Safeguarding Earth’s Space Environment

Ian joined the UK Space Agency in January 2020 as Deputy CEO for Project Delivery, responsible for overseeing major National space programmes including Spaceflight, Regulatory Control and UK GNSS.

Prior to this he was Assistant Chief of Staff for Information Warfare and Chief Information Officer for the Royal Navy, where he was responsible for development, delivery and deployment of Royal Navy information, intelligence and communication capabilities, including satellite communications, networks, electronic warfare and cyber. He was SRO for 3 major programmes and commissioned the Royal Navy’s first digital and data lab, delivering an Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and big data capability into the Service using Agile methodology.

His previous appointments include Joint Forces Command, where he was the Programme Director for Skynet 6, the Ministry of Defence Central Staff and the British Defence Staff in Washington, DC. He has served in six warships as a Weapon Engineer, including the previous strike carrier and Fleet Flagship, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS.

Ian has BEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and a MSc in Guided Weapon Systems. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the British Computing Society, an MPLA Alumnus of the Said Business School, Oxford and a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies. He is also a keen aerobatic flyer and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Andrew received his BSc in Mathematical Physics in 2004 then joined Dstl in the area of Ballistic Missile Defence assessing strategic radar sensors that evolved into Surveillance of Space research.  In 2008 he received his MSc in Mathematics of Scientific and Industrial Computation with distinction.

In 2014 Andrew established the Astrodynamics Community of Interest that brings together government, academia and industry to coordinate SSA research.   He led the UK ATV-5 experiment in 2015 for which he received a MOD Chief Scientific Advisor award.  He is currently a principal advisor into the MOD space programme and leads Dstl SSA research.

Chris Blackerby is Chief Operating Officer for Astroscale, a company developing technologies and policies for space debris removal and satellite servicing. Chris coordinates strategic planning and internal management among Astroscale entities in Japan, Singapore, the UK, the US and Israel.

Prior to joining Astroscale, Chris was NASA Attaché in Asia and the senior space policy official at the U.S. Embassy Tokyo from 2012-2017. He worked at NASA since 2003, primarily in developing cooperative partnerships around the world in the fields of science and human space exploration. From 2005-2007 Chris was the Executive Director of the NASA Advisory Council.

Philippe Clerc, holds a Master in International Business Law (1988, University of Burgundy, France) and a Master of Space Studies from the International Space University (1996, Strasbourg). He is alumni of the French higher course on Defense studies, the "Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale" (SN 53°, 2000).

He is currently Chief Officer Compliance and Ethics at CNES and his major fields of professional expertise are Space activities and Law.

He began his career in 1989 as a legal expert at the head office of the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and occupied other responsibilities in this agency as advisor on Subsidiaries and Shareholdings Division (1991-1993) and responsible for relationships with the European Union (1993-1995).

In September 1995, he has been seconded as a student in the first Master of Space Studies at the International Space University in Strasbourg.

Returning to the CNES in 1996, Philippe Clerc was assigned to the General Directorate on Strategy where he was responsible for defining the framework of CNES' new partnership policy toward industry.

Between 1998 and March 2003, he was seconded at the Space Department of the Ministry of Research and Space Affairs where he was responsible for industrial and institutional affairs and space applications as deputy director.

In 2003, he joined Arianespace’s Administration and Finance Directorate as Senior Advisor where he became Deputy Vice-President for Central Legal Affairs in July 2004.

In 2007, he was called to take the head of the CNES’s Legal Department where he was in charge of all the legal issues concerning this agency’s programs and activities.

Robert Condren is the Senior Program Manager for Space Fence within the Integrated Warfare Systems & Sensors (IWSS) line of business at Lockheed Martin.  In this role, Bob drives contract execution and process discipline across the Space Fence program.  He joined Space Fence in 2008 supporting the initial concept definition and risk reduction phases.

Mr. Condren has more than 30 years experience in Lockheed Martin and its heritage companies.  His prior positions include experience on radar development, production and follow-on support for US DoD and international customers with 20 years in program management roles delivering capabilities for naval surface ship, aviation and ground based sensor projects.  

He holds an MS, Electrical Engineering degree from Polytechnic University of NY and a BE, Engineering Science degree summa cum laude from Hofstra University.

He is also a Certified Program Manager and a certified Green Belt with a strong commitment to CMMI Level 5 process discipline and Operational Excellence.

Brig. Gen. Michael E. Conley is the Deputy Commander, Combined Force Space Component Command, U.S. Space Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. As Deputy Commander, Brig. Gen. Conley leads more than 17,000 joint and combined personnel with a mission to plan, integrate, conduct, and assess global space operations in order to deliver combat relevant space capabilities to Combatant Commanders, Coalition partners, the Joint Force, and the Nation. Brig. Gen. Conley plans and executes space operations through four distinct and geographically dispersed operations centers, including: Combined Space Operations Center at Vandenberg AFB, Calif.; Missile Warning Center at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colo.; Joint Overhead Persistent Infrared Planning Center at Buckley AFB, Colo.; and Joint Navigation Warfare Center located at Kirtland AFB, N.M. 

Additionally, Brig. Gen. Conley provides space capabilities such as Space Domain Awareness, space electronic warfare, satellite communications, missile warning, nuclear detonation detection, environmental monitoring, military intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, navigation warfare, command and control, and Positioning, Navigation and Timing; in support of U.S. Space Command and the other Combatant Commands. 

Prior to arriving to Combined Force Space Component Command, Brig. Gen. Conley served as the Commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla., and the Vice Commander of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, N.M. He also previously served as Deputy Director of the Chairman’s Action Group and as a Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 

Brig. Gen. Conley was born and raised in Geneva, N.Y., and received his commission through the United States Air Force Academy in May 1996. Since completing pilot training in 1998, he has operational experience flying the UH-1N, MH-53 and CV-22, with the majority of his assignments in special operations aviation. 

Since 1982 Philip has worked in the space sector. He spent 9 years for Logica (now CGI) working on-site in France, Holland and Germany on a variety of satellite projects. Following his return to the UK Philip was technical manager on several large projects containing mission or safety critical software including the Cassini/Huygens mission to Saturn, the Ariane 5 flight safety system and the European satellite navigation initiatives, EGNOS and Galileo. Philip also provided consultancy on safety critical software systems to organisations such as Astrium (Airbus) and Inmarsat.

Philip moved to Surrey Satellites (SSTL) in 2003 where he helped SSTL close the deal to build Europe's first Galileo navigation satellite, GIOVE-A, which was launched at the end of 2005. Between 2007 and 2010 Philip led the business development activities which culminated in the award of contracts valued at £300m to SSTL to build 22 navigation payloads as part of the Galileo full operational capability.

In 2014 Philip took on the role of Managing Director of Deimos Space UK Ltd, a subsidiary of the Spanish company Elecnor Deimos, a provider of space software products and services and the creator of two Earth observation missions performing Earth imaging. The UK company has grown rapidly since its creation 6 years ago. Since March 2019, Philip has been working as Deimos UK's Business Development Director.

From 2012 to 2018 Philip was chairman of the UK's Royal Aeronautical Society space specialist group.

Simonetta Di Pippo is Director of UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), a position which sees her lead the Office’s strategic, policy and programmatic activites and advising the UN Secretary-General on space related matters. Prior to joining UNOOSA, she served as Director of Human Spaceflight at ESA, and previously also Director of the Observation of the Universe at the Italian National Space Agency, ASI.

She is an Academician of IAA and member of its Board of Trustees.  She is member of WEF Global Future Council on space technology since 2016.  She co-founded Women in Aerospace Europe in 2009.  In 2017, she became a UN International Gender Champion.  She holds a Master’s Degree in Astrophysics and Space Physics from University “La Sapienza”, and Honoris Causa Degree in Environmental Studies, and an Honoris Causa Degree of Doctor in International Affairs. In 2008, IAU named asteroid 21887 “Dipippo” in honour of her contribution to space activities.

Ralph “Dinz” Dinsley is the founder and Executive Director of Northern Space and Security Limited (NORSS), a rapidly growing Space Situational Awareness (SSA) company based in Northumberland, England.

A retired RAF Officer with more than 33 years of service he was an “Air Defender” by choice and “Space Surveillance and Tracking Practitioner” by chance. His distinguished career culminated in leading the MoD operational contribution in 2 significant international programmes and was underpinned as a CAS Fellow, with an MA in Peace and Development from Leeds Beckett University; his dissertation was titled “Critical Perspectives on UK Space Security”.

