research focuses on time-domain astronomy and the detection of satellites and space debris in large astronomical surveys, helping bridge astrophysics with space situational awareness. She leads Australia’s longest-running International Space Station experimentation program, with more than six research payloads flown to the ISS, enabling students to design and conduct real microgravity experiments in space.
A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Dr Webb is a sought-after speaker and expert voice on space science, regularly contributing to international media and public discussions on astronomy, the future of space exploration, and the growing intersection between space research and industry.

Professor Alan Duffy is the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Flagship Initiatives at Swinburne University of Technology, bringing together diverse research teams with industry and government stakeholders to undertake transformative programmes in Flagship sectors of hydrogen, renewable technologies, AI, space and aerospace, MedTech and health innovation.

He was the inaugural Director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute at Swinburne, finding ways to use space and AI to help companies and communities on Earth. His research background in computational astrophysics saw Alan model universes on supercomputers to understand how galaxies like our Milky Way form within vast clouds of dark matter.

He is trying to find this dark matter as a Chief Investigator in the $35M ARC CoE for Dark Matter Particle Physics and SABRE, the world’s first dark matter detector in the Southern Hemisphere, at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory at the bottom of an active gold mine in Victoria.

Alan is also the cofounder and CEO of mDetect, a spin-off company from his dark matter research, that uses particles from space to scan through rock for mineral exploration, identification of structural weaknesses in tailings dams, and subsidence/air gaps below critical infrastructure.

When not exploring simulated universes, he attempts to explain the science of this one to the public on TV as a regular on Ten’s The Project and The Today Show, as well as radio and print.

Alan has spoken at hundreds of events, some particularly unusual opportunities include speaking at TEDxSydney in the Sydney Opera House, a Science-Improv night at the Adelaide Fringe, a nation- wide tour with BBC Worldwide/RiAus show The Science of Doctor Who Live and even a Planetarium production on Dark Matter called Dark (now shown in 148 planetariums across 25 countries in 6 languages).

His other writing pursuits include his own column in Australia’s most popular science magazine, Cosmos.

He was named one of Men’s Style Magazine’s Men of Influence, WA Sunday Time Magazine’s Best and Brightest as well as a winner in the National Eureka Award for Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research, Victorian State Tall Poppy Award for Science and CommBank’s Australian of the Day.

In his spare time, you can find Alan speaking around the country at various conferences and corporate events. He is in high demand for his simple explanations of complex scientific theories.

Kate is a corporate lawyer specialising in managing regulatory risk and complex contracting. Kate specialises in supporting participants in highly regulated industries, including telecommunications, infrastructure and financial services. Kate is experienced in working with incumbent operators and new market entrants, and supports Government agencies as well as corporates.

Kate loves advising on the application of regulatory schemes and on the development of new laws and novel transactions. Kate has a particular focus on the Radiocommunications Act and the Telecommunications Act, and related regulatory schemes, which is what originally drew her into the space sector.

Annabel is an international corporate and technology lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in Australia, the UK and Asia. At the heart of what she does is solve problems and execute complex transactions. She specialises in commercial transactions and projects involving technology, data and intellectual property, including in the space sector.

She is passionate about innovation in business and government and the role reliable and clear legal advice plays in achieving project outcomes. She is actively involved in the Canberra Innovation Network and the KWM Digital Economy Team. Her key areas of focus include business domestic capability, opportunities for Australia in our region, and helping clients adopt technology solutions for higher value scale.

Craig Ingram is a physicist and project leader based in Australia, specialising in the development of advanced optical instrumentation and Earth observation technologies. He played a pivotal role in the CyanoSense project, leading the design and deployment of Australia's first domestically developed hyperspectral imaging payload in space, aimed at monitoring inland water quality and detecting harmful algal blooms. Craig's current work at CSIRO includes innovative telescope design for Earth observation satellites, integrating cutting-edge optical systems and rapid prototyping methodologies to enhance environmental monitoring from satellites, drones, and airborne platforms. He is dedicated to advancing satellite remote sensing capabilities and promoting Australian leadership in space-based Earth observation.

