Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- Annual summit addressing space system resilience, cybersecurity, and threat intelligence across the full lifecycle of space capabilities
- Designed for senior leaders, engineers, and policy makers from government agencies, defence contractors, commercial space companies, and academia
- Covers supply chain security, digital engineering, AI in space operations, lunar infrastructure, and irregular warfare
- Features classified and unclassified sessions, tabletop exercises, and dedicated student programming
- Frameworks discussed include SPARTA, D3FEND, digital twins, and threat intelligence orchestration
Introduction
The 2026 Space ISAC Value of Space Summit (VOSS VII), co-hosted by The Aerospace Corporation, convenes leaders from space operations, cybersecurity, and threat intelligence communities to address the growing complexity of protecting space-based infrastructure. As satellite systems become increasingly integral to economic activity, national security, and civilian services, the need for coordinated defence strategies has intensified. This year’s theme, “Resilience by Design: Building, Operating, and Defending Space Capabilities,” reflects a shift toward embedding security considerations throughout the entire lifecycle of space systems rather than treating them as afterthoughts.
About the Value of Space Summit
VOSS VII is a multi-day forum held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, bringing together government agencies, defence contractors, commercial space operators, academic institutions, and nonprofit organisations. The summit operates across classified and unclassified tracks, enabling discussions that range from publicly shareable threat intelligence to sensitive operational security matters. Interactive tabletop exercises complement traditional panel sessions, providing participants with hands-on experience in responding to simulated space-based threats.
The event includes dedicated programming for students and faculty, recognising that workforce development represents one of the sector’s most pressing challenges. By engaging the next generation of space cybersecurity professionals early, the summit aims to address persistent talent shortages that affect both government and commercial operators.
Primary Discussion Topics
The technical programme spans several interconnected domains. Space system resilience forms the central thread, examining how operators can design, build, and maintain systems capable of withstanding both cyber and kinetic threats. This connects directly to supply chain security, where vulnerabilities in component sourcing and software dependencies create potential attack vectors that adversaries can exploit long before a satellite reaches orbit.
Digital engineering and digital twins feature prominently, reflecting the industry’s broader adoption of model-based approaches that enable continuous testing and validation throughout a system’s operational life. These methodologies pair naturally with discussions of artificial intelligence in space operations, including emerging concepts around agentic AI systems capable of autonomous decision-making in contested environments.
The programme also addresses lunar infrastructure as space agencies and commercial operators prepare for sustained presence beyond Earth orbit, introducing new security considerations that differ substantially from those governing traditional satellite constellations. Multi-domain mission integration and irregular warfare sessions examine how space capabilities intersect with terrestrial military operations and how adversaries might employ unconventional tactics against space assets.
Frameworks and Technologies Under Discussion
Several established frameworks provide structure for the summit’s technical conversations. SPARTA (Space Attack Research and Tactic Analysis) offers a taxonomy for understanding adversary behaviours specific to space systems, while D3FEND provides a complementary knowledge graph of defensive countermeasures. Together, these frameworks enable more precise communication about threats and mitigations across organisational boundaries.
Threat intelligence orchestration platforms, including those developed by Cyware Labs, demonstrate how automated sharing mechanisms can accelerate response times when vulnerabilities or active threats emerge. The METEORSTORM framework also features in discussions around coordinated threat analysis.
Industry Context
The space sector operates in an environment where commercial and government interests increasingly overlap. Constellations providing communications, Earth observation, and positioning services now underpin critical infrastructure across transportation, agriculture, finance, and emergency response. This dependency creates attractive targets for state-sponsored actors and criminal organisations alike.
Regulatory frameworks have struggled to keep pace with technological change, leaving gaps that complicate both compliance and enforcement. The summit provides a venue for policy makers and operators to discuss these challenges directly, potentially informing future governance approaches.
Who Should Attend
The summit serves professionals across multiple disciplines and seniority levels. Chief information security officers, chief technology officers, and directors of engineering will find strategic content addressing organisational resilience. Technical staff benefit from detailed sessions on specific frameworks and defensive techniques. Policy leads and researchers gain exposure to operational realities that inform regulatory and academic work.
Participating organisations typically include agencies such as NASA, US Space Command, the UK Space Agency, and JAXA, alongside defence contractors and commercial space companies of varying scale.
Conclusion
VOSS VII represents a focused effort to strengthen collaboration between government, industry, and academic stakeholders responsible for space system security. By emphasising resilience as a design principle rather than an operational add-on, the summit addresses fundamental questions about how the space sector can maintain reliable services in an increasingly contested domain.