Since retiring Dinz has taken NORSS from a consultancy project to providing unparalleled UK Space Surveillance and Tracking expertise supporting government, industry and academic space operations. In partnership with Northumbria University, Dinz is exploring the influence of Space Law on developments for Space Traffic Management.

Dr Stuart Eves is a space consultant. He has extensive experience of military space and small satellite technologies, and had a book entitled "Space Traffic Control" published in 2017.

Dr. Brien Flewelling is the Chief SSA Architect at ExoAnalytic Solutions. Focused keenly on optimizing the provision of real-time data and services to commercial and government customers worldwide, Dr. Flewelling works closely with innovative engineers and scientists to establish, develop, communicate, and deliver technical solutions that maintain ExoAnalytics technical edge in providing highest quality of service per dollar observation support to spacecraft operators above 10,000 km.

Dr. Flewelling is an aerospace professional with government, academia, and industry experience and has been recognized in each of those sectors as a thought leader including receiving a Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA). Today Dr. Flewelling leads engagement focused on the developing SDA and STM markets including opportunities to provide flight safety support services, enabling increasingly ambitious space operations, identifying and developing advanced value-added services for space traffic management, and pioneering extensions of SDA capabilities into the Cislunar Regime. 

Jacob (Jake) has been part of the UK Space Agency since 2016, having joined from the Ministry of Defence.  In his current role as Head of Space Surveillance and Tracking Jake leads a mixed team of technical and policy staff responsible for tracking satellites and space debris to reduce the risk of orbital collisions.

Jake’s previous UK Space Agency role was head of national spaceflight policy, where Jake worked with companies, departments and domestic agencies to establish the UK’s first spaceports and space launch vehicles. 

Jake’s career before the UK Space Agency saw him taking several roles in MOD and the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory.  His work has included advising the MOD Operations Directorate on scientific issues during operations in Syria, Iraq, Libya and the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone.  He has worked in a similar role at the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), providing analytical and scientific advice on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Jake has completed three tours of Afghanistan as a scientific advisor or analyst in 2010, 2011 and 2012.  He joined the civil service in 2009, following a career in market research.  Prior to this Jake graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in Psychology.

Niklas Hedman is Chief of Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section (CPLA) of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). He serves as Secretary of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and Legal Subcommittee. He is Secretary of the United Nations Inter-Agency Meeting on Outer Space Activities (UN-Space), which is the central coordination mechanism for space related activities in the United Nations system. He is responsible for the Office’s capacity-building programme in space law and policy.

Before joining the United Nations in 2006, he worked in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, particularly in the areas of ocean affairs and law of the sea; space law and space policy; as well as disarmament and nonproliferation, including PAROS and The Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC). He represented Sweden to COPUOS for 10 years and held various positions, including Chair of the UNISPACE III+5 report A/59/174. He represented Sweden to the final rounds of negotiations on the International Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement (ISS-IGA) and was chief negotiator to the governmental framework agreement on space cooperation between Sweden and the United States of America. He was a member of the International Space Law Committee of the International Law Association (ILA) (2001-2020). He is a member of International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and International Institute of Space Law (IISL). He received IISL Distinguished Service Award in 2017. He serves as a Vice-Chair of the COSPAR Planetary Protection Panel.

 Dr. Jah is an Astrodynamicist and Space Environmentalist. His work is focused on anthropogenic space object behavior quantification, monitoring, and assessment. He's a TED Fellow and a Fellow of AIAA, AFRL, RAS, and IAASS. He's a elected member of the IAA and IISL.

Since 2019, Dr. Krag has been head of ESA's Space Safety Programme Office which is responsible for the Agency's Space Debris, Space Weather and Planetary Defence Activities.

He has previously worked as a Space Debris Analyst in the Space Debris Office of ESA/ESOC located in Darmstadt, Germany. He has worked on the operational conjunction event analysis for various ESA missions, debris risk assessment, mitigation analysis and the Surveillance and Tracking Segment of the European SSA system. 

Hugh Lewis is a Professor of Astronautics in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton, UK.

He has been active in the space debris research community for more than 20 years, is the author of the space debris model DAMAGE and he currently chairs the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee’s (IADC) Working Group on space debris modelling, as a member of the UK Space Agency delegation. In 2011, he was nominated as the UK’s representative to the Expert Group on Space Debris, which reported to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (STSC) Working Group on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities.

Howard Nye serves on the Board of Trustees as the RAeS President Elect.

Howard was educated at Alleyn’s School and read physics at Bristol University. His space career began in 1973 at British Aircraft Corporation, Filton. Following work on the Hubble Space Telescope Solar Array, he become head of the BAe-Bristol solar array group in 1978. In 1980 he joined Vega-Ltd. to prepare ESA Spacelab I operations at ESA-ESOC in Germany, and astronaut training at NASA-MSFC in Huntsville, Alabama, later moving to NASA-Johnson in Houston for the Spacelab 1 mission carried aloft by Space Shuttle Columbia.

He joined ESA in 1983 assigned to the ESA-Giotto mission, playing a lead role in cruise phase operations and the successful encounter with comet Halley in March 1986. He was then concurrently responsible for Hipparcos preparations and post-launch recovery, ISO preparations and as flight director, the unforeseen Giotto Extended Mission to encounter a second comet, successfully completed in 1992.

From 1993, he was responsible for delivery of both the mission operations centre at ESOC and the science operations centre in Spain for the XMM-Newton mission and all related activities until end of the in-orbit commissioning in 2000. In 2002, he led an ESA cooperation involving eight ESA member states, negotiating an agreement in 2004 assigning responsibilities for flight operation of the EU Galileo satellites, valid until 2016.

From 2004, all five ESA establishments across Europe were placed under his responsibility and from 2006, he was additionally responsible for ESA-wide corporate informatics. He transferred to Paris in 2009 to elaborate political and financial solutions for evolution of ESA-HQ, liaising with the Mayor of Paris and French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Responsible from 2012 until end 2014 for ESA-wide organisational change and cost efficiency.

Since 2015, he offers aerospace consulting. He is a Fellow of the Society and Member of the Institute of Physics, fluent in French and German.

Air Operations by background, Group Captain Owens completed early tours in the UK on Air Defence operations (including training, examining and STANEVAL posts) as well as leading data link training and overseeing instructors at the School of ABM. 

As a Squadron Leader, she completed tours at No 2 Group on procurement of the current Air Surveillance and Control System and the Air Warfare Centre as the Executive Officer on the Air C2 ISR OEU before moving to MOD to work as a Military Assistant to the Vice Chief of Defence Staff.  This was followed by a scrutiny job in MOD where she provided scrutiny for RAF Projects and Urgent Operational Requirements, and input to NATO and EU planning and force structures. 

On promotion to Wing Commander she attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College Shrivenham before a tour in the Operations Directorate at the Ministry of Defence (MOD), responsible for UK Operations, MOD crisis facilities and the MOD input to National Counter Terrorism and Resilience Exercises. Following this she served with the Joint Force Air Component Headquarters, the UK deployable Air HQ initially leading A7 Training and Standards were her responsibilities included coordination of training and exercise programmes for UK and deployed Air C2 operations, Expeditionary Air Wing and Air CT training.  Moving into the COS position in March 11 Wg Cdr Owens assumed command of the unit in the UK during operations in Libya.

Wg Cdr Owens commanded RAF Fylingdales October 2011 to January 2014, the RAF’s Missile Warning and Space Surveillance radar in her first dedicated space post.  During this tour, she oversaw re-let of the critical Operations and Maintenance Contract and the 50th Anniversary Celebrations establishing a heritage and children’s exploration centre on base.  On return to the Ministry of Defence she moved to a space post in the Air Staff expanding MOD and broader Defence understanding and involvement in Space.  This included conducting a manning and cadre development review leading the UK input to the AFSPC Schriever Space wargame series and involvement in Head office and governance reviews as well as organising and managing the inaugural Defence Space Conference.  She was also central to UK work on the Combined Space Operations initiative and a range of collaboration activities across Government and with key allies and partners.  She moved to HQ Air Command in July 2018 on promotion to Group Captain into a newly created Space Capability post where she currently leads a small team focused on capability development and delivery and force development.

Operational Tours include the Falkland Islands (1999); an LNO post in the UK Maritime Component for OP TELIC (2003) and a long-range plans post in the ISAF Joint Command in Kabul (2010). 

