MIAMI SPACE SUMMIT 2026 — UPDATED AGENDA
Theme: AI & Space Power | Mission • Capital • Policy | Location: Paradise Plaza Event Space, Miami Design District |Dates: February 5–6, 2026
Miami Space Summit Agenda
Wednesday, February 4th
6:30 pm: Sponsor’s Dinner – Special Guest To Be Announced
Thursday, February 5th
8:00–8:50 AM — Arrival / Networking: Registration & Networking Breakfast
Welcome coffee and informal networking among investors, policymakers, and founders.
8:50–8:55 AM — Welcome & Introduction: John Neal, Executive Director, Space Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
8:55–9:00 AM — Chairman’s note: Charles Beames, Chairman, SmallSat Alliance
9:00–9:40 AM — Opening Keynote: Golden Dome: Continuous Competition
How America's innovation economy, capital markets, and public policy can ensure leadership against global threats.
Speaker: Marcia B. Holmes, Deputy Director of Golden Dome for America
9:40–10:20 AM — Fireside Chat: Policy That Builds, Not Burdens Acquisition reform, dual-use partnerships, and competition for commercial innovation in national programs.
Moderator: John Neal, Executive Director, Space Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Participant: Steve Kitay, Senior Vice President, Space Defense, True Anomaly / Former PSM HASC
10:20–10:40 AM — BREAK
10:40–10:45 AM — Welcome Back: Ben Kron, Senior Manager of Cyber, Space and National Security Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
10:45–11:20 AM — Fireside Chat: Innovation and Speed in Space Acquisitions
Moderator: Jon Estridge, Vice President Operations, York Space Systems
Participant: Col. Tim Trimailo, Director and System Program Director, Commercial Space Office (COMSO), Space Systems Command (SSC)
11:20 AM–12:00 PM — Panel: The Hybrid Space Economy & Congressional Perspectives Integrating government and private capital across communications, PNT, remote sensing, data infrastructure, and AI. Congressional staffers discuss funding priorities and policy direction.
Moderator: Mike Clementi, Senior Vice President, Icebreaker Strategies
Panelists:
Todd Phillips, Senate Appropriations Committee – Defense, Majority Space PSM
Dan Tomanelli, Senate Select Committee Intelligence, Majority Space PSM
John Paul Parker, Founder, Escape Velocity / Former NSSA Board
12:00–12:55 PM — LUNCH BREAK
12:55–1:00 PM — Welcome Back: Jennifer Ross, Founder, Intervallo and Strategic Advisor to SSC Commercial Space Office and Golden Dome
1:00–1:30 PM — Keynote: From Public Investment to Private Enterprise Lessons from Apollo to Artemis: how U.S. policy can catalyze the world's first off-world economy.
Speaker: Jim Bridenstine, Managing Partner, Artemis Group / Former Administrator, NASA
1:30–2:00 PM — Fireside Chat: The Evolution of Space Development Agency From concept to constellation: lessons from building the SDA and implications for commercial space architecture.
Moderator: Charles Beames, Chairman, SmallSat Alliance
Participant: Dr. Derek Tournear, Director of Space Innovation, Auburn University / Former Director, SDA
2:00–2:30 PM — Panel: Investing in Infrastructure Beyond Earth Private equity, venture capital, and sovereign funds on long-horizon returns, risk modeling, and dual-use scaling strategies.
Moderator: Bill Bonner, Founder, Heyford Group
Panelists:
Douglas Jarl, Managing Director, Space, Truist Securities
Matt Norton, Partner and Head of Technology & Government, Madison Dearborn Partners
Luke Fischer, Co-Founder and CEO, SkyFi
Michael Breitenbach, Managing Director, O’Shaughnessy Ventures
2:30–2:40 PM — BREAK
2:40–2:50 PM — State of The Sector The Business Climate from the Washington Perspective.
Speaker: John Neal, Executive Director, Space Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
2:50–3:30 PM — Keynote: Going Public A private equity perspective on the new space sector.
Speaker: Kirk Konert, Managing Partner, AE Industrial Partners
3:30–4:20 PM — Spotlight: Space Florida
Moderator: John Neal, Executive Director, Space Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Presenting Companies:
Robert Long, President and CEO, Space Florida
Andrew Rush, CEO, Star Catcher
Melanie Berg, Founder and CEO, Space R3
4:20–4:55 PM — Fireside Chat: AI-Powered Decision Making in Space Operations
How artificial intelligence is transforming space mission planning, autonomous operations, and enterprise data analysis.
Moderator: Charles Beames, Chairman, SmallSat Alliance
Participant: John Marshall, Chairman, Airia AI
4:55–5:25 PM —Panel: Trusted Data Infrastructure for Highly Regulated Industries Building secure, compliant data foundations for space operations.
Moderator: George Davis, Vice President, Software Engineering, York Space Systems
Panelists:
Bill DeWeese, Co-Founder and CTO, Airia AI
Stephen Murphy, CEO, Promenaut AI
Brian Gamble - Strategic Advisor to the USSF Commercial Space Office
5:25–5:30 PM — Closing Remarks
5:30–7:30 PM — Evening Program: VIP Cocktail Reception Hosted by TrustPoint, Inc at the Miami Space Summit Venue
Friday, February 6th
8:30–9:00 AM — Arrival / Networking: Networking Breakfast Welcome coffee and informal networking among investors, policymakers, and founders.
