Space Traffic Management

Lorenzo Arona  

Head of Space Projects and Products, Avanti Communications

Lorenzo is the Head of Space Projects and Products at Avanti Communications, where he leads the team responsible for Flight Dynamics and Space Traffic Coordination, and he is the company’s delegate for Space Safety & Sustainability matters.

Lorenzo has 15+ years of experience in satellite operations across the European Space Agency and Avanti. He was part of the leadership team that established Avanti’s Spacecraft Operations Centre and turned it into a revenue-generating department by implementing spacecraft operations as a service. 

His job includes coordinating a multidisciplinary team responsible for realizing revenues from satellite leases and managing the related operational and financial risks.

Lorenzo is a UK Space Agency delegate at the European Cooperation for Space Standardization, a member of the Sustainability Taskforce of the Global Satellite Operators Association, and a Director of the Space Data Association. He holds master’s degrees in space engineering from Politecnico di Milano and Cranfield University, and a Master of Business Adminisration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Space Traffic Management

Rodolphe Muñoz

Legal Officer, European Commission

As a lawyer by training (College of Europe, Bruges), Rodolphe Muñoz has worked for several international organisations (WHO, OSCE, EFTA Surveillance authority …) and taught in different universities (Bruges, Sciences Po Paris, the Law University of Strasbourg …).

For 8 years, he has been at the European Commission in DG DEFIS Unit B1 (secure connectivity and space surveillance), responsible for implementing the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) component of the Space Regulation, which comprises Space Surveillance and Tracking, Space Weather, and Near-Earth Objects (Head of sector).

In addition, he oversaw the drafting of the 2022 STM Communication and is now following its implementation, including the development of the EU space law.

Space Traffic Management

Chehineze Bouafia

Manager for Regulatory Affairs Space & Telecommunications at Eutelsat Group.

Chehineze Bouafia is the manager for Regulatory Affairs Space & Telecommunications at Eutelsat Group.
In addition to her responsibilities for telecoms regulation in the context of the company’s connectivity activities, Chehineze is also in charge of matters related to space law and policy, in particular compliance with the French space law. In the context of vibrant changes in the sector, Chehineze also leads Eutelsat Group’s reflection on political and legal developments to address new developments such as constellations, space traffic management, in-orbit services, etc.
Chehineze previously worked as a lawyer at ALERION law firm, before joining the European Space Agency legal department where she was also responsible for the administration of the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL).

Space Traffic Management

João Bentes de Jesus

GEOSAT’s Institutional Affairs Manager.

João Bentes de Jesus is GEOSAT’s Institutional Affairs Manager. He is also a Ph.D. candidate in Development Studies at the University of Lisbon, where his research focuses on the barriers to adoption of Earth Observation technologies in developing nations. He has a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, and an Executive Space Course from the International Space University. Previously, he worked as a Project and Business Developer at the Atlantic International Research Centre. During this time, he also served as a Co-chair for Team Project on Space-Climate-Ocean for the International Space University Space Studies Program and as a Strategic Advisor for the Portuguese Chairmanship of the Eureka Network.

Space Traffic Management

Richard Dalbello 

Richard DalBello is the Director of the Office of Space Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. In this role, he manages the Department’s efforts to establish a space traffic coordination system to ensure safe space operations for commercial and international civil space ventures. In addition, Richard is responsible for regulating the US commercial remote sensing industry and for general advocacy across the government for commercial space industry interests. Before joining the Department of Commerce, Richard was Virgin Galactic’s Vice President of Global Engagement. In this role, Prior to joining Virgin, Richard served as Director, Space and Aeronautics, in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In this role, he served as the principal advisor on space and aeronautics matters to the Science Advisor to the President. In this position, Richard played a key role in developing and implementing the Administration’s domestic and international space policy and program priorities. Before joining OSTP, Richard served as the Vice President of Government Affairs for Intelsat General. He also served as president of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association and, for more than three years as president of the Satellite Industry Association. Richard earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree in law from McGill University, and a doctorate in jurisprudence from the University of San Francisco.