MOJAVE — David G. Smith, CEO of Mojave Air and Space Port at Rutan Field, will talk about how East Kern and Aerospace Valley can draw investment and build partnerships at an aerospace conference in Mojave next month.
The premier edition of CAL-SPACE — the California Space, Propulsion and Aerospace Conference and Expo — is set for Thursday and Friday, Nov. 12-13, in Mojave.
Smith will speak on Thursday morning, according to Alejandra Guzman, a spokesperson for the conference.
The conference program states that his talk, “Mojave Today: Building the Next Era of Aerospace and Space Innovation,” will outline ways to expand regional capability and connect industry, government, research institutions and workforce development around shared mission needs.
With more than 40 years of experience spanning military aviation and civil service, Smith has headed up the air and space port since July 2024. He began his U.S. Air Force service in 1982 and was a B-52 navigator, instructor and leader at several bases. After retiring from active duty as the inspector general at Edwards Air Force Base, he was director of the Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale. He is a brigadier general in the Cal Guard.
Smith has characterized “Aerospace Valley” as extending from Plant 42 north to Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.
Guzman said representatives from a number of facilities in California will participate in the event. Personnel from Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Plant 42, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Los Angeles Air Force Base, China Lake and Fort Irwin are expected. The conference news release adds that the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, with sites at China Lake and Point Mugu, is expected to take part.
Thursday’s lineup includes a CEO roundtable and a session on propulsion, hypersonics and flight test, Guzman said. The program describes that session as exploring “how Mojave, Edwards Air Force Base, NASA Armstrong and China Lake support development and demonstration of advanced aerospace systems.”
Friday opens with a session on the space layer of homeland defense, followed later in the day by one on the next aerospace workforce.
Panels and exhibits include launch and range modernization, spacecraft manufacturing, commercial space infrastructure and autonomous spacecraft operations. Startups and small businesses will have opportunities to introduce capabilities, understand mission requirements and build relationships with potential customers and collaborators, the release said.
The Ridgecrest Area Convention and Visitors Bureau developed CAL-SPACE in cooperation with the air and space port. The event will be held at the Stuart O. Witt Event Center, 1247 Poole St., on the grounds of the air and space port. Registration is open at cal-space.com.
Claudia Elliott is founder and editor of The Mojave Beat. She can be reached by email: claudia@mojavebeat.news.