Evening Session

GSAW 2025 Evening Session

All times >> Pacific Standard Time
Schedule (Parallel Sessions)
Wednesday – February 26, 2025 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM PT
Session A: Object Management Group (OMG) Space Related Standards Presentation and Evolution Discussion Leads: Justin Boss, Kratos, and Steven MacLaird, ♦ (bios)
Object Management Group (OMG) is an international standards organization that creates and maintains several standards that are widely used in Government and Industry. OMG has developed and maintained standards and specifications including: CORBA, SysML, UAF, SPDX, and numerous others. It is not widely known that OMG also maintains many standards that are widely used in the space domain including C2MS and XTCE. The goal of this session is to present space related OMG standards as well as receive feedback on existing and potentially new areas that could benefit from standards. The evening session will consist of two parts: The first part of the session will highlight the OMG standards that are widely applied in the space domain. Presenters will provide information as to what the specifications are and how are they commonly applied. In addition, tentative roadmaps will also be presented to help attendees understand the currently planned evolution of the standards. A brief question and answer period will follow each presentation. The second half of the session will be interactive with the audience. Guidance will be sought as to areas where new standards might be developed to further aid in ground system development, implementation, and operations. In addition, feedback will be sought on the roadmaps that were presented in the first half of the session to better align with user needs. Participation will allow attendees to have a much-needed voice in ground-related standards development and evolution.
Session B: AI/ML-Powered Ground Operations: A Collaborative Discussion Leads: Steve Brenner, and Curtis Bell, Parsons Government Services ♦ (bios)
The ever-growing complexity of satellite constellations demands a revolution in ground operations. This working session will delve into the transformative potential of AI/ML tec This working session will delve into the transformative potential of AI/ML techniques to achieve this revolution. The session format will be a collaborative discussion, including a panel, with the expectation of fostering a healthy exchange of ideas between industry experts in AI/ML and ground systems. Key Discussion Points: Harnessing the Power of AI/ML for Enhanced Situational Awareness: How can we leverage AI/ML to fuse data from diverse sources, detect anomalies, and predict potential threats, ultimately providing a comprehensive understanding of the space environment for better decision-making? Optimizing Maneuver Planning with AI/ML: What are the potential benefits of employing AI/ML algorithms to optimize maneuver planning?How can such algorithms consider multiple objectives like fuel efficiency, communication coverage, and collision avoidance to create more effective and cost-saving operations? Enabling Autonomous Operations and Human-AI Collaboration: Can AI/ML empower satellites to perform autonomous maneuvers, reducing human intervention and increasing reliability? How can we design AI systems that provide explainable recommendations and support human decision-making, fostering effective human-AI collaboration? Challenges and Opportunities in AI/ML Integration: What are the key challenges in integrating AI/ML into existing ground systems? What are the opportunities for overcoming these challenges and successfully deploying AI/ML solutions? Accelerating AI Development and Deployment for Ground Operations: How can we leverage Parsons’ experience and expertise in AI development, data preparation, testing, and deployment to rapidly develop and deploy robust AI solutions specifically tailored to ground operations? Ensuring Operational Readiness of AI-Powered Systems: What steps can be taken to ensure the successful deployment and ongoing support of AI-powered ground systems? How can we develop robust operations and maintenance procedures to minimize downtime and maximize system availability? This session is designed for a diverse audience, including: Ground Systems Engineers Mission Operations Specialists AI/ML Developers Satellite Communication Experts The panel discussion will be designed to encourage active participation from the audience, fostering a collaborative exchange of ideas and experiences. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, share their own expertise, and engage in open discussions with the panel members. Outcomes: By the end of this session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the following: The transformative potential of AI/ML in revolutionizing ground operations. Key challenges and opportunities associated with integrating AI/ML into existing systems. Best practices for developing, deploying, and maintaining AI-powered solutions for ground operations. Collaborative strategies for leveraging expertise across both AI/ML and ground systems domains. We look forward to a stimulating and informative discussion on the future of ground operations powered by AI/ML
Session C: Geo-QUEST in Action: An Interactive Discussion on Enhancing Situational Awareness and Humanitarian Response through Automation and Machine Learning Leads: David Pietrowski, Jon Orozco, The Aerospace Corporation ♦ (bios)
This session will explore the integration of modern space capabilities with humanitarian aid and disaster response operations through an innovative prototype: Geo-QUEST. Developed by The Aerospace Corporation, this tool exemplifies how automation and machine learning can transform satellite imagery analysis to enhance situational awareness, optimize resource allocation, and inform rapid decision-making for our customer, the United States Space Force. Participants will gain insight into the ecosystem of the Tac-SRT effort and the role the Geo-QUEST prototype plays in it through a panel discussion between experts representing the mission objectives, application developer perspective, and operator (end user) perspective. The discussion will delve into developing user-informed capabilities and the impact of these capabilities on reducing duplication of effort, promoting imagery reusability, and streamlining interagency collaboration by automating complex data searches. Dave Pietrowski will introduce the mission objectives of the Tac-SRT operation cell, underscoring Aerospace’s pivotal role in developing the prototype’s utility in order to inform the USSF’s procurement of these functionalities from external vendors. Jon Orozco will then walk participants through the development progress and capabilities of Geo-QUEST, focusing on leveraging modern web development principles and cloud native infrastructure. He will also be conducting a live demonstration of its querying and object detection capabilities and facilitating audience questions. Audience questions and discussion between presenters is encouraged throughout. We will formally invite participation during this demo portion.
Session D: Building Capacity of NextGen Technology Professionals Lead: Nazanin Sharifi, INCOSE LA SE Education Director ♦ (bio)
GSAW will host an evening session devoted to Space Workforce STEM pipeline and workforce development. The session will feature a panel that will draw upon professionals across industry, government, and academia. Panelists will come from the Space Workforce for Tomorrow industry initiative, Los Angeles Chapter of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), the Society of Women Engineers, California Institute of Technology, University of Southern California and USSF Space Systems Command (SSC). The panel will address: STEM related challenges How to improve STEM collaborative methods The role of science and engineering professionals in fostering continued innovation and interest in STEM Workforce development focused educational & training programs The space industry is at a pivotal moment. With rapid growth across all sectors, we need a strong, vibrant and engaged workforce to stay at the cutting edge of innovation. Making progress to ensure the brightest talent in our ranks is essential to the future success of our industry. The challenges we face are bigger than a single organization. As space leaders, we play key roles shaping culture and setting priorities at our respective companies. We also share common challenges that can benefit by our working together. There is a call-to-action across our industry to come together for a shared purpose; to inspire, prepare, and employ a space workforce that can support the dynamic and complex needs of space missions for generations to come. The future of our industry must be even more educated, innovative, and resilient to stay competitive. We know we can’t afford to leave any talented individuals behind.