NASA Administrator James F. Brindenstine will be the featured speaker at the 2019 Michigan Aerospace Manufacturing Association Space Symposium, Sept. 9-10, at the Park Place Hotel and Conference Center in Traverse City.
The two-day event will focus on developments in low Earth orbit activity, the nascent Space Force, hypersonic systems, nano/microsatellite networks/constellations, ground- and space-based missile defense systems, and the Michigan Launch Initiative.
The $70-million Michigan Launch Initiative, announced at the 2018 Space Symposium, envisions launching single-stage, 55-foot-long, 50-inch-diameter rockets from northern Michigan (utilizing unused military bases) and from airplanes. The rockets would contain small, advanced satellites needed for the rollout of autonomous vehicles and other high-speed communication needs.
The effort is being led by the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association in Sterling Heights, a trade group. The State of Michigan recently awarded $2 million to the effort, with private investors expected to fund most other project needs.
The 2019 Space Symposium will feature presentations from more than 30 experts in the field detailing the various opportunities space offers for the private sector. Bridenstine’s talk is titled “The Need for Space Commercialization.”
Current aerospace industry prime contractors will be on hand at the conference to outline their supply chain strategies and needs for anyone looking to enter the space business.
Other notable speakers at the 2019 MAMA Space Symposium include Lt. Gen. J.T. Thompson, commander of the Air Force Space Command’s Missile Systems Center; Chris Beauregard, policy analyst at the National Space Council; Gavin Brown, executive director of MAMA; and Daniel Shanahan, senior sales manager for The Boeing Co.’s Space and Missile Systems Division.
For more information and to register, visit the MAMA here.
