The Mitchell Institute’s Aerospace Nation Podcast

Policy Paper Release: Scale, Scope, Speed, and Survivability: Winning the Kill Chain Competition

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to listen to the rollout of our newest policy paper: Scale, Scope, Speed, and Survivability: Winning the Kill Chain Competition by Heather Penney. She was joined by Brig Gen Richard A. Goodman, Commander, 57th Wing.

In this report, Penney explains how “kill chain” is an enduring framework for the process of securing battlespace effects. Often, this means putting a bomb or missile on target, all while the adversary is attempting to do the same against U.S. forces. Winning this kill chain competition matters. Due to the rapid advance and proliferation of technology in an era of peer competition, the dominance of U.S. kill chains is eroding. This report proposes four principles—scale, scope, speed, and survivability—to successfully guide Air Force efforts as they develop capabilities and operational concepts that can successfully deter and, if necessary, prevail against the People’s Liberation Army. This research report helps lay out key considerations necessary for understanding how to build kill chains that can win now and into the future.

Schriever Spacepower Series: Maj Gen Shawn N. Bratton

The Mitchell Institute invites you to listen to the Schriever Spacepower Series with Maj Gen Shawn N. Bratton, Commander, Space Training and Readiness Command. Maj Gen Bratton joins us to discuss Space Force training, education and doctrine, and STARCOM’s contributions to space warfighting.

Aerospace Nation: Lt Gen Richard Moore & Lt Gen Philip A. Garrant

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to listen to Aerospace Nation with Lt Gen Richard G. Moore, Jr., Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, United States Air Force and Lt Gen Philip A. Garrant, Deputy Chief of Space Operations, Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements, United States Space Force. The general officers discussed the nature of modern adversary threats, cooperation with allies and partners, and how our forces are preparing to overcome operational challenges in this vast and unique theater.

Spacepower Security Forum 2023 | Closing Keynote: Dr. Lisa A. Costa, SES, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO), USSF

Mitchell Institute Spacepower Security Forum 2023 
April 5, 2023, Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, VA.

Closing Keynote: Dr. Lisa A. Costa, SES, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO), USSF:
Dr. Lisa A. Costa, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the first permanent Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO) of the United States Space Force. In this role, she is charged with unlocking and harnessing innovation to leverage increased speed and advantage.

Spacepower Security Forum 2023 | A Vision for Proliferated Orbits and Small Satellites

Mitchell Institute Spacepower Security Forum 2023 
April 5, 2023, Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, VA.

A Vision for Proliferated Orbits and Small Satellites:

Space Force leaders have repeatedly discussed the advantages they expect to accrue by placing a larger number of smaller, simpler satellites into orbit as part of integrated, collaborative low earth orbit constellations. Not only does this promise to deliver capability in a faster, lower-cost fashion, it also eliminates single points of failure. This panel will discuss this vision and provide an update regarding how Space Force leaders are seeing this concept evolve—driven both by operational requirements and the threat.

Moderator: Gen Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence

Brig Gen Timothy A. Sejba, Program Executive Officer, Space Systems Command
Brig Gen Timothy A. Sejba is the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power and the PEO for Battle Management, Command, Control, and Communications, Space Systems Command. He directs two diverse portfolios of over 60 programs and $12B+ encompassing a wide-range of mission areas, which include space domain awareness, space control, strategic warning and surveillance, defensive cyber operations, innovation and prototyping, and operational and tactical command and control systems.

Col Eric Felt, Director of Space Architecture and Integration, USSF
Col Eric Felt is the Director of Space Architecture & Integration of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition & Integration.

Robert Atkin, Vice President of Asymmetric Systems Group, General Atomics-EMS
Robert Atkin is the Vice President of the Asymmetric Systems Group with GA-EMS. Prior to this he was the President and CEO of Tiger Innovations Inc. which specialized in developing spacecraft and space-related systems for a broad range of US Government customers and particularly small, lightweight and low-power innovative solutions.

Charles Galbreath, Senior Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence

Spacepower Security Forum 2023 | Lunch Keynote: Dr. Derek Tournear, Director, Space Development Agency

Mitchell Institute Spacepower Security Forum 2023 
April 5, 2023, Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, VA.

