HUNTSVILLE — The Space and Missile Defense Symposium, now in its 28th year, is underway at the Von Braun Center, drawing more than 7,000 military, government, and industry leaders from around the world.
From the opening sessions to hallway conversations, the Golden Dome concept emerged as one of the hottest topics, alongside the event’s marquee lineup of senior officials from U.S. Space Command, U.S. Northern Command, the Missile Defense Agency, and other key defense organizations during the gathering this week.
Huntsville’s role as a national hub for defense and technology makes it a fitting backdrop for the symposium.
Kristoffer Ison, president of Maximum Technology, said the event is more than a conference, it’s a point of pride for the Rocket City.
“This is a showcase for the city, the community, (Redstone) Arsenal, Marshall Space Flight Center,” said Ison. “We all come together once a year and really show the rest of the world what we’re about and then the important work that’s done in the community.”
Ison said for Huntsville-based companies, SMD is almost like a “family reunion” while for many others this might be their first visit to the Rocket City.
“And for most people, it’s really eye opening. How much we have to offer, how much is done here,” he said.
UAH on hand
Also highlighting the region’s many capabilities, the University of Alabama in Huntsville was on hand with an enormous display showcasing its broad expertise in research, defense partnerships, and technological innovation.
“We’ve had a very long relationship with many of the DoD partners that are here in Huntsville and around the world,” said Kristina Hendrix, vice president for strategic communications at UAH. “And so this is an opportunity for us to come and let other people know about what we’re doing here in Huntsville and to show them that there is a partner with them in academia.”
The symposium includes panel discussions, a technical track of peer-reviewed research, and exhibits from more than 300 companies showcasing innovations in space and missile defense and, of course, plenty of talk about Golden Dome.
Michael Toole, author of “The Guardian: A Space-Based Neutral Particle Beam — A Powerful Guardian of Peace,” said while there’s a lot of interest, he’s hoping “we get it focused in the right technology areas.”
“We need a capability both for missile defense and for – as General Saltzman said recently on X, he indicated we need commanding control and sensors – a space control capability, which says that you need effectors that can provide a capability and the particle beam technology – the technology that might be worth considering,” said Toole.
Golden Dome discussion part of industry summit
While a discussion on Golden Dome had been removed from the SMD agenda Tuesday, the panel discussion was “rolled into” Thursday’s “Next Generation Missile Defense Industry Summit” in the VBC’s Propst Arena. It is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and is not affiliated with the SMD Symposium. Separate registration with MDA is required to attend the summit.
Meanwhile, one company at SMD said they have the Golden Dome solution.
“We use a superconductor coil gun in space to use energy that’s accumulated from the sun to fire it,” said Wayne C.W. Lau, CEO of Lau Superconductors. “Now the nice thing about it, no combustion, no heat, no explosions.
“That’s the flexibility of magnetics. That is the reason why our technology is so different and because, well, because we use solar energy, it’s only about a meter long, so it’s tiny.”
Lau said he would like President Trump to hear about his company’s technology. Considering U.S. Space Command is expected to be announced to be coming to Redstone Arsenal any day now, Huntsville might be the perfect place to be.
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