Global Space Innovators Exhibit at the Annual Satellite Show in Washington DC

The 2024 Satellite Show was held in Washington DC from March 18-21 at the Washington Convention Center. This annual event is the premier US symposium for the space and satellite communities, bringing together industry and technology experts and innovators from around the world. This year’s conference, which has been a key industry event since 1981, showcased the growth of the industry as nations and companies accelerate their orbital infrastructure development in an increasingly competitive market. 

Several Days, Several Insightful Panels

Numerous panels were held throughout the week as technology leaders discussed the convergence of cellular and satellite networks. In the Opening General Session, leaders from Comtech, Viasat, EchoStar, Iridium, Globalstar, and John Deere outlined the key issues during the Opening General Session at Satellite 2024 on March 19th. Nicole Robinson, Chief Growth Officer of Comtech, explained that the conversation had shifted from raw megahertz and transponders to the true capability provided and the use case. EchoStar’s President and CEO, Hamid Akhavan, expressed that his company was fortunate to be at the confluence of having both technologies and networks in-house.

Mark Dankberg, Viasat Co-Founder and CEO, saw huge opportunities ahead as terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks converged. He discussed how this convergence would involve a complete rethinking of the space segment, the ground segment, and the go-to-market through partner countries. Dankberg, who was also the Chair of the Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA), a new organization focused on promoting the direct-to-device (D2D) ecosystem, while acknowledging technology progress, believed that there was still a lot of work to do in space.

Government and Industry Collaboration Key to Cooperative Advances

In another session, panelists discussed public-private partnerships and their potential to create connections across technology differences. Five industry leaders took the stage to address the challenges of secure and reliable space access, communications, and other issues, emphasizing the need to enhance collaboration and connectivity. The leaders acknowledged that public-private partnerships are crucial in ensuring equitable access to digital resources and opportunities and promoting shared insights on how public-private partnerships can be established to leverage the strengths of both sectors. The discussion underscored the need for increased collaboration and connectivity, and the potential of public-private partnerships to drive progress in the satellite industry.

Awards and Commendations Across Industry Sectors

Distinctive accomplishments in space technology were highlighted at the event, with awards announced for work and innovations by companies, teams, and team leaders:

• 2023 Satellite Executive of the Year Award: Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space
• 2023 Satellite Technology of the Year Award: GSOA, ESA, EchoStar, Thales, Inmarsat, Intelsat, and Individual Contributors – 3GPP NTN Standards
• Annual Startup Space Competition: TrustPoint

The Satellite Show returns next year, March 10th – 13th, 2025, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.