Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. officials hope to use an aerospace conference that kicks off Monday to promote their uphill bid to acquire the Pentagon’s leading satellite launch provider, according to people familiar with the matter.

When military and defense-industry officials gather at the Air Force Association’s air and space conference in suburban Washington, a major topic of discussion on the sidelines is likely to be Aerojet Rocketdyne’s $2 billion offer for United Launch Alliance LLC, a 50-50 rocket venture between...