ABU DHABI SPACE DEBATE AGENDA
Gathering industry and government from the highest level, this two-day event is set to debate the space industry’s most pressing challenges and drive the new space economy.
ABU DHABI SPACE DEBATE AGENDA
MON 05 DECEMBER
09:30WELCOME REMARKS
Keynotes:
H.E Sarah Al Amiri | Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, Chairwoman | UAE Space Agency
09:45THE NEW GEOPOLITICS OF SPACE
- How can we strengthen international law for the use of space?
- Is the work of UNOOSA and COPOUS being undermined by the return of the space race?
- As strategic capabilities become economic opportunities how do we balance fair use with the protection of economically and strategically vital space assets?
Moderator:
Stephen Sackur | Journalist & News Anchor | BBC
Panellists:
Dr. George Friedman | Geopolitical Forecaster and Strategist on International Affairs; Founder and Chairman | Geopolitical Futures
H.E. Omran Sharaf | Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Advanced Science and Technology | Chairman, UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
William Alberque | Director of the Strategy, Technology, and Arms Control | International Institute for Strategic Studies, Berlin
Peter Round | President | Royal Aeronautical Society
Neil Morisetti | Vice Dean (Public Policy), Faculty Engineering Sciences | University College London
Anitha Nandhini | Director of International Cooperation | Department of Space, India
10:30ENSURING THE SECURITY OF NATIONAL SPACE ASSETS
- What is the impact of political turmoil on space commands?
- What are the benefits and threats of establishing space forces?
- Assessing the changing landscape of international space operations
- Sustaining safe and secure space operations
Moderator:
- William Alberque | Director of the Strategy, Technology, and Arms Control | International Institute for Strategic Studies, Berlin
Panellists:
Dr. Robin Geiss | Director | United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
Brigadier General Thierry Blanc | Deputy Commander | French Space Command
John Hill | Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space and Missile Defense | U S Department of Defense 
Col. Kazuki Tamai | Commander of Space Operation Group | Japan Air Self-Defence Force
11:00SPACE EXPLORATION CONSORTIUMS: EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION?
Are space consortiums polarising developments?
- Updates from signatories - what are the milestones of the Artemis accords and how are they progressing?
- Discussing how signatories are governing private sector commercial activities and the utilisation of space resources
- Developing stronger international cooperation and collaboration for civil space exploration and use of outer space
Moderator:
Dan Murphy | Anchor and Correspondent | CNBC
Panellists:
Dr. Sang-Ryool Lee | President | Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)
Dr. Hiroshi Yamakawa | President | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
H.E Dr. Muhammad Al-Tamimi | Governor of the Communications, Space, & Technology Commission | Saudi Arabia
Serdar Hüseyin Yildirim | President | Turkish Space Agency (TUA)
Lionel Suchet | Chief Operating Officer | CNES
12:00OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY
Speakers:
Isaac Herzog | President | Israel
Dr Jitendra Singh | Minister of State | Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, India
13:00NETWORKING BREAK
13:45KEYNOTE INTERVIEW
Keynotes:
H.E Faisal Al Bannai | Secretary General | Advanced Technology Research Council
Moderator:
Emma Brain | Presenter | Dubai TV
14:00THE ROLE OF FOREIGN POLICY IN ENABLING SPACE DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Moderator:
Becky Anderson | Anchor and Correspondent | CNN
Panellists:
H.E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani | Minister of Foreign Affairs | Kingdom of Bahrain
H.E. Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy | Minister of State for International Cooperation | United Arab Emirates
H.E. Orit Farkash-Hacohen | Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation | Israel- Dr Jitendra Singh | Minister of State | Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, India
14:30SPACE SUSTAINABILITY VERSUS SUSTAINABILITY OF SPACE
- Building the dialogue for a new space accord
- How do we balance the economic viability of the space economy with the maintenance of the space environment?
- Is regulation effective or even possible and space access technology and cost barriers are erased?
- In the longer term, is a sustainable space environment the only route to prevent space from becoming too expensive again?
- Will there be a ’CFC moment’ in space which will trigger a moratorium on space debris?