Ian Manchester received the B.E. (Hons 1) and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of New South Wales, Australia, in 2002 and 2006, respectively. He has held research positions at Umea University, Sweden, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. In 2012 he joined the faculty at the University of Sydney, where he is currently Professor of Mechatronic Engineering, Director of the Australian Centre for Robotics (ACFR) and Director of the Australian Robotic Inspection and Asset Management Hub (ARIAM). His research interests include optimization and learning methods for nonlinear system analysis, identification, and control, with applications in robotics and biomedical engineering. He is an Associate Editor for IEEE Control Systems Letters and has previously served as an Associate Editor for IEEE Robotics & Automation Letters.

Dr Rodrigo Praino is Professor of Politics and Public Policy and Director of the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies at Flinders University.
He holds a PhD in Political Science and has received several prestigious fellowships, scholarships and awards, including a Fulbright Scholarship. In 2018 he became the first political scientist to win a Tall Poppy Science Award for excellence is scientific research and communication.
Professor Praino is an expert in decision-making and political behaviour, conducting research on elections, voting, and how voters make decisions in a context of low-information. His publications in this area cover a wide range of issues, including the effect of political scandals and corruption, the political behaviour of young voters, the political representation of women, and the role of candidate physical appearance.
Professor Praino is also engaged in research on space politics and space policy. He is particularly interested in understanding and analysing the importance of space assets for defence, economic development, international relations, and decision-making. He is a co-author of Power, State and Space: Conceptualizing, Measuring and Comparing Space Actors (Springer, 2023).
Professor Praino's research has been published by top peer-reviewed academic journals in the Social Sciences, and has attracted funding from various sources, including the Australian Research Council, SmartSat CRC, Defence, the Australian Space Agency, and UNICEF.

Matt has spent the last decade working in aerospace and defence industries, both in Australia and Japan.

Matt leads the development and implementation of innovative space engineering and science programs in collaboration with iLAuNCH partners – the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of South Australia (UniSA). As an Associate Professor at UniSQ, Matt will contribute to the University’s mission of advancing knowledge, fostering collaboration, and shaping the future of space exploration.

Before iLAuNCH, Matt was Space Technology Assistant Director at Australian Space Agency and prior to that, working internationally at the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) as an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Engineering. Matt’s research focused on space transportation, propulsion and energy systems. Matt also taught at the Institute for Innovation in International Engineering Education, where he facilitated joint satellite design student projects between UTokyo and Australian universities.

Revd. Dr Nikki Coleman is Australia’s leading Space Ethicist. She recently retired from the Royal Australian Air Force where she was the Senior Chaplain Ethicist, and the Australian Space Agency, where she was the lead on the Australian Space Ethics Program.
Nikki has taught military ethics and bioethics at UNSW Canberra, the Australian National University, and Yale University Summer School. She is a visiting fellow at UNSW Canberra, the Australian National University, and the Case Western Reserve University Inamori Centre for Ethics and Leadership. Nikki has published research in the areas of space ethics (including on the problem of terrorism in space), military ethics and bioethics.

Nikki is currently a Senior Research Fellow with the Australian Centre for Space Governance where she is leading a team to creat the first International Space Ethics Framework to assist space operators in assessing the ethical risk of their operations.

Nikki’s assistance dog is called Skye and comes from Defence Community Dogs, who provide trained assistance dogs to veterans with PTSD.

Iver Cairns has over 30 years of experience in space physics, small satellite, and space weather research, with over 400 written and published refereed papers. His primary contributions relate to the growth and saturation of plasma waves, the generation of radio emission in association with shocks, and associated space weather. He is a Co-Investigator on NASA's STEREO mission and on NASA's two SMEX missions, PUNCH and TRACERS, launched in 2025. In Australia he led the 2010-2019 Decadal Plan for Australian Space Science. Since then he has worked to "put runs on the board" to convince Governments to invest in the space sector. He led the INSPIRE-2 CubeSat project, which launched in May 2017 and re-entered still working in November 2018. For 2017 – 2025, but continuing now as a research collaboration, Prof. Cairns led CUAVA (the ARC Training Centre for CubeSats, UAVs, and Their Applications), training people, solving research problems, and working on commercial outcomes for its industry, academic, and governmental partners. CUAVA’s 1st CubeSat, CUAVA-1, was deployed from the International Space Station in October 2021. He also leads the Waratah Seed project, Australia’s 1st ride-share satellite. His satellites CUAVA-2 and Waratah Seed-1 launched in August 2024 and are both operating successfully in space.

