"Communications Satellite Systems: A look back at the first 50 years and thoughts on the next 50" may seem to be a rather extended title for a conference, but it is what it is, and that's the Joint 22nd Ka/34th ICSSC Conference, which will occur in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Renaissance Hotel from October 17th through 20th, 2016.

Fifty years have passed since the first ICSSC was held and this event will bring together a number of satellite experts to highlight the achievements of the past and present their view of what can be expected in the future. Significant events during the Conference are the Colloquium on October 17th that addresses “Commercial Broadband Technologies and their Application to Next Generation Space Exploration Networks,” jointly chaired by NASA and Airbus, and the conference Opening Keynote address on the morning of October 18th “How Will Human Space Exploration Evolve Over the Next 50 Years?,” delivered by Jason Crusan, Director, Advanced Exploration Systems, NASA HQ, USA.

Also featured during the conference are the Broadsky Workshop “Opening ways to Deep Space,” sponsored by NICT, on October 18th, and conference plenary panels that include:

• Communications Satellite Systems: A Look Back at the First Fifty Years and Thoughts on the Next 50 on October 18th
• Space Debris on October 19th
• Paradigm Change: Big LEOs in a GEO World on October 20th

The technical program will feature more than 150 papers on all aspects of satellite technology, including papers on Q/V Communications and Propagation experiments being conducted in Europe using Alphasat.

For more detailed information on all events, for registration, hotel reservations (early bird rates close on September 25th), travel information and social events, please visit www.kaconf.org.