CONSTELLATIONS: IMPLICATIONS OF MULTI-MISSION DEVELOPMENTS

Tim has over 30 years of experience across the telecom and satellite industries, having worked for leading consulting firms in both the UK and US. In 2002, Tim founded his own consulting company, TMF Associates, based in Menlo Park, CA, which has supported numerous operators, suppliers and investors, on market and technical analysis, business planning, and due diligence assignments. He was President of MSUA from 2006 to 2015 and since 2016 has been an independent director of Marlink.

Dr. Victor Aguero, a co-Founder of Cambrian Works is now serving as CEO and CTO. Cambrian Works is a startup focused on developing the commercial potential in space through the establishment of key space infrastructure.  Cambrian Works is currently supported through a combination of Space Systems Command, Space Development Agency, and National Science foundation funding, as well as initial commercial sales of space networking products.

Until mid-2020, Dr. Aguero served as a Senior Principal Research Engineer at SRI International, where for nearly 23 years he worked as a space technology developer and architect. His primary areas of interest had been space systems and advanced technology related to small satellites, satellite constellations, and enabling novel space missions. Dr. Aguero founded the small satellite program at SRI supporting the DoD/IC community by focusing on technology innovations, developments, and mission concepts during the mid-2000s through 2020. While at SRI, Dr. Aguero’s work led to eight patents, over 15 publications in refereed journals, and participation in over 13 on-orbit missions. His most recent work focused on communications and networking architectures for LEO constellations and clusters, and applications of robotic space systems.  The Cambrian Works team is now applying associated developments to commercial space.

Prior to joining SRI, Dr. Aguero worked two Space Shuttle missions carrying out research and engineering for the NASA Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1, 1992), its re-flight (TSS-1R, 1996) and associated payloads. During his graduate student years, Dr. Aguero also helped found and lead the Stanford University Small Satellite Program through the late-1980s to early 1990s. Dr. Aguero holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Viktor has been working on satellite systems engineering through various positions at EnduroSat for the past 6 years. He took the role of CTO in early 2021 and has been responsible for the company’s satellite-as-a-service and satellite hardware products portfolio since. His background in theoretical physics and numerical programming drives him towards formal descriptions and modelling of all technological aspects from the early mission phase to in-orbit operations. His previous role as a Mission Manager at the company has placed him in direct communication with many of EnduroSat’s customers, helping him to bridge the gap between technical and business needs.

Viktor holds a MSc in Theoretical Astrophysics from Sofia University of Bulgaria and his PhD from the same university in early 2023. He is also a graduate of the Innovation & Growth program of Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Debra Facktor leads the Airbus U.S. Space Systems line of business, with a focus on small satellites produced for commercial and government customers at the company’s manufacturing facility in Merritt Island, Florida, and on space exploration activities in the U.S.

Debra sits on the board of directors for Starlab Space LLC, a joint venture between Voyager and Airbus to build and operate a next-generation commercial space station. She also served on the board of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites joint venture prior to its recent acquisition by Airbus U.S.

Before joining Airbus U.S., Debra was Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Operations for Ball Aerospace, leading the company’s Washington DC operations, strategic development, and marketing and communications.

She is actively engaged as an advisor and mentor in the aerospace community, serving as chair of the Space & Satellite Professionals International-Women in Space Engagement (SSPI-WISE) and is a fellow of AIAA, the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and an academician of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).

Debra received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and is an alumna of the International Space University summer session program in Strasbourg, France.

Lyon (Brad) King is a plasma-physicist-turned-street-fighting CEO and Co-founder of Orbion Space Technology. Brad earned his PhD from the University of Michigan studying Hall-effect thrusters before they were cool. Over his three-decade career in academia he has conducted R&D on almost every exotic propellant you can imagine flowing through a Hall thruster, with additional work in the areas of electrospray propulsion, arcjets, and spacecraft/ionosphere interaction for defense and intelligence customers. Since co-founding Orbion Brad has transitioned away from the easy discipline of rocket science and into the much much more difficult discipline of manufacturing: Orbion Space Technology is an AS9100-certified vertical manufacturing company that builds and ships 100s of high-performing, high-quality electric propulsion systems each year.