The SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition launched in 1981 with the goal to connect and unite the satellite industry as we headed towards new frontiers. Over the past 41 years, SATELLITE has served the satellite and space communities and broadened the scope of content to encompass professionals in commercial markets benefiting from satellite technology and applications, such as broadcasting, media & entertainment, government/military, aviation, maritime, automotive, financial, healthcare, telecommunications and more.
SATELLITE has a history of being the largest business gathering, innovation platform, and media event of the year. A few examples of industry developments announced at SATELLITE:
• Boeing revealing the industry’s first all-electric communications satellite bus 702SP (2011).
• Jeff Bezos appears to reveal Blue Origin’s first commercial satellite launch customer (2017) and its first lunar lander, Blue Moon (2019).
• Elon Musk appears to announce commercial satellite launch service on Falcon 9 (2009) and remote/rural broadband service on Starlink (2020).
• SES becomes the first global satellite operator to sign a launch contract with SpaceX, a major endorsement for the new launcher, and the first operator to sign for a reusable launch (2012 & 2016).
• Former O3b visionary and founder of Isotropic Systems Jon Finney reveals the industry’s smallest multi-band, all-in-one terminal (2018)
• Hughes reveals Jupiter-1 and Jupiter-2 satellites and issues manufacturing contracts (2008 & 2013).
• Antenna manufacturers ThinKom, Kymeta, Ball and Phasor reveal phased-array or beam-forming antenna systems (2012-2020).
• Silicon Valley investors, joined by executives from Google, Planet, and Spire, proclaim the start of a golden age for “New Space” companies and entrepreneurs (2014).
• Iridium reveals its 2nd generation NEXT Constellation (2010).
• NGC (formerly Orbital ATK) reveals the first commercial in-orbit servicing contract with Intelsat for its MEV-2 (2018).
• Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides and Virgin Founder Richard Branson announce plans to service the commercial satellite industry with a reusable, suborbital launcher (2015).
The Pillars of the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition:
Content - SATELLITE is universally recognized as the world’s most critical and inclusive social gathering of space and satellite thought leaders. Executives, engineers, government officials, and commercial customers convene at SATELLITE to solve global challenges, bridge the digital divide, increase access to space, cultivate new innovation and future leadership, collaborate on policy, and network with colleagues and peers. SATELLITE proudly invites industry leaders to share the same stage with young professionals and entrepreneurs and engage in discussions that will shape the future of commercial space.
Exhibit Show Floor - The burgeoning space-based economy, accompanied by an innovative ground ecosystem, is driving the industry further than ever before with new technologies that change how we live. As the evolution of technology accelerates, it’s apparent that satellites have never before been so integral to such a broad scope of industries. On the exhibit hall floor, you’ll find the latest innovations, technology, and solutions on display.
Networking - Even in this age of technology, nothing compares with face-to-face interactions with people you would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. You never know what new partnership could arise in a place you’d least expect, and if you aren’t there to seize it, your competitor will instead. At SATELLITE, you’ll make invaluable connections, meet new friends, catch up with old colleagues, and seal the deal that was too important for an email. We’re facilitating connections between all segments of the satellite industry and beyond.