Greta Stephensen is a proud Indigenous Aerospace Engineer and first-generation university graduate whose pathway into STEM has been shaped by ambition, resilience and a deep commitment to representation. Growing up rurally, Greta developed an early fascination with space and engineering, yet had limited visibility of Indigenous professionals in STEM. Without established networks or role models in aerospace, she navigated her academic journey largely independently, determined to pursue a career in space and advanced technology.

She completed dual honours degrees in Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Queensland, majoring in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and is now studying a Masters of Space Engineering at UNSW. During her studies, Greta built strong technical foundations across electronics, avionics, systems engineering and computational modelling, positioning herself at the intersection of hardware and high-level aerospace systems.

Greta now works on national-scale defence and space programs, contributing to the design and delivery of complex, field-ready systems. Her work spans multidisciplinary engineering environments where precision, safety and innovation are critical. She is particularly passionate about advancing Australia’s sovereign space capability and strengthening Indigenous representation within high-technology industries.

A long-standing participant and supporter of CSIRO’s Young Indigenous Women’s STEM Academy, Greta has maintained a close relationship with CSIRO for over a decade. She credits the STEM Academy with strengthening her leadership capacity, expanding her professional network, and reinforcing her commitment to uplifting other Indigenous women in STEM.

Beyond her technical role, Greta actively contributes to leadership and advocacy initiatives. She serves as Secretary of BAE Systems’ First Nations & Allies network and engages in youth outreach, public speaking and industry collaboration to encourage the next generation of Indigenous engineers and scientists. This year she has been awarded an Elevate Scholarship through the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and is also in their Future Leaders program in the International Strategy Group. Through her work, Greta is committed not only to advancing aerospace innovation, but to ensuring that Indigenous women see themselves reflected in the future of STEM.

Lauren specialises in the intersection between law and technology. She is a Senior Associate at Mallesons and has significant experience advising clients in relation to telecommunications and radiocommunications regulation, including in relation to the establishment and operation of low earth orbit satellite telecommunication systems and satellite-based air traffic control communications and navigation. She also regularly advises on privacy, cybersecurity, AI, data governance, telecommunications, procurement and general commercial contracting.

Mel French is the Director of Operations for L3Harris Australia, comprised of operations across 14 facilities and employing over 550 highly skilled aerospace and defense professionals.

In this role, Mr. French responsible for integrating L3Harris functional and program operations in the Australia/New Zealand region. Prior to accepting the director of operations role, Mr. French led international business development and strategy efforts for the $1.4 billion Maritime sector within L3Harris. The Maritime sector includes market-leading capabilities including: sensors, power, unmanned and services. Prior L3Harris roles include interim business development leadership positions for maritime sensors division and maritime sensors.

Before joining L3 in October 2014 as KEO’s Vice President of Business Development and Strategy, Mr. French served in a number of business development and strategy roles at Telephonics Corporation $500M Airborne Radar and Integrated Communications Company on Long Island, New York culminating in the company's largest backlog in history. At Telephonics he led establishment of Mahindra Telephonics Integrated Systems, a pioneering aerospace and defense electronics joint venture with Mahindra Defence Systems in India and served on its inaugural board. Mr. French first joined Telephonics in 2007 and was responsible for the business development across the company's Airborne Radar and Integrated Communications Company. Mr. French began his career at Kaman Aerospace where he led the Helicopter Division’s new business acquisition, government relations, marketing communication and media relations efforts worldwide. He was responsible for all marketing and business development activities for the SH-2G Seasprite, K-MAX and Unmanned K-MAX (CQ-24A) programs. Mr. French came to this role after an eight-year assignment for Kaman in Southeast Asia, where he promoted Kaman’s helicopter products in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Brunei, from offices in Malaysia. Mr. French is a licensed professional engineer, initially attached to the flight test engineering team, and progressing through positions of increased responsibility scope in engineering, program management and business development. Of note, Mr. French served as program engineering team leader for Kaman’s non-acoustic mine countermeasures and ASW sensor development efforts named MAGIC LANTERN, including operational deployment for Operation Desert Storm.

Mr. French hold an MBA International Finance from the University of Hartford and a BS Aerospace Engineering from Penn State University.

Anne Connor serves as Senior Manager, Business Development for Spectral Systems at L3Harris Space and Mission Systems.

