NEWSROOM
Australian Female Space Leader of the Year (Academia) - Winner
SpaceCyT Institute is pleased to announce that its CEO, Dr Rebecca Connolly, has been awarded Female Space Leader of the Year – Academia at the 2026 Australian Space Awards.
The award recognises outstanding leadership within Australia's space sector and acknowledges Dr Connolly's contributions to space law, policy, and security through her work in academia, industry engagement, and international collaboration.
Reflecting on the award, Dr Connolly noted that the recognition extends beyond any individual achievement.
"I am proud to be part of a global community working to ensure that the benefits of space are supported by thoughtful governance, responsible behaviour, and international collaboration."
The Australian Space Awards celebrate excellence across the Australian space industry and recognise individuals and organisations making significant contributions to the growth and advancement of the sector.
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2nd Australia Space Law and Policy Conference | June 2026
The SpaceCyT Institute convened the 2nd Australia Space Law and Policy Conference in Sydney on 19 June 2026.
The Conference brought together leaders from government, industry, defence, academia, and the legal community to discuss the legal, policy, security, and commercial issues shaping the future of space.
Throughout the day, we explored topics including:
🔐 Space and Cyber Security
🌏 Disaster Preparedness and Response
🛡️ Space Security and Regional Stability in the Indo-Pacific
⚖️ Liability, Risk, and Innovation in the New Space Economy
For more photos - view the Conference Page
Australia–Japan–Philippines Trilateral Roundtable Dialogue on Space Security | 2026
The SpaceCyT Institute convened a trilateral Track 1.5 Dialogue between Australia-Japan-Philippines on Space Security in the Indo-Pacific. The event was co-hosted with The Institute for Regional Security.
The dialogue brought together participants across the three nations (in-person and online), and featured Commander MAJGEN Greg Novak and a delegation from Space Command as well representatives from the Australian Space Agency, the Space Directorate of the Defence Aviation Safety Authority, the Japanese Consulate General (Sydney), the Embassy of the Philippines, the Philippine Space Agency and industry, including the Space Law Council of Australia and New Zealand.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS at U.S. Naval War College - Cyber & Innovation Policy Institute Workshop | May 2026
An honour for SpaceCyT's CEO Dr Connolly to provide the Keynote on "Space Law and Geopolitics" at the U.S. Naval War College -Cyber & Innovation Policy Institute (CIPI) Workshop on "Cyber Seabed to Space: Connectivity During Crisis and Conflict in the Pacific", held in Newport, Rhode Island.
The keynote address explored the legal and policy challenges associated with space systems during crisis and conflict, including the growing reliance on satellite communications, the vulnerability of dual-use space infrastructure, the role of commercial actors, and the increasingly complex questions of attribution, escalation, and international law in the space domain.
Wargaming was a highlight of the workshop!
SpaceCyT Institute conducts Executive Training in Washington DC | June 2026
The SpaceCyT Institute's CEO Dr. Connolly facilitated an Executive Training Course on the "Strategic Convergence of Space, AI, and Cyber in Geopolitics and Global Security" in Washington, DC for the Atlantic Council GeoTech Center.
One of the central questions explored throughout the day was:
What happens when the technologies that underpin modern society become both a source of strategic advantage and a source of strategic vulnerability?
🌐 Through discussions with participants from government, industry, policy, and national security backgrounds, the course examined how space systems, artificial intelligence, and cyber capabilities are becoming increasingly interconnected -and why the most significant opportunities and challenges now emerge at the intersections between them.
SIAA & Bartier Perry Live Webinar | April 2026
Our CEO, Dr. Connolly was an invited guest speaker at this live streamed moderated discussion examining key issues in space governance, including international space law, commercial regulation, sustainability, and the policy challenges emerging from new technologies and uses of space.
Space Critical Infrastructure | Thales webinar | 2026
CEO Dr. Connolly joined a live webinar hosted by Thales to unpack why Australia’s national and commercial resilience is now inseparable from space infrastructure and what leaders must do to respond.
The discussion covered:
- The growing impact of space infrastructure on Australia’s critical infrastructure
- Why space‑related risk is now a Board‑level issue
- What’s changing in the space domain and how it will affect geopolitics, technology, and your organisation
Track 1.5 Dialogue: Space Norms | Washington DC | 2025
Our CEO, Dr. Connolly was invited to be a LEAD at the inaugural Track 1.5 Dialogue on Emerging Space Norms, hosted at the Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C. This Dialogue is a joint project of UNSW Canberra, King’s College London, and Arizona State University under the Security & Defence PLuS Alliance. Dr Connolly was asked to lead the discussion on norms in the military profession.
GSA International Spaceport Forum 2025
CEO - Dr Connolly was an invited speaker on the topic: "Development of Space Rescue Capabilities".
The GSA advances Spaceport development and dperations through global collaboration. Its International Spaceport Forum brings together leaders from spaceports, government, industry, and academia to collaborate on the future of spaceport development and operations.
Featured Interview
Watch this featured interview with our CEO, Dr. Rebecca Connolly, with the Law Society Journal.
QUAD Series Dialogue
CEO Dr. Conolly as a keynote presenter at
the Indo-Pacific Space & Earth QUAD
Series Dialogue in 2025
Space Diplomacy Symposium | Seattle
In 2025, our CEO, Dr. Connolly was invited guest speaker at the Space Diplomacy Symposium held in Seattle. Dr. Connolly participated in the Commercial Space panel discussing the medical and biological challenges for sustaining humanity in space.
SIAA - Shaping Australia’s Space Future: Policy and Strategy Forum | 2025
Our CEO, Dr. Connolly was an invited space law expert speaker at this one-day forum held by the Space Industry Association of Australia. This even brought together government officials, industry leaders, researchers, and policy experts to examine the evolving landscape and identify strategic priorities for the years ahead for Australia.
IAC | Sydney 2025
Presenter at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney for the International Institute of Space Law Symposium.