In what little spare time she has Rayna enjoys running, a variety of multi-sport events, visiting National Trust and English Heritage properties and walking her chocolate Labrador Oban.

Regina Peldszus, PhD, is a senior policy officer with the German space agency, DLR Space Administration, Department of Space Situational Awareness, where she leads the German delegation to the European Union Space Surveillance &Tracking initiative (EU SST), co-chairs its strategic decision-making body, and handles foresight studies at the intersection of space safety and security.

Previously, Regina was an Internal Research Fellow with the European Space Agency at the European Space Operations Centre, Studies & Special Projects Division, and, prior to that, contributed to future systems projects at ESA’s astronaut centre, Special Skills & Exploration Unit. With a background in complex systems, space and arctic studies, her interests in space security include resilience, dual-use, and ground-based infrastructure. She is a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Luc Piguet is the CEO and co-Founder of ClearSpace, a ground-breaking initiative based at EPFL in Lausanne to clear up Space debris. In 2019, the European Space Agency (ESA) selected Luc and his team at ClearSpace to lead a European consortium that will develop technologies to capture and deorbit space debris.

ClearSpace is the result of a long-term project that began in 2012 at the EPFL Space Center (eSpace). Already, the aim of the initial CleanSpace-1 initiative was to develop technologies to capture and deorbit obsolete space objects – such as out-of-use satellites, rocket stages, parts of solar panels, and loose nuts and bolts – that had been put into orbit over the past 60 years and that are now filling up the space immediately above the Earth. These objects orbit our planet at a speed of 28,000 kmph, making them dangerous projectiles for working satellites and astronauts at the international space station. That’s why, in addition to deorbiting future satellites at the end of their useful life, space agencies need to find ways to get rid of the space satellites and debris already up there. Eight countries are involved in the ClearSpace project: Switzerland, the UK, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Sweden.

Luc studied at EPFL, with a degree in Electrical Engineering and an Executive Program at Stanford GSB.

Noelia Sánchez-Ortiz is the Head of the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Business Unit at Elecnor Deimos.

She is a PhD in aerospace engineer working at Elecnor Deimos in the field of Mission Analysis and Space Debris field. Regarding Space Debris activities she has focused on conjunction avoidance research and surveillance and tracking (SST) systems. In this field, she has developed operational systems for collision risk evaluation and object cataloguing software solutions. She has deeply involved on the analysis and definition of the future ESA SST system. In Mission Analysis activities she has focused on orbit determination activities working on the evaluation of capabilities for asteroid deflection estimation. Regarding SSA, among other tasks, she has been in charge of the deployment of a full SST system at DEIMOS, based on optical sensors located in Spain, full processing systems to allow cataloguing of objects observed by the telescopes and compute the orbits to derive SST services. DEIMOS SST solutions are also applied to the different national SST system and supports satellite operators directly.

Apr 2002         Joined Japan Ministry of Defense Headquarters, Southwestern Composite Air Division

Apr 2005         General Affairs Department, Air Staff Office

Apr 2008         Foreign Relations Office, Minister’s Secretariat

Aug 2009         Foreign Relation Office, Defense Policy Division, Bureau of Defense Policy, Ministry of Defense

Apr 2011         Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation Div., Bureau of Defense Policy, MoD

Jul 2014           Assistant Director, Japan-Australia Defense Cooperation Office, International Policy Division, Bureau of Defense Policy

Jun 2017          Deputy Director, Strategic Planning Division, Bureau of Defense Policy

Aug 2020         Present Assignment (Seconded to JAXA)

Air Vice-Marshal Harv Smyth is UK’s Director Space, leading the Space Directorate in the Ministry of Defence (MOD), responsible for defence space strategy, policy, capability planning and cross-government coherency.

Smyth joined the RAF in 1991, and spent 15 years as a frontline Harrier pilot and weapons instructor. He has extensive combat experience from multiple theatres and has had the privilege to command at Flight, Squadron, Station, Force, CAOC and Group levels. In staff, he has a strong background in Capability Development & Delivery of cutting edge programmes, such as F-35 Lightning and Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier. 

Air Marshal Turner was born in 1967 and commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1985.  As Deputy Commander of the Royal Air Force he is responsible for RAF strategy delivery, the workforce, its equipment, training, infrastructure and finance to ensure the Service can deliver air and space power for the nation and project power and influence around the World.  