As lead for the Spectral Solutions weather business area, Ms. Connor is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive strategy in support of key business objectives and long-term growth targets. The weather portfolio for L3Harris encompasses the full range of weather mission services, space remote sensing instruments and enterprise ground processing systems for U.S. government and international customers. She is also a primary catalyst in shaping L3Harris’ approach to the growing global weather enterprise.

Ms. Connor is recognized as an expert in the U.S. national space-based weather enterprise with a broad background in strategy, business development, policy and government affairs. Previous industry leadership positions include Space Council Chair for the Aerospace Industries Association, Board member of the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, Membership Chair of the National Space Club, and advisory board member for the Resources of the Future VALUABLES Consortium.

Ms. Connor has a Master of Arts degree in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Idaho.

Marco Surace is a Chartered Professional Engineer with over 20 years of multidisciplinary engineering experience leading high-stakes, mission-critical technology portfolios. As Chief Engineer of APD Space, he specializes in the engineering management, quality assurance, and innovation Management of complex, high-reliability systems.

Marco brings a unique, systems-engineering mindset to the aerospace and space sectors, combining deep expertise in complex electrical/electronic infrastructure with the operational discipline required in critical infrastructure. A proven executive leader, he has successfully managed large, cross-functional engineering teams across electrical, electronic, and cyber disciplines to deliver robust technology frameworks for emerging sectors.

Dr. Victoria Krivova is a Space Systems Engineer at APD Space with expertise in space mission analysis and design, complex systems development, and engineering management of space projects. Having a long history of operating between academia and industry, she brings scientific rigor, engineering discipline, and commercial awareness to work at the intersection of research, engineering, and business functions.

Victoria has a multidisciplinary background, with a BSc in Mathematics and Physics, an MSc in Space Systems Engineering, and a PhD in Management Engineering of Space Programmes. Prior to joining APD Space, she was engaged in the Italian space industry, contributing to the development of a next-gen in-space servicing vehicle and the production optimisation of a novel modular satellite platform.

Professor Simon Ellingsen is an astrophysicist who received his PhD from the University of Tasmania in 1996 and has been in senior academic leadership roles for the last seven years. Simon is the Executive Director of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), a joint venture between Curtin University, the University of Western Australia which receives funding from the Western Australian State Government). The two core objectives for ICRAR are to undertake world class astrophysics research and to translate and implement those research findings for the benefit of the community. He has a particular interest in both the cultural and practical aspects of how to most effectively improve the translation of fundamental research knowledge and techniques into broader applications.

Simon spent over a decade developing capability for the University of Tasmania’s ground-station and space domain awareness infrastructure and building a skilled team which has supported numerous high-profile international spacecraft launches and early operations, particularly with SpaceX and Boeing. He led the construction and subsequent utilization of the UTas 7.3m ground station, funded through an Australian Space Agency Space Infrastructure grant, which is now providing vital data downlink services to Australian companies and providing science data downlink services for a range of missions.

Tom Goerke BE(Hons) GAICD FIEAust CPEng EngExec NER is Engineers Australia’s National President and Board Chair. He became a Fellow in 2021 and joined the Board in 2023.

An electronics engineering graduate from Curtin University, Tom runs an advisory firm specialising in technology and innovation, advising boards on digital transformation. His career spans roles in London with Inmarsat, ICO Global Communications and Cisco UK, co-founding a Singapore startup, and later leading Cisco’s innovation centre program across Australia and New Zealand in partnership with universities, industry and government.

Tom holds multiple communications patents, is an Adjunct Professor at Curtin University, and is passionate about technology, skills development and using digital solutions to accelerate decarbonisation and the transition to net zero.

Nick is responsible for the design, implementation, and operation of workforce development solutions through TAFE Centres of Excellence including the TAFE SA Centre of Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care, and the National Security TAFE Centre of Excellence. Nick leads TAFE SA’s projects supporting the SA Defence Industry Workforce Action Plan. Nick has recently led TAFE SA’s strategic industry engagement with Defence and Space industries.

Before returning to TAFE SA, Nick was the Director, Training & Education, in KHA Defence Solutions and within the Naval Shipbuilding College initiative, where Nick was responsible for collaborating with industry and government stakeholders to design education and training initiatives to address workforce demand risks. Nick has been a member of the SA Defence and Aerospace Industry Skills Council and numerous VET and defence industry training development and advisory groups.

