Rocket City Rising: U.S. Space Command deputy commander to keynote GEOHuntsville Summit
Published on March 10, 2026
Lt. Gen. Richard L. Zellmann, Deputy Commander, U.S. Space Command, will be a keynote speaker at the GEOHuntsville Summit on Thursday, March 26, at 9 a.m. at the Huntsville Botanical Garden.
The Summit’s theme, “Rocket City Rising,” will spotlight conversations at the intersection of geospatial, space and artificial intelligence. Organizers noted the Summit will award scholarships to local students.
“The GEOHuntsville Summit is all about shaping the next frontier of artificial intelligence, space innovation and geospatial intelligence. This collaboration accelerates solutions and open new opportunities for the people who power Huntsville’s future,” Mayor Battle said.
The Summit will convene industry leaders, government partners, academic innovators and students to explore emerging technologies, workforce development and real‑world applications.
Keynote Speakers
- Breakfast Keynote: Lt. Gen. Richard L. Zellmann, Deputy Commander, U.S. Space Command
- Midday Keynote: Mr. Bill Caniano, West Executive, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (Invited)
- Afternoon Keynote: Mr. Justin Langlois, Deputy Director, Office of Commercial Systems, National Reconnaissance Office
Panels include: How Commercial Companies Are Solving Threats in Space; Beyond Automation – How Next‑Gen AI Is Reshaping GEOINT Collection & Analysis; Why Geospatial Ethics & Standards Matter in AI & Space; and Preparing Students for the 2035 National Security Workforce.
Launched in 2012 as part of Mayor Battle’s Exemplar City initiative, GEOHuntsville connects government, industry and academia to advance geospatial innovation, strengthen public safety and support economic and workforce development across the region. The initiative supports Huntsville as a national leader in the design, development and deployment of practical geospatial solutions.
Registration for the GEOHuntsville Summit 2026 is now open.
