Clare A. Hopper is Director, Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Office, assigned to the Space Systems Command, United States Space Force, Washington, D.C. She is responsible for delivering COMSATCOM capabilities to support the joint warfighter, federal agencies, and international partners. Her portfolio includes the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Service (EMSS) Program Office, the EMSS Capabilities Office and the Department of Defense COMSATCOM Solutions Program Office.
EMSS is an $800 million global satellite program that provides the Department of Defense, federal and coalition partners with unlimited access to the commercial Iridium constellation, a mesh-network of 66 on-orbit cross-linked satellites, through a dedicated, EMSS controlled gateway.
The COMSATCOM Solutions Program Office acquires any commercial satellite capability for any customer, anywhere, and has over $5 billion under management.

Prior to this role, Mrs. Hopper was the SATCOM Division Chief, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). In this role she managed the Department of Defense Enterprise Gateways Program Office, the SATCOM Operations Integration Branch, and the COMSATCOM portfolio described above, prior to its Congressionally directed transfer to the United States Space Force. Other assignments include Program Manager, EMSS and Program Manager for a classified telecommunications system within DISA’s National Leadership Command Capabilities Center (NLCC). Mrs. Hopper began her career in government with DISA as a Contracting Officer, and served as the Chief, Special Projects Contracting Branch, which held a contracts portfolio valued over $2 billion.

Prior to joining the government, Mrs. Hopper was a retirement funds analyst for T. Rowe Price.

Mrs. Hopper received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from West Virginia University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Mrs. Hopper is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level 3 certified in Contracting from the Defense Acquisition University (DAU).

(As of May, 2023)

Tom Mueller is one of the world’s leading spacecraft propulsion experts. As one of SpaceX’s founding members, he led the development of propulsion systems for the Falcon 1, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship Launch Vehicles, as well as the Dragon line of spacecraft. He played a crucial role in the development of the company’s reusable rocket technology, which has dramatically reduced the cost of launching payloads into space. Now as Founder and CEO of Impulse Space, his ultimate vision is to lead the in-space transportation infrastructure that will accelerate the expansion of the overall space economy.Close

Dr. Michelle Parker is vice president for the Space Missions Systems organization within Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS). She is responsible for program execution, strategic direction, and profit and loss for a portfolio that includes government and commercial satellites, space systems architecture, national security space programs, ground systems, and subsidiaries Millennium Space Systems and Spectrolab.
Dr. Parker’s experience leading high-profile space programs spans several decades, with more than 25 years serving in roles of increasing responsibility within Boeing. Prior to her current role, she served as vice president and deputy general manager for the Space & Launch division, where she oversaw the successful Operational Flight Test of the CST-100 Starliner and delivery of the Boeing-built Space Launch System that powered NASA’s Artemis I mission. She previously served as the Space & Launch chief engineer, providing technical leadership for the Space & Launch portfolio. Earlier in her career, she led the Satellite Development Center (SDC), the world’s largest satellite manufacturing facility that has produced more than 300 satellites to date.
Throughout her career, Dr. Parker has held leadership, engineering, strategy and execution roles for several organizations across Boeing, including: BDS Engineering’s System Engineering, Integration and Test (SEIT); Deputy Director of National Space Communications Programs (NSCP); Flight and Vehicle Technology for Boeing Research and Technology (BR&T); and Enterprise Technology Strategy leader over the areas of aerodynamics, propulsion, guidance, navigation and control, and computational science. She began her career in the Thermophysics Department of Boeing Satellite Systems in 1995.
Dr. Parker is a member of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC). She earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University, as well as a master’s degree and a doctorate in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania. Her doctorate was earned as a Howard Hughes Doctoral Fellow while at Boeing. She is also a graduate of Harvard Business School’s general management program.

Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth is the eighth Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He leads and directs NGA under the authorities of the Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence. He became NGA’s director on June 3, 2022.

Whitworth is a 1989 graduate of Duke University Durham, North Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He holds a Master of Arts in National Security Studies from Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, as well as a diploma from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

Whitworth’s command tours included commander, Joint Intelligence Center Central; commanding officer, Navy Element of U.S. Central Command; and commanding officer, Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center.

Whitworth’s operational tours included director of intelligence for U.S. Africa Command, director of Intelligence for Joint Special Operations Command, director of Intelligence and deputy director of Maritime Operations Center for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet; director of Intelligence for a Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan during three deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom; director of Intelligence for Naval Special Warfare Development Group; special assistant for Political-Military Affairs at U.S. Sixth Fleet during Operation Allied Force; indications and warning officer at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet, in support of Operation Desert Storm; and intelligence officer for Fighter squadron 31 during USS Forrestal’s deployment in support of Operation Provide Comfort.

Whitworth’s shore-based tours included the National Security Agency, chief of targets for the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility; Navy federal executive fellow to American Enterprise Institute; senior duty officer at the White House Situation Room; intelligence briefer for the Chief of Naval Operations and Secretary of the Navy; and intelligence watch analyst at the Office of Naval Intelligence and the National Military Joint Intelligence Center.

Whitworth is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal (three awards), Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (four awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), as well as the Edwin T. Layton Leadership Award, Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Leadership Award, the Army’s Knowlton Award for excellence in intelligence, the Republic of France’s Médaille de la Défense nationale (Gold), and the Defense Intelligence Agency Director’s Award.