From New Delhi to Miami: BCIU Expands the Commercial Space Frontier Across Two Continents

When a BCIU-led delegation of 14 American space companies visited India in February 2026, it marked a turning point in how the U.S. government and American private-sector entities approach the business of space. The trade mission, which culminated in the U.S.-India Space Business Forum in Bengaluru, demonstrated that the next frontier of the global space economy would be built not through competition, but through international collaboration.

Just two months later, American military and civilian entities convened with partner nations again—this time, here at home.

At the end of April, BCIU partnered with U.S. Southern Command and the U.S. Department of Commerce to organize industry participation during the Space Conference of the Americas (SCA), whose overall theme was providing guidance and a way ahead for future space collaboration. The event brought together senior space authorities from 18 Partner Nations primarily from the Western Hemisphere—Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Suriname—along with partner officials from four African countries (Angola, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria). For the first time in its history, industry was invited to participate in the military conference, as well. Eleven leading U.S. space companies were selected to present the capabilities that can address the challenges that partner-nations face in space.

The work of helping those nations meet long-term objectives on the ground—by expanding their ambitions in space—took place across several small, focused gatherings and pitch sessions. Although each country’s representatives arrived at Southern Command with unique needs, they shared a common interest: their willingness to collaborate with the U.S. on space and learn about the capabilities America’s space industry can offer them.

A fast start

The industry portion of the conference included customized presentations from the 11 solutions providers, generally structured as panels of three or four industry speakers at a time. There were also several opportunities for individual engagements with military officials throughout the conference.

Attendees also heard from U.S. policy and export-licensing officials—including representatives from the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and its International Trade Administration, NOAA, NASA, and U.S. Space Command—giving partner nations a clear picture of how American capabilities can be accessed and engaged with.

“SOUTHCOM recognizes the importance of controlling the high ground as part of its broader strategic objectives. Enhanced space capabilities lead to terrestrial results. Recently, SOUTHCOM and partner forces successfully identified and destroyed clandestine airfields used by cartels with the assistance of satellite technology,” said Joel Reynoso, the Commerce Liaison Officer embedded at Southern Command. ”Working with U.S. space providers, U.S. and partner forces in the region can identify and work toward additional solutions in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance technologies.”

In addition, the event highlighted how valuable dual-use modern space technology has become to governments around the world, particularly in terms of civilian applications.

“While security solutions were the primary focus of the conference, these same companies offer capabilities for countries to monitor illicit fishing and mining activities, and with disaster response,” explained Jeffrey Donald, BCIU’s Senior Director for National Security.

Donald also pointed to a more aspirational thread: the pride and excitement that comes with putting a nation’s astronaut in space. For many partner countries, scientific cooperation with the United States—through programs like the International Space Station and Artemis—represents both a practical and symbolic milestone.

Eyes in the sky

The security and surveillance discussions reflected a new range of realities facing the represented regions. Discussions included launch services and sovereign satellite ownership, as well as persistent surveillance of borders, maritime zones, and areas of strategic concern.

One recurring theme was the balance between “sovereign capability” and “service provision.” Some nations want to own and operate their own satellites outright; others prefer to procure capability-as-a-service from U.S. companies. Both conversations were happening in parallel across the three days. Working from a matrix that mapped each company’s expertise with the needs of the invited countries contributed to making sure every high-value introduction and discussion actually happened.

That mix of interests was well matched by the industry lineup, which included companies such as Astranis, Blue Canyon Technologies, EO Solutions, Globalstar, HawkEye 360, L3Harris, LeoLabs, Peraton, Planet, Terran Orbital, and Vantor.

“The opportunity to engage directly with Partner Nation officials, U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Space Command, and U.S. Space Force representatives was invaluable,” said Jasmine Braswell, Director of Commercial and International Business Development at Terran Orbital, a manufacturer of satellite products. “The timing aligned perfectly with our expansion plan, and the connections we made have already given us strong momentum toward execution.”

Trust as the connective tissue

The gathering culminated in a reception, giving officials and industry representatives a chance to connect informally before returning to their home countries, armed with new information, ideas, and relationships.

“I was super pleased with it,” said Donald. “The chance to catch people in a more casual setting and talk through the challenges they’re seeing and then pitch them ideas, that’s where the value is.”

But that isn’t just a result of good logistics, he pointed out.

“We’re just trusted by all of those different parties,” Donald said. “We don’t have an
axe to grind or a policy framework we are promoting. We just want to bring the parties together so they can solve problems with each other.”

That neutrality, combined with a deep bench of in-country relationships built over years of missions, is what makes the model work. At the reception, one representative traced his company’s growing business in Argentina back to a BCIU defense mission in 2024—a reminder that the relationships built on one trip can pay dividends on the next.

That’s why the SOUTHCOM event will not be a one-off. The Department of War and the Commerce Department are already planning future industry engagements in other Combatant Commands, which could include space but also other defense-related technologies that address the military’s priorities, such as drones.

Looking farther ahead, BCIU is hopeful it can replicate this model with U.S. regional combatant commands to extend the reach of American commercial defense engagement across new theaters. Across every region, however, the idea will be the same: International collaboration, anchored in trust, remains the single greatest accelerant for the commercial space industry.

“By bringing together three critical groups in one room, the U.S. military, military leaders from partner countries, and American industry, the Space Conference of the Americas created a unique opportunity to build relationships and move important conversations forward,” said Hiro Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Commerce Department’s Advocacy Center. “It was an honor to address the visiting delegations and help kick off the industry session, but the real highlight was watching American companies present innovative solutions to real-world challenges. When SOUTHCOM, our allies, and U.S. industry are working together, everybody benefits. The Trump Administration is focused on delivering for U.S. industry, and the Department of Commerce is proud to help American companies compete and win in global markets.”