Dr. Michael P. Gleason:
Michael “Mick” Gleason is a well-regarded author on space policy subjects including national security space, the value of space to society, norms of responsible behavior in space, international cooperation, and space traffic management. He has presented his research on critical space policy issues at conferences in Canada, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Japan, and across the United States. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Gleason enjoyed 29 years in the Air Force space career field with expertise in meteorological, telecommunication, and missile warning satellite operations. His Air Force career included stints on the Air Force Academy faculty, at the Pentagon, and at the State Department. He is the lead author of the 2013 Air Force Space Policy and co-author of NASA’s congressionally directed 2016 Space Traffic Management Study. Gleason holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from George Washington University (GWU) and is an alumnus of the GWU Space Policy Institute. He is the recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Department of State Superior Honor Award, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Mick frequently contributes to his company’s online space policy paper series and webinar/podcast series (www.aerospace.org/policy).
Neal Newman:
Neal Newman is the Deputy Director in the Aeronautics and Cross Agency Support Division within NASA’s Office of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR). Mr. Newman has supported international cooperative programs throughout his 35-year NASA career, including several years on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) programs. He also served for five years as the NASA Attaché for Asia and the Pacific Region based at the U.S. Embassy Canberra (Australia). He was heavily involved in multilateral space agency discussions that led to establishment of early ISS coordinating bodies in the early 1990’s, establishment of the now 27 members International Space Exploration Coordination Group in the late 2000’s, and currently serves as NASA lead for dialogue among the 36 countries that have signed the Artemis Accords – principles for sustainable space exploration.
Travis B. Langster:
Travis B. Langster was sworn in as Principal Director of Space and Missile Defense Policy in the Office of Under Secretary of Defense, Space Policy on April 18, 2022.
In this role, his responsibilities include the review and development of space policies aligned with Department of Defense priorities and strategic guidance. These responsibilities span across international and commercial engagement, strategy & plans, integration and missile defense.
Mr. Langster’s prior experience and engagements span across many sectors within the National Security Space community. Mr. Langster’s contributions within this community includes work and support to the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) HQ and mission ground stations, the National Military Command Center (NMCC), the National Air and Space Center (NASIC), the National Security Agency (NSA) and other organizations. Mr. Langster has also participated in many international engagements on behalf of U.S. Government trade missions and direct engagements across several countries including Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia, Canada and India. In additional to his technical and operational experiences, Mr. Langster has been an invited speaker to on many national and international Space Security and Policy speaking engagements globally. His dialogue and discourse on space security, space safety and international cooperation has been recognized as a participant for many speaking engagements globally.
Previous to his role in the Department of Defense, Mr. Langster served as the Vice President and General Manager at COMSPOC Corp, a global leader in space situational awareness, space domain awareness, and space traffic coordination and management. In this role, he managed the transition and start-up of the company from its former parent company. Mr. Langster was responsible for establishing and managing the organizational design and business operations. Prior to his leadership of COMSPOC, Mr. Langster was a Business Unit Vice President at Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI). Mr. Langster began his aerospace career as a satellite engineer focused on spacecraft integration & test, satellite subsystems, launch and early orbit operations for Air Force satellite systems.
Mr. Langster received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical engineering from Purdue University and was inducted as a 2021 Purdue Alumni Outstanding Aerospace Engineer. He is an active supporter of community organizations, foundations, youth mentoring and STEM awareness. Mr. Langster is a Board member for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington DC.
Owen Chbani
Owen Chbani is a Senior at Georgetown University majoring in Science, Technology, and International Affairs and minoring in Arabic from Miami, Florida. He’s currently a Policy Intern at the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. Last summer, he was a Mars Reconnaissance Team intern at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and has also interned at Voyager Space and the ODNI. He is interested in the intersection of space policy and national security. In addition to being Co-President of the Georgetown Space Initiative, he is also the Vice-President of the Georgetown University Wargaming Society and Vice-President of the Astronomical Society.