Alternative Launch Service Providers – Finding Value in Unique Offerings

Jason B. Mello is the CEO and Co-Founder of The KMC Group, LLC. Jason provides executive-level strategic consulting to the Defense, Intelligence, and Space sectors for both commercial and government customers. With a focus on corporate strategy and business execution, Jason works with companies by providing strategic solutions, government engagements, proposal support, and advisory services to C-suite leaders focused on driving revenue and growth. Jason is a sought-after speaker, community leader, and mentor to support STEM in schools.

Previously, Jason served as the President of Firefly Space Transport Services (STS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Firefly Aerospace Inc., leading Firefly’s Government Relations, Capture & Proposal Team and its Federal and Commercial Business Unit focused on commercial, civil, and military requirements for space transportation. During his time at Firefly, Jason’s leadership and key government relationships led to the company’s divestiture of its foreign ownership. Leading revenue, he secured multiple commercial launch agreements along with developing a multi-year billion-dollar pipeline key to future growth. Specifically, Jason captured the company’s 1st U.S. Space Force contract to fly the United States Space Force’s VICTUS NOX responsive space mission along with securing major contracts with Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, etc. Jason’s strategic acquisition expertise was key to Firefly’s Northrop Grumman partnership to build a future medium launch vehicle.

Before joining Firefly, Jason served as a Colonel in the United States Air Force at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), where he held the role of Chief Research and Technology Officer. In this capacity, he oversaw an annual portfolio of over $500 million and 62 senior scientists and engineers responsible for researching and developing future technologies crucial to the Air Force and Space Force.

Prior to his time at AFOSR, Jason was the Director of the National Intelligence Portfolio, where he led the oversight team for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment overseeing a $9 billion annual portfolio of intelligence community programs. He has a proven history of leading various classified and unclassified satellite and intelligence programs. He led the first Launch Acquisition Division at the National Reconnaissance Office, where he spearheaded the use of small launch vehicles for National Security while executing a $1B annual budget. Jason served at the White House for three years as a White House Military Social Aide. In his 23 years in the Air Force, Jason led in multiple acquisition and operations positions vital to the National Security of the United States.

Jason holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from George Washington University, a Master of Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Jason values family and community. He is happily married with three children and actively contributes to his community as a volunteer for youth baseball and his church. He also serves as the President of the Ashburn Village Community Association, a thriving community with over 5,300 homes and more than 20,000 residents.

Maurizio Cutroni has been serving as the Chief Commercial Officer at AVIO S.p.A. since 2021, following his initial tenure as the Head of the Commercial Operations Department, which began in 2015. In his current capacity, he efficiently manages all commercial activities associated with the Development and Production of the Vega family Launch Vehicles. Additionally, he holds responsibility for the Profit & Loss of the Vega Launch System exploitation.

Maurizio previously served as Programs Director at Europropulsion from 2016 to 2019. Europropulsion is a joint venture of Avio SpA and ArianeGroup, where he joined in 2015 as Program Manager for the initial phase of the Development and Qualification of the P120C SRM, a component that equips the Vega C First Stage and serves as a Booster for Ariane 6.

From 2006 to 2015, he held the position of Head of Vega Program, leading activities up to the Vega Qualification Flight and its initial exploitation phase.

Previously, Maurizio also played a key role at Europropulsion from 2001 to 2006. During this period, he spearheaded the Program Management of the P80 SRM Development and Qualification, a technology demonstrator for large Solid Rocket Boosters and the First Stage of the Vega Launcher.

His career at Avio began in 1995, with an initial focus on the Avio Design Office for Solid Propulsion Rocket Motors.

Maurizio Cutroni holds a Master of Science (Laurea Magistrale) in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Rome “La Sapienza”.

