SPACE SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS

Lt Col Caitlin B. Diffley

Director, Space Force Innovation and Deputy Portfolio Director for Space
Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)

Lieutenant Colonel Caitlin B. Diffley serves as the Director, Space Force Innovation and Deputy Portfolio Director for Space at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). In this dual capacity, she represents the Department of War’s primary interface with the commercial space sector, tenaciously accelerating best-in-class technology into warfighter hands to ensure American operational dominance. She drives aggressive and ethical acquisition through the DIU’s unique 10 U.S.C. § 4022 and 4127 authorities to bypass legacy bureaucracy.

Lt Col Diffley leads high-impact portfolio efforts that deliver revolutionary technology for the Joint force and interagency—including responsive space, AI-enhanced sensing, and defense industrial base resiliency—from initial problem curation to battlefield transition in under three years. A career space operator and certified Foreign Area Officer and Regional Space Advisor, she possesses deep expertise in Russian, Chinese, and Spanish language and tactical culture. Her leadership experience is extensive, having recently served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the NATO Combined Force Space Component Command in Germany and as a Division Chief within the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

A 2006 ROTC Distinguished Graduate from the University of Notre Dame, Lt Col Diffley holds an MBA in International Business and a Master of National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School. 

Related Sessions

The Future of R&D: Different Approaches to Space-Based Research & Development in a Changing Industry

Thursday, April 16, 2026

11:15 am - 12:00 pm

Track: