Space is no longer a distant or abstract frontier. It is now a practical domain of defence, security, resilience and economic opportunity.
On Wednesday 22 July, TEAM LEWIS and Lockheed Martin will host Down to Earth: Emerging Opportunities in Space, an invitation-only event in London exploring the near-term space economy through a defence and national resilience lens.
The session will bring together senior leaders from defence, space, advanced technology and investment to examine what is real, investable and actionable in one of the most strategically important sectors of the coming decade.
Hosted by TEAM LEWIS Foundation Senior Advisor Dame Penny Mordaunt DBE and Lockheed Martin, the event will feature contributions from Air Chief Marshal Sir Harvey Smyth and the Head of RAF Space Command, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson CBE.
The discussion will focus on the practical opportunities now emerging across satellites, resilient communications and the infrastructure that underpins space-enabled services. These are no longer niche issues for specialist space companies. They are increasingly central to national security, operational resilience, economic continuity and the ability of governments and businesses to function in a contested world.
From satellite communications and space-based data to the protection of uplink and downlink infrastructure, the event will explore how the next phase of space capability can support defence, civil resilience and commercial advantage.
Importantly, the conversation will be grounded in practical realities. Alongside opportunities in satellites and resilient communications, the session will also pressure-test more ambitious concepts such as space-based data centres, examining the technical and operational challenges that shape progress in orbit, including radiation, resilience, infrastructure protection and vulnerability in contested environments.
For UDSS, the event reflects a wider strategic shift. Space is now part of the critical operating environment for defence, government, infrastructure and industry. The ability to understand, protect and invest in space-enabled capability will be central to national resilience and future operational advantage.
As the UK and its allies adapt to a more contested geopolitical environment, the space economy presents both opportunity and responsibility. Investment, innovation and collaboration between government, defence primes, SMEs, technology providers and capital markets will all be required to turn ambition into capability.
Down to Earth: Emerging Opportunities in Space will provide a timely forum for senior stakeholders to explore where progress can be made now, where investment is most needed, and how space-enabled services can support a more resilient and secure future.
The event takes place on Wednesday 22 July, from 5.30pm to 8pm, at 50 Electric Boulevard, London. Register now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/down-to-earth-emerging-opportunities-in-space-tickets-1987890694580
Event agenda
5.30pm – 6.00pm
Arrival and registration
6.00pm – 6.10pm
Welcome and opening remarks from TEAM LEWIS and Lockheed Martin
6.10pm – 6.55pm
Hosted discussion and audience Q&A: Down to Earth: Emerging Opportunities
6.55pm – 8.00pm
Drinks reception and networking with peers from defence, space, advanced technologies, international partners and investment
Line-up
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The Rt Hon Dame Penny Mordaunt DBE, Moderator
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Lockheed Martin
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Air Chief Marshal Sir Harvey Smyth
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Air Commodore Jamie Thompson CBE, Head of RAF Space Command