38th Annual Small Satellite Conference (SmallSat 2024)
- Date
- 2024-08-03
- Location
- Utah State University, Logan, United States
- Host
- Small Satellite Conference (SmallSat)
About this event
The 38th Annual Small Satellite Conference (SmallSat 2024) brings one of the space industry’s most established gatherings back to Utah State University in Logan, Utah. Centered on the theme “Automation - Enabling New Capabilities,” this in-person event is designed for people who are actively building, operating, researching, and advancing small satellite systems and want to understand where the field is heading next. If your work touches spacecraft design, mission operations, payloads, manufacturing, autonomy, or the broader smallsat ecosystem, this is the kind of conference where technical conversations matter. It’s a place to see how automation is reshaping real-world satellite programs, and to meet the community driving that change. About the Event The Small Satellite Conference has long served as a convening point for the smallsat and space community, bringing together professionals, researchers, and organizations focused on practical progress in small satellite technology. The 2024 edition continues that role while sharpening the conversation around automation and the ways it is being integrated across satellite systems. Rather than treating automation as a buzzword, this event is grounded in how it enables new capabilities across the full mission lifecycle. That includes how teams design and test systems more efficiently, how satellites operate with less manual intervention, and how increasingly capable missions are made possible through smarter onboard and ground-based processes. Because this is an in-person conference at a university setting, attendees can expect a format that supports both structured learning and direct conversation. It is the kind of environment where formal sessions can lead naturally into deeper technical discussion, peer exchange, and new connections with others working on similar problems. At its core, this event exists to help the smallsat community compare approaches, share lessons, and track the technologies and operational practices that are moving from experimentation into wider adoption. What to Expect SmallSat 2024 is built around the kinds of conference experiences that matter most for a technical and mission-focused audience: presentations, discussions, and opportunities to engage with current work across the sector. With the conference theme focused on automation, attendees should expect programming that explores both strategic direction and implementation details. Topics are likely to span a broad cross-section of the small satellite ecosystem, with an emphasis on how automation connects systems and improves outcomes. That may include conversations around: Spacecraft autonomy and onboard decision-making Mission operations and workflow automation Integration, testing, and production efficiencies Payload performance and data handling Ground systems, command pipelines, and operational resilience How automation changes what small satellite missions can realistically accomplish Beyond any single session, one of the most valuable aspects of a conference like this is range. You can expect exposure to different viewpoints from across the community, from research-driven work to more applied operational perspectives. That mix helps attendees understand not just what is technically possible, but what is proving useful in practice. For many participants, the day is not only about sitting through talks. It is also about comparing notes with peers, asking better questions, pressure-testing assumptions, and spotting patterns across multiple sessions that may influence future technical or program decisions. Why Attend This conference is especially valuable if you want a clearer picture of where small satellites are going next and what role automation will play in that shift. The industry is moving quickly, and the teams that stay current are often the ones that understand how adjacent disciplines are evolving alongside their own. Attending gives you a chance to learn in a concentrated setting. Instead of piecing together trends from scattered updates, you can hear how the community is thinking about mission capability, operational scale, and system complexity in one place. That kind of context is useful whether you are building hardware, managing programs, conducting research, or evaluating future directions. You should attend if you want to: Stay current on emerging thinking in small satellite systems Understand how automation is being applied across the mission stack Learn from a community that spans technical, academic, and industry perspectives Meet others working on closely related challenges in space and satellite development Bring back ideas that can inform design, operations, or strategic planning There is also value in the continuity of the event itself. As the 38th annual edition, SmallSat is not a one-off gathering. It represents an ongoing forum for the community, which makes it especially relevant for people who care about long-term developments in the field and want to stay connected to recurring conversations that shape it. Practical Details This is an in-person event taking place at Utah State University in Logan, United States. The university setting gives the conference a focused, technical atmosphere that fits the event’s role as a serious meeting point for the small satellite community. The listed start time is Saturday, August 3 at 12:00 AM UTC. If you are planning to attend, it is worth confirming the local schedule in Logan and reviewing the event timing in your own time zone before making travel or arrival plans. A few practical reasons to plan ahead: This is an on-site conference, so travel logistics matter You will get more from the event if you arrive ready for a full day of sessions and conversations Bring questions, context from your own work, and enough flexibility to follow interesting discussions beyond the formal agenda Whether you come to track the latest smallsat developments, dig into the implications of automation, or reconnect with the broader space community in person, SmallSat 2024 offers a focused setting to do exactly that.
Who should attend
If you work on, study, fund, or depend on small satellites, this conference is built for you. - **Satellite engineers and technical leads** who want to see how automation is being applied across small satellite systems, from design and integration to operations and mission performance. - **Program managers, mission planners, and decision-makers** looking to understand where automation can reduce risk, improve efficiency, and unlock new capabilities for future missions. - **Researchers, faculty, and students** in aerospace, space systems, robotics, autonomy, and related fields who want exposure to current industry and academic thinking in a setting rooted in Utah State University’s long-running SmallSat community. - **Startups, suppliers, and established aerospace companies** building components, software, services, or full spacecraft and looking to connect with the broader small satellite ecosystem. - **Government, defense, and civil space professionals** tracking the practical impact of automation on small satellite architectures, operations, and deployment strategies. - **Anyone serious about the small satellite sector** who values focused conversations, technical insight, and being in the room with people shaping where the field is headed next.