SGx2026 Young Professional and Student Lightning Talks

Lightning Talks are styled in the TEDx format where young professionals and students share their insights and experiences on a specific topic. The year’s theme is “Inventing New Orbits: Leading the Next Space Era” and we encourage applicants to submit not only inspiring and thoughtful content, but also touch on the opportunities emerging from the overlap between the commercial sector and space exploration.

We are excited to announce our six Lightning Talk speakers. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from them May 17-18!

Why choose to go to the Moon? The drivers behind the lunar ambitions of Australia, South Korea, and the UAE

Jakob Lisch is a Master student in International Governance and Diplomacy at SciencesPo in Paris, where he focuses on Space Policy and economic issues. He has written his Master thesis on the space programs of Middle Powers, in particular Australia, South Korea and the UAE, focusing on the relationship between the respective motivations and their Grand Strategy. Jakob has previously studied Space Policy during a year at George Washington University and worked in the field as an intern within the Cabinet of the Director General of ESA. He holds a B.A. in Politics and Government from SciencesPo Paris with a regional focus on the transatlantic relationship.

ILS In Space: What Existing Defense Principal Can Teach Us About In-Orbit Sustainment

Sarah Mullins is an Integrated Logistics Support Engineer with Thales Australia, specialising in the reliability, maintenance, and ongoing support of complex mechanical and electrical systems. She is also a postgraduate student in Space Systems Engineering at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and holds a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering with Honours and a Bachelor of Science (Geography) from the same institution. Her undergraduate honours thesis, completed in 2022, focused on space missions planning and demonstrated a proof-of-concept analysis for a small-scale space-based solar power constellation. Sarah sits on the Sydney branch committee of Young Engineers Australia and engages regularly with high school and undergraduate students, promoting STEM in her community.

Sarah takes great joy in blending her love of space with a passion for resilient and responsible engineering, informed by past experience as an environmental researcher and consultant. Her primary research interests are the long-term sustainment of assets in orbit and the political and environmental role of space on earth.

From Consensus to Compliance: Groupthink in Human-AI teams as a Precursor to Human Over-reliance

Alita Regi is a Ph.D. candidate in Human-Centered Design at the Florida Institute of Technology, specializing in human spaceflight. Born in the UAE and an Indian citizen, she envisions a borderless future for space. She holds a Bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering, a minor in Physics, and a Master’s in Space Sciences, to become an astronaut.

Her research focuses on astronaut health, performance, and decision-making in high-stakes environments. As part of the Andromeda Program at the Deep Space Initiative, she presented her work at the International Astronautical Congress 2024 in Milan. She is developing an AI agent to support astronauts in deep-space missions by reducing groupthink and improving decision-making under pressure. She also interns as a Systems & AI Engineer at Symphony Space, where she works on system architecture, supply chain analysis, and requirements trade-offs. Beyond her academic and research pursuits, Alita is a certified open-water diver and an FAA Part 107 licensed UAV pilot, continually expanding her adaptability to extreme environments.

Technical Experts are from Venus and Policymakers are From Mars: Translating between two worlds to get better space policy

Robin Dickey is the Director of Policy and Government Affairs at Slingshot Aerospace. Named a 2024 Payload Pioneer, she is an internationally recognized expert in national security space policy and norms of behavior for space. She has previously served as a Military Legislative Assistant for a senior Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee. Prior to her congressional work, she was a space policy analyst at the Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy, focusing on national security space, crisis simulations and exercises, and space norms. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in international studies from Johns Hopkins University.

Rocket Fuel and Running on Empty: The Mental Health Reality Behind a ‘Successful’ Space Career

Josh Ingersoll is a Senior Manager of Government Lasercom Products for Amazon Leo for Government. His work straddles the line between technical product design and space services architecting for Amazon’s constellation of LEO satellites. He previously worked as a Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Astranis Space Technologies Corp., Manager of Constellation Policy for Amazon Kuiper and a Spacecraft Systems Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation.

Beyond his day job, Josh holds a political advisory position with the UN; serving as the representative for the Americas on the International Telecommunications Union Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Board. Josh collaborates with experts in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy to advice UN leadership on connectivity issues facing humanity on a global scale. His focus is on the applications of space assets to bridge the digital divide and bring the final 2.9 billion members of humanity into the internet age.

During his time at Georgia Tech, Josh took part in the BS/MS Honors Program; receiving his Bachelor’s of Science in Aerospace Engineering subsequent Master’s of Science in Aerospace Engineering. He also holds an MA in Space Policy and an MBA in STEM Management from The George Washington University. His research focus at GWU was mega-constellation regulation development and the promotion of public-private partnerships in the aerospace industry.

Outside of his professional and academic pursuits, Josh is quite active in the Matthew Isakowitz Foundation Programs; serving as the Foundation’s Scholarship Executive Director. The Scholarship places exceptional students into internships in the commercial space industry. He is a diehard Buffalo Bills fan and purveyor of Scotch whiskey.

Standardizing Berthing Systems to Enable Unlimited Maneuverability

Jordan Fuse is an Aeronautical and Astronautical Structures Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation, where she supports analyses that ensure launch vehicle forces do not compromise the structural integrity of spacecrafts. She is also the Chair of a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) committee that is working to develop a standardized interface for on-orbit spacecraft servicing. She earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Alabama at Birmingham and an M.S. in Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. Jordan is passionate about contributing to peaceful uses for space, as reflected in her roles as a delegate for the 2025 Space Generation Congress and 2023 Space Generation Fusion Forum. Her commitment to making a positive impact extends beyond her professional life, as she regularly volunteers for beach cleanups and has helped remove over 1000 pounds of waste from local shores.