2023 STATE OF SPACE INDUSTRIAL BASE WORKSHOP-CMRCL LAUNCH SECTOR (Space Florida), May 2-3, 2023, Cape Canaveral, FL

Space Florida will convene the 2023 State of the Space Industrial Base Workshop–Commercial Launch Sector Working Group at Exploration Park, Florida (near Cape Canaveral) from May 2-3, 2023.

The workshop is part of the annual State of the Space Industrial Base conference series sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), U.S. Space Force, the Air Force Research Lab, and co-hosted by NewSpace New Mexico.

In-person attendance is invitation only, but one may register to attend virtually at this website.

More information is in the emailed press release from Space Florida, which is reproduced below:

EXPLORATION PARK, Fla. —April 27, 2023—Space Florida, the state’s aerospace finance and development authority, will host the 2023 State of the Space Industrial Base Workshop —

Commercial Launch Sector Working Group on, May 2-3, 2023, in Exploration Park, Florida. The workshop is part of the annual State of the Space Industrial Base conference series sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), U.S. Space Force, the Air Force Research Lab, and co-hosted by NewSpace New Mexico. For space experts interested in participating, in-person and virtual registration can be found here: SSIB Commercial Launch Sector Registration.

The annual workshop, themed “Building Enduring Advantages in Space for Security and Prosperity,” enters its fifth year of bringing together key stakeholders to address the current state and future opportunities in the rapidly evolving space industry.  

“We are proud to again host this event. There is no better place to hold a working group on the commercial launch industry than in Florida, the gateway for the commercial space industry,” said Frank DiBello, president and CEO, Space Florida. “This workshop provides a unique platform for meaningful discussions and collaborations, with the aim of advancing the commercial launch sector and driving the future of space exploration.”

Focusing on the commercial launch sector, the Florida-based working group session will convene leading space companies, government agencies, and key U.S. military and defense organizations—including the U.S. Space Force—to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities. The discussions will explore topics such as financing of infrastructure; operating spaceports in contested, degraded and operationally Limited (CDO) environments; and new maritime components in spaceports. The goal of this meeting is to foster advancement and growth in the commercial launch sector.

“As global competition in the commercial space launch market heats up, we recognize that more work must be done to sustain U.S. and allied leadership in this critical area of the new space economy,” said Steve Butow, Director of DIU’s Space Portfolio. “A whole-of-government approach is required to ensure a diverse and competitive marketplace to meet commercial, civil and national security space launch requirements and this workshop will focus on how to achieve that outcome.” 

The workshop will feature informative panel discussions, engaging keynote speeches, and interactive sessions, providing ample opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange among participants. Attendees will have the opportunity to have input into the final 2023 State of the Space Industrial Base report.

For more information visit the event website to register and get updates on keynote speakers. Additional sessions are set to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico and in Mountain View, California.

Cumulating in a State of the Space Industrial Base Report set to be published following the last session, the recommendations aim to provide counsel to the the National Space Council, senior policymakers across the executive departments, congress, the venture capital (VC), and investor community, and the broader commercial space ecosystem.