8:55–9:00 AM — Welcome & Introduction: Dr. Angel Smith, Executive Director, SmallSat Alliance
9:00–9:30 AM — Panel: Space Data as the Enabling Domain From sensor to server to shareholder value: the next generation of space-based data networks.
Moderator: Dr. Angel Smith, President Global Public Sector, Virtru
Panelists:
Melanie Stricklan, Chief Innovation and Advancement Officer, Space Foundation / Former Founder and CEO, Slingshot Aerospace
Debra Facktor, Head of Space Systems, Airbus U.S. Space and Defense
Paula Trimble, Vice President Government Affairs and Strategy, Muon Space
John Paul Parker, Founder, Escape Velocity / Formerly NSSA Board
9:30–10:00 AM — Fireside Chat: Space Talk: Let’s Agree To Disagree
Moderator: Charles Beames, Chairman, SmallSat Alliance
Participant: Dr. John Plumb, Head of Strategy, K2 Space
10:00–10:30 AM — Panel Discussion: Retooling the Industrial Base for New Threats
Moderator: Sarah Mineiro, Tanagra Enterprises
Panelists:
Eric Felt, Founder, Felt Consulting
Casey Anglada Deraad, CEO, NewSpace Nexus
Dr. Russell Teehan, CTO, Space Development Agency / Former Portfolio Architect of the US Space Force, and SMC
Ken Smith, CFO, CesiumAstro
10:30–10:50 AM — BREAK
10:50–11:00 AM — State of The Sector
Speaker: Ron Lau, Senior VP Corporate Development & Capital Programs, Space Florida
11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Panel: Alternative PNT: Beyond GPS The future of positioning, navigation, and timing beyond GPS dependency. Technologies, policy implications, and commercial opportunities.
Moderator: Joe Dodd, Chairman of the Board, NSSA
Panelists:
Douglas Loverro, President, Loverro Consulting
David Mitlyng, CEO, Xairos
Patrick Shannon, Founder and CEO, TrustPoint, Inc.
Dr. Russell Teehan, CTO, Space Development Agency / Former Portfolio Architect of the US Space Force, and SMC
12:00–12:55 PM — LUNCH BREAK
12:55–1:00 PM — Welcome & Introduction: Jennifer Ross, Founder, Intervallo and Strategic Advisor to SSC Commercial Space Office and Golden Dome
1:00–1:30 PM — Keynote: Space Force: Full Spectrum Commercial Support
Speaker: Col. Tim Trimailo, Director and System Program Director, Commercial Space Office (COMSO), Space Systems Command (SSC)
1:30–1:50 PM — Keynote: Environmental Observation and Prediction with New Architectures and Deeper Data Integration
Speaker: Taylor Jordan, Director, Office of Space Commerce (OSC)
1:50 PM–2:20 PM — Panel: AI & Autonomous Operations in Space How ML, autonomous systems, and cybersecurity drive mission success.
Moderator: Lieutenant General John Shaw, (USSF-Ret)
Panelists:
Kate van Dam, Head of Government, SkyFi
Kip Gering, CEO, SpiderOak
Wayne Chung, CTO, Virtru
Tim Newton, Director, Government Strategy, Microsoft
2:20–3:00 PM — Panel: Financing the Next Generation: Alternative Capital Solutions for the Next Half Century Beyond traditional VC: exploring alternative financing structures, credit facilities, project finance, and institutional capital for scaling space companies.
Moderator: Bill Wolf, Managing Partner, Method Capital
Panelists:
Josephine Millward, Partner, OpAmp Capital
Glenn Pollack, Managing Director, Candlewood Partners
Tyler Letarte, Principal, AE Industrial Partners
3:00–3:20 PM — BREAK
3:20–3:30 PM — State of The Sector: NASA International Relations
Speaker: Kathleen Karika, Senior Advisor for the Office of International and Interagency Relations, Office of the Administrator, NASA
3:30–3:50 PM — Keynote: Growth in the New Space Economy: How to Thrive in a Contested Environment
Speaker: Patrick Barrett, Vice President of Strategic Growth, Omni Federal
3:50–4:20 PM — Fireside Chat: Space Talk with ‘Click and Clack’
Moderator: Charles Beames, Chairman, SmallSat Alliance
Participant: Lieutenant General John Shaw, (USSF-Ret)
4:20–4:50 PM — Panel: Investors and Acquisition Policy LPs, VCs, and strategics outline where capital is moving — data, autonomy, infrastructure, and services.
Moderator: Melanie Preisser, Executive Vice President, York Space Systems
Panelists:
John Walsh, Managing Director, Aerospace, Defense and Government Investment Banking, Jefferies
Keats Sexton, Managing Director, Americas Head of Aerospace, Defense & Government Services, UBS
Patrick Barrett, Vice President of Strategic Growth, Omni Federal
Melanie Stricklan, Chief Innovation and Advancement Officer, Space Foundation / Former Founder and CEO, Slingshot Aerospace
4:50–5:20 PM — Spotlight: A Congressman’s perspective on Federal Funding and the Space Industry.
Moderator: Mike Clementi, Senior Vice President, Icebreaker Strategies
Speaker: U.S. Representative John H. Rutherford (FL-5)
5:20–5:30 PM — Closing Remarks
Miami Space Summit Leadership:
Charles Beames, Chairman, SmallSat Alliance
John Neal, Executive Director, Space Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Angel Smith, Executive Director, SmallSat Alliance
Jennifer Ross, Founder, Intervallo and Strategic Advisor to SSC Commercial Space Office and Golden Dome