He was educated at Kingswood School in Bath, the RAF Colleges Cranwell and Bracknell, the Indian Staff College, the UK Higher Command and Staff College, the Royal College of Defence Studies and the UK Pinnacle and US Capstone courses.  He has studied at Oxford, Exeter, Kings College London, Chennai and the Open Universities earning a Masters in International Relations and Strategic Studies and a first degree in Oceanography and Cosmology.

A helicopter pilot, he has flown 86 types, 5100 flying hours, 1850 hours on 19 operational tours in Northern Ireland, Central America, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo, India, Albania, Pakistan and Afghanistan.  He has commanded 28 (AC) Sqn, RAF Odiham, the UK Merlin and UK Chinook Forces, the Special Forces Aviation Wing, the Puma Force in Kosovo, Merlin Force in Iraq, the Chinook, Apache, Lynx and Sea King Forces in Afghanistan and No 22 Group.  Para trained he has completed staff appointments in the UK MoD as the Director of Operations, military planning and media, PJHQ as the head of military planning, Washington as CDS’ Liaison Officer and in brigade, division and corps headquarters.  

He is President of No 1827 (Odiham) ATC Squadron, President of UK Armed Forces Rowing, President of RAF Sports Parachuting, President of RAF Polo, Vice President of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, Vice President of RAF Rugby Union, an Upper Freeman of the Honorary Company of Air Pilots, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute, an oarsman in the Upper Thames and a member of the Light Cavalry in Windsor Great Park. 

He was appointed as an Officer in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as an Officer (OBE) in the 2003 Birthday Honours and promoted to Commander (CBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours. He was appointed a Companion in the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2019 New Year Honours.

Married to Catherine with 2 sons, Richard (28) and Benedict (25), he lives near Henley-on-Thames, is not responsible for two Jack Russell terriers, enjoys rowing, riding, parachuting, flying, watching rugby, occasionally playing polo and skiing badly.

Originally from Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada, BGen Whale enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1986. Achieving Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilot's wings in 1990, he has accumulated flight qualifications and experience on Kiowa, Twin Huey, Griffon and Apache helicopters delivering tactical aviation mobility, reconnaissance, and aerial firepower effects to Joint warfighers. 

His staff experience includes Training and Concept Development at Wing level, Chief of Staff at the Canadian Defence Academy, and strategic level positions at the CAF National Defence Headquarters including: Canadian Forces Transformation Team, Director of Air Strategic Plans, Acting Director General Air Readiness, Special Advisor to the Minister of National Defence, and Director General for Space. 

BGen Whale's command roles have included Army Aviation Attack Platoon Leader, Battalion Battle Captain, Squadron Deputy Commanding Officer, Special Operations Aviation (SOA) Squadron Commanding Officer, Wing Commander, and Joint Force Space Component Commander. 

His international experience includes tactical aviation operations in Germany, Bosnia, and as an exchange officer with US Army Aviation, integration of SOA Detachments in Afghanistan, and as Chief of Current Operations in NATO's Combined Joint Task Force Headquarters, Naples, during operations in Libya. 

His professional development and education include a B.Sc. in Physics, a M.Sc. in Organizational Leadership, the Canadian Army Command and Staff Course, the CAF Joint Command and Staff Program, Basic and Executive space operations, and the National Security Program at the Canadian Forces College. 

BGen Whale's recognized achievements include a US Army Commendation, Commander 1st Canadian Air Division Commendation, Chief of the Air Staff Commendation, and two Chief of Defence Staff Commendations. 

BGen Whale is currently Advisor to the Deputy Commander, Headquarters US Space Force, Peterson AFB, Colorado. 

Joanne is a leading expert in the field of satellite regulation and commercial contracts, having worked at Ofcom, the European Space Agency and for over 20 years in private legal practice in this area. She was awarded an MBE for services to the UK space industry in 2017. She is ranked Tier 1 in legal directories.

Joanne won the Financial Times European Legal Innovator of the Year award in 2014. She is the co-founder and Chair of the Satellite Finance Network (www.satellitefinancenetwork.org) and writes a column for international journal Via Satellite. She is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Aeronautical Society, trustee of the National Space Centre and chair of the National Space Academy steering board.