What Small Satellite Conference does

The Small Satellite Conference (branded "SmallSat") is an annual industry event organized and operated by Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL), a university-affiliated research laboratory headquartered at 416 E. Innovation Avenue, North Logan, Utah. The conference traces its lineage to the 1986 Lightsat conference and held its first SmallSat edition in 1987 in Logan, Utah; the 40th annual edition is scheduled for August 23–26, 2026 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. It serves as a recurring gathering point for the global small satellite community, drawing together university researchers, commercial space companies, government/defense agencies (including NASA and DoD), and students through research/academic sessions, enterprise sessions, poster sessions, flash talks, NASA short talks, keynotes, an exhibit hall, and the Frank J. Redd Student Competition. Supporting outputs include a digital Conference Proceedings archive hosted on Utah State University's Digital Commons and a Lifetime Achievement Award program recognizing industry pioneers such as the co-inventors of the CubeSat standard.

The conference generates revenue through four primary streams: attendee registration (with standard and early-bird pricing tied to an August 22 deadline), corporate and organizational sponsorships at varying visibility tiers, commercial exhibit hall fees, and side meeting / private room bookings. Lodging is monetized indirectly via negotiated-rate partnerships with twelve hotel brands near the venue. Distribution is dominated by in-person attendance; the proceedings archive provides a year-round digital footprint. The go-to-market model is event-driven and the conference is essentially a non-profit, university-operated community institution rather than a commercial enterprise—there is no venture, private equity, or external ownership interest disclosed in the source material, and revenue figures are not publicly reported.

Core "products" are organized into distinct tracks (Research & Academia, Enterprise), sub-products (Conference Proceedings, Lifetime Achievement Award program, Flash Talks, NASA Short Talks), and ancillary services (Side Meetings & Related Events, Lodging Services). Marketing is conducted through the official website (smallsat.org), Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. The entity has no proprietary software platform, no AI/ML capabilities, no patents or trademarks, no disclosed headcount data, no subsidiaries, and no M&A or funding history. The 2026 keynote will be delivered by Gurpartap 'GP' Sandhoo, Director of the Space Development Agency, signaling high-level U.S. Department of Defense engagement.

Name

Small Satellite Conference

Legal name

Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory

Website

https://smallsat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Small Satellite Conference (SmallSat) is an annual industry event organized by Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory, convening the global small satellite community—commercial, government, and academic stakeholders—in Salt Lake City for research, enterprise, and student programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Industry Conference

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Industry conference events
• Aerospace conferences
• Satellite industry events
• Space trade shows
• Technical symposiums

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration: Revenue generated from attendee registration fees for the annual conference. Standard rates apply with different pricing before and after deadline dates.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate and organizational sponsorships for various levels of visibility and engagement at the conference.
3. Exhibit Hall: Commercial exhibitors pay fees to display products and services in the exhibit hall.
4. Side Meeting Fees: Private room bookings and side meeting arrangements for organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Small Satellite Conference is an annual multi-day industry event (40th edition scheduled for August 23-26, 2026 in Salt Lake City, UT) that brings together the global small satellite community. It offers registration-based attendance, research and academia sessions, enterprise tracks, poster presentations, flash talks, NASA short talks, keynotes, a commercial exhibit hall, sponsorships, the Frank J. Redd Student Competition, Lifetime Achievement Awards, side meeting room bookings, and lodging partnerships.

Product overview

The Small Satellite Conference is a single unified annual event (the 40th edition scheduled for August 2026) organized by Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory. The conference serves as the primary gathering for the global small satellite community, bringing together commercial, government, and academic innovators. The core offering is the multi-day conference featuring research/academic sessions, enterprise/business tracks, poster presentations, flash talks, NASA short talks, keynotes, and a commercial exhibit hall. Supporting offerings include the digital Conference Proceedings archive, the Frank J. Redd Student Competition with awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award program recognizing industry pioneers, side meetings and private room bookings, and organized lodging partnerships with local hotels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Satellite Conference (Annual Event) The flagship annual multi-day industry event (40th edition, August 23-26, 2026 in Salt Lake City, UT) bringing together commercial, government, and academic innovators in small satellite technology through registration-based attendance.
• Exhibit Hall Commercial exhibition space where companies and organizations pay fees to showcase small satellite products, services, and technologies to conference attendees.
• Research & Academia Sessions Conference track featuring academic and research-focused presentations on small satellite technologies, spacecraft design, and space systems engineering.
• Enterprise Sessions Conference track focused on commercial and industrial applications of small satellite technology, constellation systems, and space business development.
• Frank J. Redd Student Competition Student competition featuring student-built satellite projects and engineering challenges, with awards and recognition for outstanding student work.
• Flash Talks Brief, rapid-fire presentations on small satellite topics, providing concise updates on technologies, research, and industry developments.
• NASA Short Talks Specialized presentations featuring NASA programs, missions, and initiatives related to small satellite applications and development.
• Conference Proceedings Digital archive of conference presentations, papers, and technical content hosted on Utah State University's Digital Commons repository.
• Lifetime Achievement Award Annual recognition program honoring individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to the small satellite industry throughout their careers.
• Side Meetings & Related Events Additional on-site meetings and related events organized alongside the main conference, including private room requests and free meeting room availability.
• Lodging Services Conference-organized hotel accommodations featuring negotiated rates at partner hotels near the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, including government rate options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 years of continuous operation bringing together the small satellite community

