Commercial Space Week 2026

Historically, propulsion and mobility systems have been treated as supporting components—necessary but secondary to the primary spacecraft mission. That model is rapidly breaking down. In an increasingly dynamic space environment, mobility is becoming a foundational enabler of mission success, determining everything from orbital flexibility to end-of-life planning.

This session will explore the transformation of spacecraft mobility from a bolt-on subsystem to a central piece of infrastructure—one that supports responsive deployment, rendezvous operations, in-orbit servicing, and long-range transfers. Drawing on real-world examples, Mr. DiMarzio will discuss how operators, integrators, and service providers are adapting their architectures to treat mobility as a strategic capability, not just a technical requirement.

The talk will also address the enabling conditions needed to support this shift—from workforce specialization and design-tool evolution to testing infrastructure and the rising need for cybersecurity hardening within mobility systems. 

Relevance to the ADVANCE Track:

Infrastructure Evolution: Reimagines in-space mobility systems as core mission infrastructure akin to communications or power subsystems.

Workforce Considerations: Highlights the need for propulsion-savvy design, test, and operations teams as mobility systems take on more autonomous and mission-critical roles.

Mission Agility: Demonstrates how mobility-first design approaches expand mission options and create more resilient space architectures.

Cybersecurity Readiness: Opens the conversation on how critical mobility systems must also meet emerging standards for space asset protection.

Testimonial Quote From Speaker:
"Mobility is no longer just a subsystem—it’s strategic infrastructure. As spacecraft take on more dynamic roles, propulsion must evolve from a bolt-on component to a mission-enabling capability built into every architecture."