Lunch Keynote: Dr. Derek Tournear, Director, Space Development Agency:
SDA is responsible for unifying and integrating the Department’s space development efforts, monitoring the Department’s threat-driven future space architecture, and accelerating fielding of new military space capabilities necessary to ensure U.S. technological and military advantages in space.

Spacepower Security Forum 2023 | Space’s Role in North American Defense: Missile Warning and Tracking

Mitchell Institute Spacepower Security Forum 2023 
April 5, 2023, Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, VA.

Space’s Role in North American Defense: Missile Warning and Tracking:
Adversaries are increasingly developing long-range strike missiles that legacy ground-based radars are unable to track in the time needed to provide warning and cue defenses. They are also fielding anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons to degrade or destroy existing U.S. space-based missile warning sensors. This panel will explore operational concepts and associated technologies required to address these threats.

Moderator: Lt Gen Joseph T. Guastella, Jr, USAF (Ret.), Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Lt Gen DeAnna M. Burt, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear, USSF
As the Chief Operations Officer, Lt Gen Burt has overall responsibility for Operations, Sustainment, Cyber, and Nuclear Operations of the United States Space Force.

Edward Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris
Ed Zoiss is responsible for business strategy, financial performance, successful execution and growth for the segment. This segment includes an extensive portfolio of solutions in intelligence, surveillance, space systems, space superiority, electronic warfare, mission avionics, wireless solutions and C4I systems.

Tim Ryan, Senior Fellow for Space Studies, The Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence

Spacepower Security Forum 2023 | A Mission to Protect and Defend Assets in Space

Mitchell Institute Spacepower Security Forum 2023 

April 5, 2023, Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, VA.

A Mission to Protect and Defend Assets in Space:
Space is no longer a peaceful domain, but instead a region increasingly contested both kinetically and non-kinetically by U.S. adversaries. As in any other domain, it is not sovereign, and forces must be able to protect U.S. freedom of action. This demands that the U.S. national security space community, particularly Space Command and the Space Force, consider new strategies, operational concepts, and associated technologies that will ensure desired effects can be secured in the face of hostile adversary action on orbit. This panel should consider discussing concepts that will be highlighted in response to the FY23 NDAA language requiring an unclassified study on this subject.

Moderator: Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Maj Gen David N. Miller, Director of Operations, Training and Force Development, USSPACECOM
As the J3, Maj Gen Miller is responsible for executing full-spectrum space operations, maintaining credible space deterrence capabilities, providing analytical planning support, combatant command’s participation in joint and combined exercises, and for the education, training, and assessments of assigned and attached space forces.
Gen Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), Explorer Chair, Mitchell Insitute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence
Gen Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.) is the Explorer Chair at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE). General Chilton served for 34 1/2 years in the Air Force, was a three-time astronaut, and was Commander of U.S. Strategic Command.

Stacy Kubicek, Vice President & General Manager for Mission Solutions, Lockheed Martin
Stacy Kubicek is Vice President and General Manager for the Mission Solutions line of business within Lockheed Martin Space. In this role, she is responsible for approximately 4,400 employees and an annual sales base of over $1.5B in support of government defense and intelligence agencies.

Spacepower Security Forum 2023 | Opening Keynote: Gen B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations

Mitchell Institute Spacepower Security Forum 2023 

April 5, 2023, Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, VA.

Opening Keynote: Gen B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations:

As Chief, Gen Saltzman serves as the senior uniformed Space Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipping of all organic and assigned space forces serving in the United States and overseas.

Operational Imperative Series: Defining the Next Generation Air Dominance System-of-Systems

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies invites you to listen to the next session of our Operational Imperative Series on Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD. Join us for a panel discussion with the Air Force leaders collaborating on this imperative: Maj Gen R. Scott Jobe, Director of Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Air Combat Command; Maj Gen Heather L. Pringle, Commander, Air Force Research Laboratory; Maj Gen Evan C. Dertien, Commander, Air Force Test Center; and Brig Gen Dale R. White, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft.

Autonomy, combined with 6th generation weapon system performance, is what our nation needs to meet the challenges of the future threat environment. Our panelists provide substantive insights on NGAD, ranging from requirements definition and program management to leading-edge engineering approaches and technology development.