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Radisson Salt Lake CityminorOthersFeatured hotel partner offering discounted conference rates from $209 per night. Located at 215 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101.
• AC Hotel by MarriottminorOthersPartner hotel offering rooms from $220 per night. Located at 225 West 200 South, Salt Lake City.
• DoubleTree Suites by HiltonminorOthersPartner hotel offering rooms from $215 per night. Located at 110 West 600 South, Salt Lake City.
• Holiday Inn Express Salt Lake City DowntownminorOthersPartner hotel offering rooms from $199 per night. Located at 206 South West Temple. Government rate sold out.
• Marriott City CenterminorOthersPartner hotel offering rooms from $238 per night. Located at 220 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.
• Hampton Inn Salt Lake City DowntownminorOthersPartner hotel offering government rate only at $142 per night. Located at 425 South 300 West, Salt Lake City.
• Marriott Downtown at City CreekminorOthersPartner hotel offering rooms from $235 per night. Located at 75 South West Temple. Government rate sold out.
• Hilton Salt Lake City CenterminorOthersPartner hotel offering rooms from $214 per night with government rate available. Located at 255 South West Temple.
• Hyatt Regency Salt Lake CityminorOthersPartner hotel offering rooms from $259 per night with government rate available. Located at 170 South West Temple.
• TownePlace Suites by MarriottminorOthersPartner hotel located at 135 West 200 South, Salt Lake City 84101.
• Element Salt Lake CityminorOthersPartner hotel located at 145 South 300 West, Salt Lake City.
• Le Meridien Salt Lake CityminorOthersPartner hotel located at 131 South 300 West, Salt Lake City.
• Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL)coreOthersSDL is the organizing entity behind the Small Satellite Conference. SDL owns and operates the smallsat.org website and maintains all conference infrastructure. Located in North Logan, Utah.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Eventbrite: Public event ticketing and registration platform. Comparable as a registration-tech enabler for conferences like SmallSat, though the conference currently uses its own registration rather than Eventbrite's marketplace.
• Cvent: Large event-management software platform serving meeting planners and conference organizers globally. Comparable only as enabling infrastructure for events of SmallSat's type; not a direct competitor but rather a potential technology partner.

Regional players

• Space Congress: Long-running regional space industry conference held in Florida. Comparable in form (multi-day industry event with exhibits and technical sessions) but smaller in scale and focused on the Florida/Cape Canaveral aerospace corridor rather than the broader smallsat ecosystem.
• Paris Space Week: European space industry B2B event held in France. Comparable as a commercial space industry gathering but primarily serves the European audience, complementing SmallSat's U.S.-anchored footprint rather than directly competing for the same attendees.

Emerging players

• NewSpace Conference: Niche conference series focused on the commercial 'new space' entrepreneurial sector. Comparable as an industry gathering for small-sat and new-space ventures, but with a narrower commercial focus than SmallSat's academic/government breadth.

Direct peers

• International Astronautical Congress (IAC): Annual flagship conference of the International Astronautical Federation rotating globally. Highly comparable as a multi-track professional space industry event with sponsorships, exhibit halls, technical sessions, and an academic/commercial/government audience.
• Space Tech Expo: B2B trade show and conference for space technology manufacturers and suppliers. Comparable to SmallSat in serving the commercial space supply chain with an exhibit hall, conference tracks, and industry networking.
• SATELLITE Conference & Exhibition: Annual satellite industry conference and exhibition organized by Via Satellite. Closely comparable in format to SmallSat, with a focus on satellite communications, manufacturing, and launch, and a similar mix of registrants, sponsors, and exhibitors.
• Space Symposium: Annual space industry conference held in Colorado Springs, organized by the Space Foundation. Directly comparable to SmallSat as a multi-day industry gathering attracting commercial, government, and military space stakeholders with sponsorships, exhibits, and keynotes.
• AIAA SciTech / SPACE Forum: AIAA's premier aerospace conferences covering space technology and propulsion. Comparable to SmallSat as a peer-reviewed academic/industry space event with technical sessions, sponsorships, and student programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SmallSat
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmallSatConf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/smallsatconf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Small Satellite Conference