Optimized Creation of DoD Compliant Satellite Systems

Johann Bradley serves as a Technical Consultant for Brainstorm Technologies, a world leader in Digital Engineering services and Modeling & Simulation (M&S).

Johann specializes in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) for Brainstorm Technologies. He has consulted and personally developed multiple advanced defense and space projects on effective Digital Engineering to support conceptual design and streamlined project development.

Johann is a licensed System Modeling Professional (OCSMP) and holds a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech as well as a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Johann also serves as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve.

Steve “Bucky” Butow is the Director of the Space Portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). He joined the team in 2015 as an early plank owner when DIU was known as the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) and helped establish the organization’s operating locations in Silicon Valley, California; Boston, Massachusetts; and Austin, Texas.

In his reserve capacity, Butow is a Brigadier General serving as the Commander of the California Air National Guard where he leads 4,900 Airmen assigned to five wings and a headquarters staff. Prior to this assignment, he was a Special Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard.
Butow is a former Commander of the 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Airfield, CA, where his responsibilities included organizing, training, equipping, and maintaining 970 combat-ready forces and $1 Billion dollars of special mission aircraft and equipment supporting the U.S. Air Force’s combat rescue and personnel recovery missions. He has previously served as the Deputy Director of the Joint Search and Rescue Center for U.S. Central Command in 2005, and as Chief of Personnel Recovery for U.S. Air Forces Central in 2007 supporting Operations IRAQI and ENDURING FREEDOM. Prior to joining DIU, Butow was the Vice Chief of the Joint Staff, California Military Department with responsibilities including cybersecurity, incident awareness and innovation. He has more than 3,500 flying hours in T-37, T-38, C-130, HC-130 and MC-130P aircraft.

As a researcher with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, Butow worked on instrument concepts for Mars surface soil analysis at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. He later served as co-principal investigator for a series of airborne science missions for which he was recognized for outstanding achievement and contributions to the Space Science Division in 1999 and received an Ames Honor Award as a member of an Astrobiology Mission Project Team in 2000.

Butow graduated from San Jose State University with a B.A. in Physics & Astronomy and earned a M.S. in Management with specialization in Air and Space Strategic Studies from the University of Maryland. He has also completed executive courses at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and was a member of the National Leadership Preparedness Initiative (NPLI) Cohort 16. Butow is a lifetime member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi for academic achievement.

Jonny Dyer is a Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Muon Space, a company focused on Earth Intelligence for a safe and resilient world. With a remarkable career spanning multiple roles in aerospace, geospatial technology and complex systems engineering, Jonny has led development of multiple industry-shaping products.

Beginning in 2009, Jonny served as the Chief Engineer at Skybox Imaging, the first venture-backed SmallSat company. In that role, Jonny led the ground-up development of what remains the largest constellation of high resolution imaging satellites ever deployed. Skybox Imaging was acquired by Google in 2014 for $500M.

At Google, Jonny continued working in the geospatial domain, leading Google Maps’ data collection team developing products like the Street View cars and a portfolio of aircraft platforms. In 2018, Jonny joined Lyft’s Level 5 Autonomous Vehicle group as a Senior Director leading the vehicle platform team responsible for the design, integration and deployment of Lyft’s cutting-edge AV platforms.

While at Google and Lyft, Jonny remained active in the satellite remote sensing space serving as a founding member of EDF’s MethaneSat Technical Advisory Group, a role he continues in today. He also served as a member of the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s APOSS study committee which produced a seminal report on the opportunities presented by commercial SmallSat constellations for civil, science and defense applications.

Jonny is an Operating Partner at Space Capital where he leverages his deep industry knowledge to drive strategic investments. He also serves as a member of the Ubiquity.vc’s Extended Team advising the partners on investments at the edge of hardware and software.

Jonny holds both a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. During his time at Stanford, he pursued a diverse range of subjects, including thermodynamics and energy, embedded electronics and software, fluid dynamics, solid-state and quantum physics, and mechanics of materials. He has authored numerous widely-cited articles spanning non-equilibrium thermodynamics, radiation effects on commercial electronics and high performance imaging systems, among others.

Jonny’s diverse expertise and leadership abilities, combined with his innate curiosity and innovative mindset, make him a sought-after leader in industry. His contributions to Muon Space, Skybox Imaging, Google, and MethaneSat have been instrumental in driving growth and shaping the future of a new generation of smallsats that monitor Earth’s climate and ecosystems.

Debra Facktor leads the Airbus U.S. Space Systems line of business, with a focus on small satellites produced for commercial and government customers at the company’s manufacturing facility in Merritt Island, Florida, and on space exploration activities in the U.S.

Debra sits on the board of directors for Starlab Space LLC, a joint venture between Voyager and Airbus to build and operate a next-generation commercial space station. She also served on the board of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites joint venture prior to its recent acquisition by Airbus U.S.

Before joining Airbus U.S., Debra was Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Operations for Ball Aerospace, leading the company’s Washington DC operations, strategic development, and marketing and communications.

She is actively engaged as an advisor and mentor in the aerospace community, serving as chair of the Space & Satellite Professionals International-Women in Space Engagement (SSPI-WISE) and is a fellow of AIAA, the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and an academician of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).

Debra received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and is an alumna of the International Space University summer session program in Strasbourg, France.

Col Nathan L. Iven is the Acting Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, United States Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He is responsible for developing strategy and policy to advance Science and Technology and Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation; employing cutting edge technologies to digitally transform the USSF; assuring USSF information technology needs are met; effectively managing USSF data; and conducting analysis supporting all USSF staff elements.

Col Iven is a graduate of Cornell University and was commissioned in 1996. He has served in a variety of operational space, missile, intelligence, and cyber assignments including Minuteman III Combat Crew, Satellite Operations, and 614th Air Operations Center Combat Operations. Col Iven directed foundational intelligence analysis, served as an Air Force Major Command staff officer, and Wing Chief of Safety. He supported theater space operations as the Liaison Officer to Joint Functional Component Commander for Space and served as the Director of Strategy and Plans, securing, operating, and defending the Department of Defense Information Network.

Col Iven commanded the Counter Space Analysis Squadron at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Prior to his current position, Col Iven was the Military Deputy, Science, Technology and Research, Headquarters United States Space Force.

David Langan is Umbra’s CEO and Co-founder. He is an expert in space mission architecture formulation and operations, remote sensing, and the design, manufacturing, and testing of advanced space systems for commercial and U.S. government customers. David has contributed to U.S. commercial space policy development, serving from 2016-2020 as an appointee of two presidential administrations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES).

Before founding Umbra in 2015, David held positions as a Systems Engineer, Technical Director, and Space Mission Architect at Orbital ATK (now Northrop Grumman) where he enjoyed 100% flight success across more than 18 satellite systems.