Earlier this month, The Space Force Association Awarded the Innovation Hub with their Innovation Award at the Spacepower Excellence Award Gala in Orlando, Florida.

Bart Stewart, Command Data and AI Officer for Space Systems Command and IHub government partner, nominated the facility for this award earlier this year. The IHub’s Lead Marketing and Outreach Project Coordinator Sam Louque and VT-ARC CEO John Forte traveled to the Spacepower Conference to accept the award on the Innovation Hub’s behalf.

According to SFA, “This award recognizes the person or team that pushes the boundary of spacepower development through transformation of mission design, technical advancement, or mission accomplishment. Key to the innovation is its impact on securing the space domain or advancing space capabilities being provided to joint warfighters. It highlights the character of the person or team as masters of the space profession, their ability to connect organizations and bring the best minds and resources against a problem, the courage to challenge the status quo processes and technical solutions, and the commitment to see their innovation through to implementation.”

SFA Leadership acknowledged several other award winners during this gala, including the Combat Force Enhancement Division — one of the IHub’s government partners. This team won the Engineering and Space Technology Award, which recognizes “a champion of digital transformation in the defense industry, focusing on space innovation and space technology.” We’re thrilled to be able to support such great work being done here at the IHub!

Thank you to Space Force Association for this recognition and to our partners at VT-ARC, SSC, and AFOSR for their continued support. Congratulations to all of the guardians, civilians, and teams recognized at this gala. We’re thrilled to see what 2026 has in store for all of us in the Space Force community!