Karan Naidu is a Software Systems Engineer with experience across flight software, mission operations, and systems integration within Australia’s emerging space sector. Alongside completing a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechatronics at University of Canterbury, he also completed a short course in Spacecraft Systems Engineering at University of Auckland.

Karan has contributed to both commercial and national space capability programs with an emphasis on advancing Australia’s sovereign space capabilities through mission operations infrastructure, spacecraft systems, robotics, and operational engineering delivery.

At Gilmour Space Technologies, he worked on the MMS-1 satellite program for the GSAT team, contributing to flight software development and automated testing frameworks supporting spacecraft validation and operational reliability for Australian-developed space systems. The satellite successfully launched in June 2025.

At CSIRO, Karan contributed to the Mobile Mission Operations Centre (MOC) project — a multi-million-dollar national space capability fully funded by the department of Education as part of the iLAuNCH Trailblazer's Universities' initiative which was designed to provide deployable mission operations support for Australian space activities and promote STEM engagement. Serving as Project Supervisor under the direction of the Project Lead, he supported systems integration, engineering coordination, and operational delivery activities of the facility. His contributions included supporting the development of the MOC’s systems architecture, web-based operational interface stacks, and technical infrastructure planning, alongside contributing to CAPEX-level procurement decisions and vendor negotiations associated with the facility build and deployment.
The MOC debuted at the International Astronautical Congress 2025 in Sydney, rolling off the factory floor just four days prior to the event following an accelerated engineering and delivery timeline. The facility later support iLAuNCH's partner Southern Launch during ATSpace’s November launch campaign and assisted mission activities involving partners from Australian National University during the Artemis 2 launch period.
Alongside mission operations work, Karan also contributed to the development of In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) technologies at CSIRO by enhancing robotic rover platforms within the ISRU laboratory at Pullenvale, supporting research and operational capability development relevant to future lunar and planetary exploration missions.

Through his work across spacecraft software, robotics, mission operations infrastructure, systems architecture, and cross-organisational technical coordination, Karan brings a
practical systems-oriented perspective on the challenges and opportunities involved in building long-term sovereign capability within the Australian space ecosystem.

Currently, Karan is contributing to the Australian defense industry through software and systems engineering initiatives, focusing on autonomous systems across government and international sectors. With his expertise in spacecraft software, robotics, and systems architecture, he brings a practical, systems-oriented perspective to the Australian space ecosystem.

I am an experienced adviser with well-developed policy analysis, research, preparation, development and communication skills. Being highly efficient and motivated, I am committed to overcoming any number of professional challenges whilst working effectively as part of a team or individually. I am highly adept at establishing and nurturing relationships with key stakeholders across Government Departments, Private Business, Non-Government Organizations and Media outlets.

I am a former lawyer and published author, having released my first book - The Wellness Doctrines for Law Students and Young Lawyers - in October 2015. That self-published title peaked at #2 on iTunes (Body, Mind & Soul category) and has sold over 8,000 copies across all six continents.

My second book, The Wellness Doctrines for High School Students, was published in early May 2018, following which I spoke at numerous conferences across the country, including the Melbourne Writers Festival and Somerset Story Fest.

I currently work as the editor of Lawyers Weekly and am a board director of Minds Count.

Darin is an experienced director who has over 30 years of experience in defence, space, international and political studies, and large-scale transformation projects both in Australia and the United States.

As the Executive Director of iLAuNCH Trailblazer, Darin is responsible for the program that will build Australia’s sovereign space capability by addressing critical gaps and accelerating the development of space launch manufacturing. Darin most recently was a Director of Space for the South Australian Space Industry Centre (SASIC) which saw him formulate and execute the State’s space strategy to build an enduring space industry for South Australia. Prior to that, he managed the virtual warfare lab for Boeing PhantomWorks (International). He is a military veteran of more than 25-years, working on operations, strategy, and capability development for the Air and Space domains.

His extensive space experience also includes: Chief of Australia’s Space Operations Centre (AUSSpOC), Chief of Strategy to the US Executive Agent for Space within the Pentagon, and staff officer in Australia’s joint Defence Space Coordinating Office.

