Australian Space Summit to be a 2-day extravaganza in 2024

Following the sold-out event earlier this year and back by popular demand, the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition will be held over two days in 2024 with an even bigger program.

Now in its third year, the summit will take place on Tuesday, 28 May and Wednesday, 29 May 2024 at ICC Sydney. Click here to buy tickets.

Swinburne University astronomer Professor Alan Duffy will assume emcee duties.

The conference will cover a range of topics, including strengthening aerospace ties between Australia, the US, and the UK under the AUKUS alliance, and how Australia is shaping the ASEAN space landscape.

It will delve into the challenges of and opportunities in hypersonic technology, defence strategies for the space domain, and space-specific cyber security approaches and frameworks to protect space assets in the digital age.

Attendees will be treated to multiple keynote addresses on the state of the space industry and how it will become a driving force in the broader economy.

This year’s summit will cover four key pillars of the space industry:

VIEW ALL

• Space industry evolution: Discover the intricacies of the space industry and how to navigate regulatory frameworks, sustainable practices, technological disruptions, and cross-industry collaborations, while prioritising diversity to fuel innovation.
• Space sovereignty: Explore the defence sector’s short and long-term strategy roadmap for the space domain, the significance of space as a strategic asset for defence, and how defence will collaborate with the space industry, research institutions, and international partners.
• Space innovation: Dive into the latest satellite advancement and sustainable solutions, as well as how new applications could provide opportunities for growth and better quality of life.
• Space marketplace: Understand how space could open doors to business development locally and globally to fuel economic growth and the expansion of the Australian space industry.

Speakers

Presenting at the summit are international space leaders like Lynn McDonald, who is the vice-president of test and flight operations at Blue Origin (founded by Jeff Bezos).

Loredana Santo, professor of manufacturing processes at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, will deliver a session on the new challenges facing suborbital flight, boosting research in microgravity through suborbital flight and recent experiments, flight opportunity, and updates on the frontier of space research.

Other speakers include Australia’s first astronaut, Dr Paul Scully-Power, the adviser to industry on government space relations Anntonette Dailey, as well as Dr Joni Sytsma, chief technology officer at the University of Southern Queensland’s iLAuNCH Program.

Equatorial Launch executive chairman and group chief executive officer Michael Jones, EOS Space Systems executive vice-president James Bennett, and Hypersonix Launch Systems’ co-founder Michael Smart will also deliver sessions.

Day one

The first day of the summit will begin with an industry update and the current state of play in Australia’s space industry.

This will be followed by a panel discussion on how to expand the space industry through education and workforce development and tackle the skills gap, increase youth engagement, and encourage collaboration with other industries, businesses, and research institutions.

Modernising airspace regulations will also be in focus as speakers provide an update on Australia’s ongoing efforts to overhaul regulations to enable the incorporation of the latest developments in aviation technology.

Thought leaders will unpack the draft recommendations made by the government on improving diversity in STEM and shed light on how to increase diversity and counter bullying to build a more equitable landscape.

Day two

On day two, speakers will explain the core principles and capabilities of Earth observation (EO), government applications (including environmental monitoring, disaster management, and national security), and how funding cuts could impact EO programs.

Space medicine and space tourism will be in the spotlight, with speakers exploring challenges, market trends, innovative solutions, and the broader implications for healthcare and the environment, respectively.

Members of the space industry will hear about how the finance and insurance market is evolving to meet the unique needs of the space industry, as well as how the industry could commercialise space to ensure that it becomes relevant to consumers and the economy.

Defence Connect would like to thank all its partners for supporting the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2024, including:

• Platinum partner: Investment NSW
• Gold partners EOS and Leo Labs
• Event partners: Advanced Navigation, Boson Engineering, Depth Logistics, Equatorial Launch Australia, Hypersonix Launch Systems, LEAP Australia, and Scitek
• Legal partner: King & Wood Mallesons
• Supporting partner: Young Astronauts Club
• Philanthropic partner: One Giant Leap Australia
• Research partner: Agile Market Intelligence

Click here to book your tickets and ensure you don’t miss out!

For more information, including agenda and speakers, click here.