Pablo Gallego Sanmiguel is PLD Space Senior Vice President, Sales & Customers. Pablo brings extensive knowledge and experience in the aerospace market, specifically in the sector of Commercial Launch Services. Since September 2019, the former SpaceX employee has been working in the commercial and customer management of the Spanish company, representing PLD Space.
Before joining PLD Space, Pablo developed his professional career from California (United States) working as Mission Manager of Launching Services with SpaceX as well as providing aerospace consulting services.
Previously, Pablo had participated actively in several other rocket launch operations, such as Ariane 4, Ariane 5, Soyuz, Dnepr, Vega, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy.
Pablo has participated in more than forty launch campaigns with different clients and launch bases such as Kourou (French Guiana), Yasny (Russia), Vandenberg (California) and Cape Canaveral (Florida).
Pablo has worked as a Launcher and Satellite Design Engineer at Airbus Defense and Space (CASA Espacio). Also, as Launch Mission Manager and Launcher Integration Engineer at Arianespace. Next, Pablo transition his career to the United States as a customer representative with Hisdesat (in Palo Alto), for the launching of the SPAINSAT and XTAR satellites with Ariane 5. After that, worked as Business Development Manager at INSA (ISDEFE), and also participated in the development and execution of the first mission of the Vega launcher with the European Space Agency. He was responsible for Business Development and Integration, putting into service the Earth observation satellite DEIMOS-2 with Elecnor-Deimos.
Currently, Pablo coordinates his activities between the United States and Europe where he directly addresses the needs of customers. “One of my main objectives is to keep up with the needs of our launch services to customers and validate the integration process. The preparation of the PLD Space’s first launch is one of my priorities as well as following market trends.”, expresses.

In addition, Pablo is registered with the U.S Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), to be able to interact with different types of customers and suppliers, both in the commercial field and in other more restrictive areas, such as defense whose activities may be subject to ITAR regulation.

Keiko Nasu is Sales Director Asia at Isar Aerospace USA Inc. and is responsible for building and executing sales strategies and targets across the US and Asia.

She joined the Space Industry in 2017 while at Mitsui & Co., where she helped facilitate the acquisition of the satellite rideshare service company, Spaceflight Inc. Initially she was working as Business Development Director of International Sales, before moving to the role of Director of Customer Engagement mid-2023.

Keiko is originally from Japan, where she started her career leading global projects with JETRO, a Japanese government-related organization that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. After moving to the United States in 2010, she has held business development, sales, and marketing roles at several US venture companies.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo, Japan, and studied Marketing Management at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Mr. Rogers is responsible for Rocket Lab’s global launch portfolios across commercial and government customers. With a career spanning space and launch segments, Mr. Rogers brings a transformative perspective to U.S. Government and Allies’ developmental and operational systems.

Before joining Rocket Lab, Mr. Rogers was Advanced Systems Manager at Ball Aerospace, leading technology development programs for Defense and Intelligence customers across spacecraft and remote sensing payloads. Mr. Rogers’ aerospace career includes leadership roles in launch vehicle design, manufacturing, and launch support of the Atlas V, Delta IV, and Vulcan-Centaur launch vehicles with United Launch Alliance, and systems engineering of the Ares launch vehicles at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

Mr. Rogers holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado, a Master of Science in Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Denver, and a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University.

Robert W. Sproles, Ph.D. is CTO at Exolaunch, focusing on Exolaunch’s market-defining products and services at scale. With over 350 satellites launched across a global variety of launch vehicles, Exolaunch has the separation systems, mission management experience, and deep industry relationships to serve even the most complex of launch service needs.

With over two decades of experience, Dr. Sproles is a people-centric technical leader with a passion for developing new technical capabilities and leading teams to deliver. Sproles spent nearly a decade at Spire Global, where he installed a global ground station network, managed early satellite builds and test facility development and led the satellite design team. He ended his tenure serving as VP of Constellation Planning and Operations, overseeing satellite operations, launch, ground stations, and satellite communications to enable tomorrow’s constellation needs. At the time of his departure, he had overseen the launch of more than 150 satellites on over 30 missions; installation, maintenance, and operations of over 30 ground stations around the globe; and operation of the world’s largest constellation of multipurpose Earth Observation satellites.

Prior to Spire, Sproles spent a decade in large-scale emergency response, where he developed a UAV program to aid in assessing chemical disasters and pioneered remote field data collection using mobile devices. He holds a Ph.D. in applied physics from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a specialization in rocket engine health and performance.