Dr Paul Compston is CEO, Director and Co-founder of New Frontier Technologies (NFT) Pty Ltd, an advanced manufacturing SME specialising in design, additive manufacture and digital twinning of carbon-fibre composite structures for applications in Space and other high-performance industry sectors. Paul had a 20+ year career as an industry-focused researcher in the field of advanced composites, including one previous start-up company, prior to establishing NFT. He has worked with several national and international partners, including the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Boeing Australia, the Ford Motor Company, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and Thermo Fisher Scientific. A feature of his academic career was development of pathways for industry-focused learning for students at undergraduate and higher degree research level, and creation of talent pipelines required for future high-tech industries such as Space.

Paul is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia (FIEAust), an Honorary Professor in the Research School of Physics, ANU, and a visiting Professor at the Technical University of Munich Germany.

Paul Moonie is Founder & CEO of Halocell Energy, a pioneering Australian company commercialising perovskite solar PV. With over two decades of hands-on experience in scaling next-generation solar technologies — including leading the world’s first dye-sensitised solar cell pilot line — Paul is driving the transition of lightweight, high-efficiency perovskite modules from R&D to commercial production. His expertise spans photovoltaics innovation with strong applications in space, defence, and agricultural energy solutions.

Martyn is a corporate and commercial partner at Norton Rose Fulbright in Sydney. He has specialist sectoral expertise in the space sector accumulated over more than 30 years. Martyn is recommended by the key legal directories and has been named as one of the ‘top 10’ TMT legal advisors in Asia Martyn’s practice covers transactional, contentious and advisory matters. In the space sector, he has acted in matters such telecoms regulatory and licensing, radiofrequency licensing and disputes, inter-governmental disputes, law reform, orbital slots, satellite financing, rocket launches, satellite capacity leases and contracts, satellite disputes and litigation, regulatory investigations, M&A, JVs and commercial negotiations/deals. He also has specialist expertise in international law, including as a board member of the international law section of the Law Council of Australia. He has attended Harvard University and Oxford University. He has published well over 100 publications. Qualifications: PhD(Law), CME(Harvard), LLM(Law), MFin(Corporate Finance), LLB(Hons), BA(Economics)(Hons), BSc, GAICD.

Daniel Joinbee is a proud Gunggandji man, former Air Traffic Controller and Managing Director of Gunggandji Aerospace, Australia’s only 100% Aboriginal and veteran-owned aerospace consultancy. Drawing on experience across the military, government and industry, Daniel is passionate about creating long-term employment and career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through initiatives including Raising Horizons and SPARAS, he advocates for practical, culturally aware approaches to workforce participation, leadership and stronger relationships between industry and community.

Natasha Disha is a Senior Manager at the Australian National University (ANU) Institute for Space (InSpace), where she leads strategic initiatives that connect research, industry, government, and international partners to accelerate the commercialisation and operational translation of space technologies.

A member of Engineers Australia, Natasha has contributed to Australia's space and defence-adjacent workforce as both an academic and program leader. As a Program Manager within iLAuNCH, an Australian Government-funded Trailblazer Universities Program, she managed a several industry-research collaboration projects spanning space health, earth observation, and hypersonic technologies, with a focus on translating innovation into commercial and operational outcomes.

Natasha has also led ANU's space education initiatives, working closely with domestic and international partners to strengthen Australia's talent pipeline and develop the skilled workforce needed to support the growth and sovereignty of the nation's space sector.

In 2024, Natasha was recognised as an Emerging Space Leader by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). In 2026, she was named one of the six finalists for Female Space Leader of the Year – Academia at the Australian Space Awards.

Passionate about the future of Australia's space industry, Natasha is a strong advocate for industry-research collaboration, workforce development, and international engagement, helping position Australia as a globally competitive space nation.

Aude Vignelles is Titomic President of the Asia Pacific Region (APAC), world leading provider of kinetic fusion solutions and delivering advanced additive manufacturing for aerospace, oil and gas, maritime and defence. Until April 2024, Aude served as the inaugural Chief Technology Officer of the Australian Space Agency, where she was instrumental in developing the civil space strategy's technical roadmaps, scoping and managing the Agency’s space programs and delivering on domestic and international activities. Prior to this role, Aude was the Executive Manager of Satellite & Fixed Wireless Operations at NBN. Aude is a space and aeronautics engineer, graduating from ENSICA (now ISAE-SUPAERO) in Toulouse, and began her career at the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Netherlands. Having lived in Australia for the past 25 years, Aude has significantly contributed to the Australian space community and the establishment of the Australian Space Agency.