Moderator:
- Stephen Sackur | Journalist & News Anchor | BBC
Panellists:
Steven Freeland | Emeritus Professor; Professorial Fellow | Western Sydney University, Australia; Bond University, Australia
Mike Gold | Chief Growth Officer | Redwire Space
Dr. Anton Ivanov | Executive Director - Space, Propulsion and Space Research Center | Technology Innovation Institute (TII)
Wang Cheng | Secretary General | China Space Foundation
Erika Wagner | Senior Director Emerging Space Markets | Blue Origin
Lynette Tan | Chief Executive and Board Member | Singapore Space and Technology Limited (SSTL)
15:00KEYNOTE INTERVIEW
Keynotes:
Sulaiman Al Ali | Chief Commercial Officer | Yahsat
Moderator:
- Emma Brain | Presenter | Dubai TV
15:15THE RISE OF PRIVATE SECTOR IN SPACE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
- Debating the complicated role of private sector in space exploration
- Uncovering the risks and benefits of privatisation
- Understanding what governments can do to enhance private sector participations and how they can drive innovation by alleviating risk for the private sector
Moderator:
- Mike Gold | Chief Growth Officer | Redwire Space
Panellists:
Dr.-Ing. Thomas Reiter | Interagency Coordinator and Advisor to the Director General | European Space Agency (ESA)
Jeffrey Manber | President of International & Space Stations; Board Chair | Voyager Space; Nanoracks
Jean-Marc Nasr | Executive Vice President Space Systems | Airbus Defence & Space
Radhakrishnan Durairaj | Chairman and Managing Director | NSIL - NewSpace India Limited
Hervé Derrey | President & CEO | Thales Alenia Space
TUE 06 DECEMBER
09:00INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS: SPACE SECURITY. SPACE ACCESSIBILITY, SPACE SUSTAINABILITY
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Reducing Space Threats: Lead by Kari A. Bingen, Director, Aerospace Security Project and Senior Fellow, International Security Program
-
Space Access: Lead by: Steven Freeland, Emeritus Professor; Professorial Fellow, Western Sydney University, Australia; Bond University, Australia
- Space Sustainability: Lead by: Simonetta Di Pippo, Director, SEE Lab (Space Economy Evolution Laboratory), Professor of practice of space economy, SDA Bocconi School of Management
10:00THE BIG DEBATE: MANAGING THE MEGA CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH MEGA CONSTELLATIONS
- Mega constellations vs. sustainability advocates
- Managing space debris
- Weaponised demonstration in space
- Debating the security and safety risks created by the uncontrolled launch of mega constellations
- What programs can be put in place to avoid overcrowding of space whilst still ensuring inclusivity
- Developing a sustainable governance system for LEO whilst private utilisation of space increases
Moderator:
Ryan Duffy | Managing Editor | Payload Space
Panellists:
Alex Fielding | CEO | Privateer Space
Laith Hamad | CEO & Board Member, OneWeb NEOM JV VP, Government and Regulatory Engagement | OneWeb
Michel Friedling | CEO | Lookup Space
Dan Ceperley | CEO | LeoLabs
Ian Christensen | Director of Private Sector Engagement | Secure World Foundation
Adnan Al Muhairi | Chief Technology Officer | Yahsat
10:50THOUGHT LEADERSHIP KEYNOTE
Speaker:
- Dr. George Friedman | Geopolitical Forecaster and Strategist on International Affairs; Founder and Chairman | Geopolitical Futures
11:10VIRTUAL ADDRESS
Speaker:
Sen. Bill Nelson | Administrator | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
11:20MULTIPLYING THE IMPACT OF SPACE AGENCIES
- How can space agencies have a transformational impact on the space environment?
- How are they utilising space as driver for economy and advancement of science & technology?
- How can competition between newly established space agencies and established agencies be channeled to capture the energy of the space race?
- How do we redefine what it means to be a space agency in the age of commercial space programmes?
