Small Satellite Conference Friends,

I hope this finds you all well. My heart and thoughts go out to those of you who have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here at SmallSat, we are approaching critical milestones in our preparations for the 2021 Conference, and once again we find ourselves in the position of making a very difficult decision as to the format of this year’s Conference. Now, as always, the safety and security of our attendees and staff is my highest priority.

Our team has been performing a tremendous amount of research to prepare us for this decision point, including numerous discussions and monitoring guidance from the State of Utah, our local health department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Utah State University. In the current environment, there are many restrictions that prevent us from holding the Conference in person and it is unclear whether these restrictions will be lifted before August. Because of this significant uncertainty, I have determined the most appropriate path forward is to hold the 2021 Conference in a virtual format.

Our team will continue to monitor the public health situation and adhere to federal, state, and local orders regarding large assemblies such as SmallSat. We want nothing more than to see each of you here in person, but only if it can be done safely and effectively. If, in the coming months there are significant improvements with the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions are eased, I will re-evaluate this decision. For now, we need to move forward with preparations to provide you with the best virtual experience possible.

We remain committed to hosting this Conference for you, and we are humbled that you have allowed us to play such an important role in this dynamic and forward-thinking industry. Thanks to all of you for your support of our SmallSat 2020 virtual format, which helped expand access of our program to over 8,000 attendees across our community. As our team continues the planning process for this and future Conferences, we will work to ensure the hallmarks of the Conference that you have become accustomed to remain in place.

To continue moving our industry forward, we want and need your participation in SmallSat 2021 – it’s going to be “Still Virtually Amazing.” We look forward to seeing you all in August.

Best always,