Terry van Haren is Vice President of Strategy at DroneShield (ASX:DRO) and a Director at the Space Industry Association of Australia. Prior to these roles he established LeoLabs Australia, a space surveillance subsidiary which built the West Australian Space Radar in Collie in Western Australia.

Terry established joined these innovative deep technology industries after 35 years of service as a Commander, Director, fighter pilot and weapons officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. Terry is a four times combat veteran with recognised distinguished service. His last military assignment was as the Air and Space Attaché to the USA.

Terry believes that cooperation, between Defence, Government Departments, Agencies, and commercial industry, is the key to Air and Space power for like-minded responsible aerospace nations such as Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Mahjabin Akter (MJ) is the Chief Operations Officer of Spiral Blue, a space company building LiDAR satellites to deliver measurement-grade data for climate and Earth observation. She has built multiple revenue-generating businesses from scratch and specialises in translating complex technical products into real-world markets. At Spiral Blue, she leads customer acquisition, partnerships, and operations across climate and space sectors.

Jason Bender is Deloitte’s Asia Pacific Space Leader, working across Australia, Japan and the wider Asia Pacific region to help organisations navigate growth, investment, commercialisation and emerging opportunities in the space economy.
He advises high-growth technology companies, space and defence primes, investors, universities and governments on strategy, market development, industry growth and the adoption of space-enabled technologies. His work spans the full space value chain, from launch and sovereign capability development through to Earth observation, geospatial intelligence and downstream applications across critical industries.
Based in Australia and active throughout the Asia Pacific region, Jason works closely with government agencies, industry leaders and investors to strengthen international partnerships, accelerate commercial outcomes and connect regional capabilities with global markets. He has played a leading role in supporting collaboration between Australia and key space nations including Japan, helping organisations identify opportunities for investment, innovation and export growth.
A serial entrepreneur and business builder, Jason has founded, scaled and exited multiple technology ventures across Australia and Europe. He brings more than 30 years of experience in technology, innovation and business growth, with a focus on translating emerging technologies into sustainable commercial impact.
Jason is a Global Advisory Council Member of the Singapore Space & Technology Think Tank and a passionate advocate for growing Australia's role in the Asia Pacific and global space economy.

Ben Hartig is a Research Engineer focused on Space Systems Engineering, Optical Tracking and Orbital Dynamics. He is also completing a PhD studying the application of Deep Reinforcement Learning to these fields. As a founding Space Science and Technology Centre member, he has contributed across multiple programs, including the Desert Fireball Network, FireOPAL and Binar Space Program. Ben’s current role at the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy aims to bring together optical and radio capabilities to track natural and artificial space objects with integrated multi-domain observatories.

Gregory Cohen, received a B.Sc.(Eng) Electrical and Computer engineering, a MSc (Eng) and a BCom(Hons) in Finance and Portfolio Management from the University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa in 2007, 2008, 2010, respectively, and a joint PhD in signal processing and neuromorphic engineering from Western Sydney University, Sydney Australia and the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, France.

Prior to returning to research from industry, he worked in several start-ups and established engineering and consulting firms including working as a consulting engineer in the field of large-scale HVAC from 2007 to 2009, as an electronic design engineer from 2009 to 2011, and as an expert consultant for Kaiser Economic Development Practice in 2012. He is currently the Director of the International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems (ICNS) at Western Sydney University and program lead for neuromorphic algorithms and space applications.

Dan Nevius is Head of Partnerships at HEO, where he leads the company's GEO expansion and led the project that acquired Continuum-1, Australia’s first sovereign sub-meter resolution satellite.

Before joining HEO, Dan worked at McKinsey on AI and Decarbonisation strategy and was Co-Founder and CEO of Hedron, a Boston-based startup building a network of small satellites that used RF and optical communication to provide a data relay service for remote sensing satellites. Earlier, as Director of Special Projects at Planetary Resources, the asteroid mining company, he worked on business development and strategy for the CERES constellation, a network of hyperspectral remote sensing satellites, alongside the company's longer-term asteroid prospecting vision. He also worked briefly at BCG in London and at the Space and Science Branch of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Dan graduated from Harvard Business School in 2017 and earned an MSc in Space Science and Engineering from UCL, an MPhil in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, where he researched methods for 3D printing large structures on the Moon using local materials, and a BS in Engineering and Astrophysics from Harvard University. He was selected for the Forbes "30 under 30" list in Science.