NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PROPULSION SYSTEMS

Jason B. Mello is the CEO and Co-Founder of The KMC Group, LLC. Jason provides executive-level strategic consulting to the Defense, Intelligence, and Space sectors for both commercial and government customers. With a focus on corporate strategy and business execution, Jason works with companies by providing strategic solutions, government engagements, proposal support, and advisory services to C-suite leaders focused on driving revenue and growth. Jason is a sought-after speaker, community leader, and mentor to support STEM in schools.

Previously, Jason served as the President of Firefly Space Transport Services (STS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Firefly Aerospace Inc., leading Firefly’s Government Relations, Capture & Proposal Team and its Federal and Commercial Business Unit focused on commercial, civil, and military requirements for space transportation. During his time at Firefly, Jason’s leadership and key government relationships led to the company’s divestiture of its foreign ownership. Leading revenue, he secured multiple commercial launch agreements along with developing a multi-year billion-dollar pipeline key to future growth. Specifically, Jason captured the company’s 1st U.S. Space Force contract to fly the United States Space Force’s VICTUS NOX responsive space mission along with securing major contracts with Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, etc. Jason’s strategic acquisition expertise was key to Firefly’s Northrop Grumman partnership to build a future medium launch vehicle.

Before joining Firefly, Jason served as a Colonel in the United States Air Force at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), where he held the role of Chief Research and Technology Officer. In this capacity, he oversaw an annual portfolio of over $500 million and 62 senior scientists and engineers responsible for researching and developing future technologies crucial to the Air Force and Space Force.

Prior to his time at AFOSR, Jason was the Director of the National Intelligence Portfolio, where he led the oversight team for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment overseeing a $9 billion annual portfolio of intelligence community programs. He has a proven history of leading various classified and unclassified satellite and intelligence programs. He led the first Launch Acquisition Division at the National Reconnaissance Office, where he spearheaded the use of small launch vehicles for National Security while executing a $1B annual budget. Jason served at the White House for three years as a White House Military Social Aide. In his 23 years in the Air Force, Jason led in multiple acquisition and operations positions vital to the National Security of the United States.

Jason holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from George Washington University, a Master of Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Jason values family and community. He is happily married with three children and actively contributes to his community as a volunteer for youth baseball and his church. He also serves as the President of the Ashburn Village Community Association, a thriving community with over 5,300 homes and more than 20,000 residents.

Dr Ane Aanesland is a Norwegian deep-tech entrepreneur with deep roots in scientific research. She is the co-founder and CEO of ThrustMe, an industrial space startup providing innovative propulsion solutions to maneuver satellites in space. In 2020, ThrustMe became the first company to successfully demonstrate an iodine-propelled electric propulsion system in space and now they deliver industrialized products to clients worldwide and are baseline on large EO satellite constellations.

Ane received the Innovation Medal of the Centre Nationale De La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in 2019 and was appointed by the French Government as an ambassador for its France 2030 space strategy in 2022.

Dr. Alexis Harroun is the founder and CEO of Juno Propulsion Inc., a new space startup located in Seattle, WA. Juno Propulsion is developing the next generation of high fuel efficiency rocket propulsion. Prior to Juno, Dr. Harroun earned her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University. She has previously worked at NASA, Blue Origin, and the Boeing Company.

As Vice President at Busek, Mr. Hruby oversees the growth of the firm’s propulsion portfolio, which includes advanced Hall effect thrusters, gridded ion thrusters, and electrospray propulsion solutions. His leadership has been instrumental in securing over $250 million in funding for groundbreaking technical developments, flight demonstrations, low-rate production, and high-volume constellation programs.

Since joining Busek in 2014, Mr. Hruby continues the work of transforming the company into a dynamic R&D and high-volume propulsion manufacturing leader. Today, Busek ships hundreds of thrusters, kits, and integrated systems annually in support of a range of commercial, defense, and civil customers.  Prior to his tenure at Busek, Mr. Hruby held key operating and management positions in both venture-funded tech startups and Fortune 500 companies.