SpaceNews Icons Awards

The 6th SpaceNews Icon Awards honor excellence and innovation among space professionals, companies, and organizations during the previous 12 months. Join SpaceNews and industry VIPs for an afternoon celebration of this year’s Icons in the space industry.

Icon Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Startup of the Year
• Deal of the Year
• Commercial Space Achievement of the Year
• Civil Space Achievement of the Year
• Space Stewardship Award
• Unsung Hero
• Military Space Organization of the Year

Following the awards announcement, the event will feature a VIP keynote speaker.

This year, we are pleased to announce that U.S. Space Force Col. Richard Kniseley, the head of Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO), will deliver the keynote address at the SpaceNews 2023 Icon Awards on Dec. 5 in Washington.

Under the leadership of Col. Kniseley, COMSO fosters Space Force collaboration with the commercial space sector. With outposts in Los Angeles and Chantilly, Virginia, COMSO’s bi-coastal team of about 90 professionals evaluates commercial space capabilities for the Department of Defense. Their focus is on optimizing defense requirements by leveraging the dynamism of the commercial space industry while reducing costs.

Col. Kniseley will accept a 2023 SpaceNews Icon Award on behalf of COMSO, selected by SpaceNews journalists as the Military Space Organization of the Year for 2023. The award recognizes the significant contributions made by Col. Kniseley and his team in reshaping the military space landscape.

SCHEDULE

December 5 2023

12:00-12:30PM – Registration

12:30-1:30PM – Lunch

1:30-2:00PM – Awards Presentation

2:00-2:20PM – Keynote Address

2:20-3:00PM – Panel with SN Editorial & Icon awardees

3:00-4:00PM – Cocktail hour