<div class="ituContainer"> Patricia Cooper is a leading expert on satellite communications, regulation and space policy, and is the founder of the space consultancy, Constellation Advisory, LLC, where she advises smart space and satellite ventures and international projects. </div> <div class="ituContainer"> For six years, Cooper led Government Affairs for the Starlink satellite broadband constellation project at Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), where she secured Federal Communications Commission authorization for a record 12,000 satellites, and market access in more than 30 countries. She advocated for updates to spectrum, telecom competition and space safety regulations in the US and around the globe to support the coming generation of satellite networks. Today, Starlink serves over 2 million users worldwide with a constellation of over 6,000 satellites in over 70 countries. </div> <div class="ituContainer"> Prior to SpaceX, Patricia was an executive at geostationary satellite fleet operator Intelsat and as for nearly 7 years, President of the Satellite Industry Association (SIA), the leading trade organization representing U.S. satellite operators, manufacturers and service providers. At SIA, Patricia advocated in regulatory and national security arenas, for fair trade and competition rules internationally, and spearheaded a successful bipartisan, bi-cameral legislative initiative to reform satellite export control legislation. Previously, Patricia had served in both the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Commerce, and led international outreach at two start-ups, CoreExpress, an Internet fiber infrastructure play and PanAmSat Corporation, a disruptor in the early satellite services market. </div> <div class="ituContainer"> Patricia holds a Master’s Degree with Distinction in International Economics from the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and German from Kansas State University (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa). </div>    

Dr. Scott Pace is the Director of the Space Policy Institute and a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. In addition, he formerly served as the Director of the International Institute of Science and Technology Policy as well as the Master of Arts program in International Science and Technology Policy. Dr. Pace is also a member of the faculty of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. His research interests include civil, commercial, and national security space policy, and the management of technical innovation. Dr. Pace rejoined the faculty of the Elliott School in January 2021 after serving as Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council from 2017-2020. From 2005-2008, he served as the Associate Administrator for Program Analysis and Evaluation at NASA. Prior to NASA, Dr. Pace was the Assistant Director for Space and Aeronautics in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). From 1993-2000, Dr. Pace worked for the RAND Corporation's Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI). From 1990 to 1993, Dr. Pace served as the Deputy Director and Acting Director of the Office of Space Commerce, in the Office of the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Commerce. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Harvey Mudd College in 1980; Master’s degrees in Aeronautics & Astronautics and Technology & Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1982; and a Doctorate in Policy Analysis from the RAND Graduate School in 1989. Dr. Pace received the Order of the Rising Sun with Gold and Silver Stars from the Government of Japan in 2021, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Group Achievement Award in 2020, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal in 2008, the US Department of State’s Group Superior Honor Award (GPS Interagency Team) in 2005, and the NASA Group Achievement Award (Columbia Accident Rapid Reaction Team) in 2004. He has been a member of the US Delegation to the World Radiocommunication Conferences in 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2007. He was also a member of the US Delegation to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Telecommunications Working Group, 1997-2000. More recently, he has served as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in 2009, 2011-17, and 2022-2024. Dr. Pace was a member of the NOAA Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES) from 2012-2017 and was the Vice-Chair. Dr. Pace is a former member of the Board of Trustees, Universities Space Research Association, a Member of the International Academy of Astronautics, an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a Fellow of the American Astronautical Society. ‎ ‎ ‎

Dr Tanja Masson-Zwaan is Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University. She is President Emerita of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) and a former Vice President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). She co-authored ‘Introduction to Space Law’ (5th ed., Kluwer 2025) and chairs the Board of Editors of Kluwer’s journal Air and Space Law. Her PhD dissertation ‘Widening the Horizons of Outer Space Law’ was published in the Meijers Series of Leiden Law School. Tanja advises the Dutch Government and other institutions on space law issues and was co-founder of the Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group. The Dutch Government appointed her as an arbitrator for space-related disputes at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. She is an elected full member of professional associations such as IISL, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and the International Law Association (ILA). She was a Member of the Founding Boards of the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL) and of Women in Aerospace-Europe, and is an Honorary Board Member of Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC). Tanja received several awards and is a Member of Honour of the Netherlands Space Society (NVR). In 2020 she received a Royal decoration as ‘Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau’ for her work in space law.

Prof. Guifei Jing is currently Professor for LBS/EOS applications at Beihang University. In 1991 and 1994, he obtained a Bachelor's and Master's degree from Peking University respectively. In 2004, he received a Ph.D. from Beijing Normal University. From 1994 to 1997, he was a teaching assistant and lecturer at the Institute of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems at Peking University. From 1997 to 2017, he served as an assistant Chief, Chief, and Deputy Director at High-tech Department and National Remote Sensing Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology. From 2017 on, he was a Researcher at Beihang University and served as the Dean of Beidou Silk Road School during 2017-2019. Now he is a professor at School of Space and Earth Sciences of Beihang University and serves as the Deputy Director of Regional Center of Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (China) (Affiliated to the United Nations). He served as Deputy leader of Beidou System International Cooperation Expert Group, and member of Group on Earth Observation (GEO) Planning Board (PB). He was one of  the creators of Xihe System（羲和系统), a seamless indoor and outdoor positioning system of Ministry of Science and Technology of China, and main personnel involved in creating navigation and location service discipline in China.