CTO of iLAuNCH joins line-up at Australian Space Summit 2025

Now in its fourth consecutive year, the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition is set to deliver a two-day forum uniting the sector’s most influential decision makers across space and defence.

Hosted in partnership with principal partner Space Centre Australia, the transformative event will feature an unparalleled speaker line-up, including former Prime Minister and non-executive group chairman of Space Centre Australia, Scott Morrison, and the Australian Army’s Lieutenant General Susan Coyle.

The chief technology officer of the University of Southern Queensland’s iLAuNCH program, Dr Joni Sytsma, has joined the impressive speaker line-up to discuss the potential for dual-use innovation in space and defence.

She will be joined by other panellists such as Melissa de Zwart, professor space law and governance at the University of Adelaide, to explore the scope of Australia’s space ambitions and the potential to overlap with the defence industry through a dual-use mindset.

Sytsma is a leading aerospace engineer with over 16 years of experience in space, satellites, rockets and hypersonics.

Speaking to Tech Diversity about her work with iLAuNCH, Sytsma said, “As the chief technology officer of the iLAuNCH program, my primary role involves overseeing the program’s scope and managing the full spectrum of technical activities.

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“This includes assessing and mitigating risks, evaluating the technology readiness levels, and engaging in business development to refine project scopes and secure contracts, ultimately bringing projects to fruition.”

“iLAuNCH is a cornerstone of our national space program, playing a critical role in the research and innovation landscape,” she added.

“We transform promising space technology prototypes into tangible hardware that is either prepared for space travel or already orbiting the Earth. This phase marks the transition from theoretical research to practical, deployable space technology products,” Sytsma told Tech Diversity.

Sytsma has been passionate about space innovation from a young age, telling Tech Diversity, “If there’s one thing I’ve always wanted to be, it’s a rocket scientist. I am deeply fascinated by the imagery of space, rockets and satellites, and I’ve always had a strong desire to build and develop these technologies.”

Originally from the United States, she made her childhood dreams come true when she began her career at the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), where she designed and optimised aerospace technologies and developed academic concepts into fully tested systems.

Following her time with AFRL, Sytsma moved to Australia to contribute to the HIFiRE program with the Defence Science and Technology Group before progressing to chief technology officer at Department 13 in the counter unmanned aerial systems field.

She later worked on software stack development, performance simulations and design optimisation at Gilmour Space Technologies.

At the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition, Sytsma will explore the growing intersection of Australia’s space and defence industries, analysing current synergies, security challenges, ethical considerations and future applications of dual-use technologies.

Don’t miss this chance to hear from the brightest minds leading the development of Australia’s space industry. Click here to buy tickets.

The Australian Space Summit & Exhibition will be held on 27 and 28 May at the ICC, Sydney.

For more information on the agenda, click here.

To see the full list of speakers, click here.

Click here to learn more about the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition.