Small Satellites & Space Sustainability: Why You Should Care

Mr. Chris Carella, EVP, Business Development & Strategy at Benchmark Space Systems, has held technical and business leadership roles at organizations ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies. Prior to joining Benchmark Space Systems, Mr. Carella contributed to the commercialization of several technologies including health monitoring, advanced structures, and power and propulsion innovations for EVTOL and broader aerospace markets. Following several years in mechanical engineering roles, he led prognostic vehicle health and military aftermarket business for United Technologies Corporation, where he successfully introduced innovative technologies to both commercial and military markets. Mr. Carella has led M&A transactions, FAA steering committees, and has contributed to industry organizations across aerospace and energy technology segments. He has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and an MBA from Clarkson University. | Click here for presentation

Ms. Tzu-Wei Fang is a space scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA/SWPC). Her expertise is in numerical simulation of ionosphere and thermosphere environment. She has been leading the development and the operational effort for the ionosphere-thermosphere forecast models at SWPC. She oversees the modeling plans within SWPC as well as directly interacts with customers and users to set requirements. She shared more information about space weather and the details of their forecast model and products that are relevant to satellite drag. | Click here for presentation 

Ms. Therese Jones serves as the Senior Director of Policy at the Satellite Industry Association, where she supports work on regulatory, legislative, defense, space sustainability, cybersecurity, export control and trade issues of critical importance to the Association’s 60+ member companies. Previously, Therese was an assistant policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, where she focused on space policy, and prior to that worked as an astrophysics researcher focusing on galaxy formation and evolution. Therese holds a master's in Policy Analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, a master’s in astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and bachelor’s degrees in astronomy and astrophysics, physics, German, and international studies from The Pennsylvania State University.  In her spare time, she works on numerous initiatives supporting students and young professionals entering the space industry, including co-founding the Zed Factor Fellowship, founding the AIAA Diversity Scholarship, serving on the Board of Advisors of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, and serving as a founding partner of spaceinterns.org.

 Mr. Dan Oltrogge is the Director of the Center for Space Standards and Innovation, Director of Integrated Operations, and space policy expert at COMSPOC Corporation, program manager of the Space Data Center, founder and administrator of the Space Safety Coalition, U.S. Head of Delegation to ISO TC20/SC14, and the author of numerous technical papers, international space standards, and industry best practices. | Click here for presentation