Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory



Commercial Space and the Future of National Defense
Carissa Christensen

March 2, 2017

Space capabilities are increasingly critical to national defense, and commercial space firms are reshaping space capabilities in the U.S. and globally. From heavy launchers to smallsats, from data analytics to super-smart GPS applications, commercial space capabilities are augmenting and disrupting military and intelligence space routines.

Carissa Christensen, CEO of Bryce Space and Technology, will deliver a unique, cross-cutting overview of current and emerging commercial space capabilities. Bryce specializes in non-advocate, rigorous analysis of the industry. Based on the companys analysis of hundreds of commercial space ventures, Ms. Christensen will address core questions of viability, commercial dynamics, and capability, answering questions like:

  • Do commercial systems duplicate government capabilities? Supplement them? Compete with them?
  • Which of the 12,000 proposed satellites will actually launch over the next decade? How can we tell which ventures are real and which will remain forever PowerPoint?
  • Can government users really rely on commercial resources to be there when they need them?
Her data-rich approach offers unbiased insight into important trades shaping the decisions of policy makers and warfighters.

Carissa Bryce Christensen is an internationally known expert on the space industry and technology forecasting. She led the creation of widely used data tools now considered global metrics for the commercial space and satellite sectors, providing non-advocate, data-driven insights. She is a frequent speaker and author on space and satellite trends, serves as a strategic advisor to government and commercial clients, and has been an expert witness and testified before Congress on market dynamics. Ms. Christensen is the CEO of Bryce Space and Technology, LLC (formerly a division of The Tauri Group), an analytic consulting firm. She is also an active investor in technology-focused startups and advises several companies she has helped seed. She serves on the board of QxBranch, an early stage quantum computing firm.



Commercial Space and the Future of National Defense

The Center for Global Security Research (CGSR) sponsored this seminar entitled "Commercial Space and the Future of National Defense" on March 2, 2017, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The seminar was presented by Carissa Christensen, chief executive officer of Bryce Space and Technology, LLC.

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