Moderator:
- Ryan Duffy | Managing Editor | Payload Space
Panellists:
- Sen. Bill Nelson | Administrator | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
H.E Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi | Director General | UAE Space Agency
Christian Hauglie-Hanssen | Director General | Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA)
Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. | Director General | Philippine Space Agency
Ricardo Conde | President | Portugal Space Agency
Dr. Aleksandra Bukala | Head of Strategy and International Cooperation Department | Polish Space Agency (POLSA)
H.E Dr. Mohamed Ebrahim Al Aseeri | CEO | National Space Science Agency
12:10NETWORKING BREAK
13:00POLICIES TO DRIVE SPACE TECH INNOVATION
- Rapid innovations in space tech need a proactive and responsive policy environment
- How are governing bodies preparing for the space innovations of tomorrow?
- What are the most successful approaches to driving innovation and development?
- Which technologies will be revolutionary for our utilization of space?
Moderator:
- Neil Morisetti | Vice Dean (Public Policy), Faculty Engineering Sciences | University College London
Panellists:
Jonathan Hung | Executive Chairman | Singapore Space and Technology Limited (SSTL)
Dr. Rolf Densing | Director of Operations | European Space Agency (ESA)
Simonetta Di Pippo | Director, SEE Lab (Space Economy Evolution Laboratory), Professor of practice of space economy | SDA Bocconi School of Management
Dr. Ray Johnson | Chief Executive Officer | Technology Innovation Institute (TII)
Keren Shahar | Senior Deputy Legal Adviser | Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
13:50SHARED GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL SOVEREIGNTIES
- How do we control the mega-constellation space race?
- How can we build a shared space infrastructure?
- Is there a common understanding of the scale and scope of the risks space faces from uncontrolled constellations?
- What can we learn from global telco - are we building a backbone or a web?
- Will there be an international regulatory body for space data?
Moderator:
Matthew Cochran | Chairman and CEO | Defense Services Marketing Council
Panellists:
Hermann Ludwig Moeller | Director | European Space Policy Institute- Dr.-Ing. Thomas Reiter | Interagency Coordinator and Advisor to the Director General | European Space Agency (ESA)
Dr. Ine Steenmans | Associate Professor in Futures, Analysis and Policy Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy | University College London
14:20THREAT INTELLIGENCE AND CYBER DEFENSE FOR SPACE ACTIVITIES AND BEYOND
- Discussing regulations and standards for hacker proofing technologies across the entire space supply chain
- Unified approach to mitigate the complex cyber risks and securing the safety and security of space assets and infrastructure
- Enhancing security of space assets to ensure security of the country’s critical assets
Moderator:
- Matthew Cochran | Chairman and CEO | Defense Services Marketing Council
Panellists:
Maj. Gen. Clint Crosier | Director, Aerospace and Satellite Solutions | Amazon Web Services
Rear Admiral DATO' Shamsuddin Bin HJ Ludin | Director General Defence Cyber & Electromagnetic Division | Malaysia Armed Forces 
Rod Drury | Vice President – Global Business Strategy & Business Development | Lockheed Martin Space
Retired Lt. Gen. Steven L. Kwast | Lieutenant General (Ret) | United States Air Force
15:05MINISTERIAL DIALOGUE: SPACE IN NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMMES
- A ministerial discussion on science and technology development and the impact of space programmes
- Capturing national value from science and technology
- Aligning space programme with national science and technology development goals
Moderator:
- Becky Anderson | Anchor and Correspondent | CNN
Panellists:
- H.E Sarah Al Amiri | Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, Chairwoman | UAE Space Agency
H.E Dr. Tomasz Rzymkowski | Secretary of State | Poland
H.E. Mehmet Fatih Kacir | Vice Minister of Industry and Technology | Turkey
H.E. Pamela Melroy | Deputy Administrator | NASA
15:50COP28 AND THE SPACE INDUSTRY
Moderator:
Amandeep Bhangu | Presenter and Reporter | Former BBC
Panellists:
Eytan Stibbe | Israeli Astronaut and Founding Director | Vital Capital Fund
Selima Ben Mustapha | Head of Earth Observation Applications | Swedish National Space Agency
Sara Venturini | Climate Coordinator | GEO Secreteriat
Shereen Zorba | Head of the Secretariat | UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment
Kristofer Hamel | Head of Adaptation, Recovery and Humanitarian Response | COP28