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Call for Content
Publish and Present a Technical Paper or Organize and Lead a Collaborative Session
CALL FOR CONTENT FOR ASCEND 2026 NOW OPEN
CALL FOR CONTENT FOR ASCEND 2026 NOW OPEN
Join the global space community to share your insights, research, and innovations that are shaping the future of space.
The ASCEND 2026 Technical Program Committee welcomes abstracts and session proposals from professionals, researchers, innovators, and students across government, industry, and academia.
Submissions for ASCEND technical papers and sessions should clearly connect to real-world missions, operational needs, or long-term strategic goals. Submissions should present original work, applied solutions, lessons learned, and/or thought leadership that advances the space field.
The Call for Content is organized in five Core Topic Areas. Click to see a description of each area.
- Space Economy
- Policy and Law
- National Security
- Science and Exploration
- Technology Development and Utilization
We encourage submissions that reflect diverse perspectives and promote collaboration across sectors, disciplines, and domains. Papers that engage with broader cross-cutting issues are strongly encouraged. Areas of interest include public-private collaboration, approaches to technology transfer and commercialization, strategies for sustainability and responsible conduct, the role of dual-use technologies and civil-military integration, long-term planning to guide future developments, and engineering approaches that support cross-domain integration and mission adaptability, among other relevant topics.
2026 Technical Program Committee
If you have questions about submission topics and our interdisciplinary approach, please reach out to one of the 2026 ASCEND Technical Program Chairs:
- Daniel (Dani) Selva | Technical Program Co-Chair
- Laurent Sibille | Technical Program Co-Chair
- Sean Phillips | Deputy Technical Program Chair, National Security
- Amir Gohardani | Deputy Technical Program Chair, Policy and Law
- Paula do Vale Pereira and Katya Sofia Arquilla | Deputy Technical Program Chairs, Science and Exploration
- John Carsten | Deputy Technical Program Chair, Space Economy
- Christine Edwards and Hao Chen | Deputy Technical Program Chairs, Technology Development and Utilization
Key Dates and Deadlines
Questions?
If you have questions about submission topics and our interdisciplinary approach, please reach out to:
- Natalia Larrea Brito | AIAA Senior Director, Space
- Caroline Emmert | AIAA ASCEND Forum Content Manager
Session Formats
Step One: Pick One Format
Debates
A classic debate where a provocative question is posed and both sides are represented.
A classic debate where a provocative question is posed and both sides are represented.
Panel
A moderated discussion between a small group of experts with audience participation through Q&A.
A moderated discussion between a small group of experts with audience participation through Q&A.
Roundtables
An interactive participation by attendees and roundtable facilitators to collaboratively probe issues and leverage collective experiences to develop a deeper, shared understanding.
An interactive participation by attendees and roundtable facilitators to collaboratively probe issues and leverage collective experiences to develop a deeper, shared understanding.
Town Hall
A gathering of a community around a central topic for discussion and planning that includes high levels of attendee participation in open discussion.
A gathering of a community around a central topic for discussion and planning that includes high levels of attendee participation in open discussion.
Tutorial
An interactive learning session that includes the participation of attendees and may award certification or continuing education credits.
An interactive learning session that includes the participation of attendees and may award certification or continuing education credits.
Workshop
A collaborative session in which attendees are dispersed into small groups to discuss a central topic/theme, focused on developing outcomes, and capturing the collective wisdom/ideation.
A collaborative session in which attendees are dispersed into small groups to discuss a central topic/theme, focused on developing outcomes, and capturing the collective wisdom/ideation.
Paper and Session Topics
Step Two: Pick One Topic
Session Submissions
- Session proposals should be multidisciplinary and reflect diverse perspectives to support meaningful, forward-looking dialogue. Clearly define the objectives of your session and what the ASCEND community will gain from the experience. Proposals should promote collaboration across multiple levels, including international partnerships, inter-industry cooperation, industry-academia engagement, and public-private initiatives. The goal is to deepen mutual understanding, address shared challenges, explore collective opportunities, and advance common objectives through open and constructive exchange.
Session Submission Requirements
Title
- Your title should convey to forum organizers and attendees exactly what your session is about.
Short Session Description
- Provide as much specificity as possible. Organizers will use your description to determine if and where your idea fits in the overall program. Please do not use this section to include names of potential speakers of your session.
Contact Information
- Tell us who you are, where you are from, and how to connect with you. If your session is accepted for inclusion in ASCEND 2026, this information will be used to contact you.
Session Length
- Longer is not always better. Session lengths will be determined based on the ideas received and the overall flow of the program. Think about how much time is absolutely needed to convey the ideas and drive the outcomes you desire. If you session is accepted, duration may differ from what is requested.
Extended Description
- This is a longer, more in-depth description of the background and details of the proposal that will be used only for the review of the proposal if needed. This is a good place to include the types or specific names of speakers you are envisioning for your submission. Diverse perspectives are critical at ASCEND so please reflect that here if you have speaker ideas.
Session Goals and Outcomes
- This is where the rubber meets the road. Think through what will come out of this conversation at ASCEND – is it a whitepaper, formation of a new committee or working group, an actionable set of priorities, something else? If we revisit your session a year later, what would have been accomplished in the interim?
Session Topics
Space Economy ↓
The global space economy continues to grow rapidly, driven by public and private investment, technological innovation, new market entrants, and evolving business models. As commercial activity expands across launch services, satellite operations, in-orbit servicing, and infrastructure development in Earth orbit, on the moon, and beyond, new opportunities and challenges are emerging across the value chain.
Papers are invited on the economic, financial, and commercial dimensions of the space sector. This may include market dynamics, investment strategies, business models, commercialization approaches, lessons learned from other high-tech sectors, and forward-looking analysis to inform the future of space commerce. Submissions from industry, government, and academia are encouraged.
Specific subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Market trends and dynamics
Focuses on the current state and future outlook of the global space economy. It covers areas such as analysis of sector growth, demand drivers, and developments across established and emerging markets spanning launch services, manufacturing, satellite operations and services, in-orbit servicing, space tourism, commercial space stations, and lunar infrastructure. - Investment and access to capital
Focuses on how space ventures are funded and scaled. It covers private investment through venture capital, private equity, and institutional finance, as well as public support through grants, contracts, and other mechanisms. Related areas include exit strategies, financial risk, insurance, valuation, and access to capital. - Commercialization and business models
Focuses on how space technologies and services are brought to market. It includes areas such as technology commercialization, strategies to move from early-stage development to sustainable operations, public-private commercialization frameworks, and new business models (e.g., infrastructure-as-a-service). - Socioeconomic impacts and value creation
Focuses on how space activities generate broader social and economic value. This includes cost-benefit analyses, socioeconomic impact assessments, and contributions to areas such as public services, scientific advancement, and national and international development goals. - Cross-sector collaboration and partnership models
Focuses on collaborative models that leverage the strengths of academic research, government policy and funding, and industry execution. It includes public-private partnerships, co-development initiatives, innovation hubs, and coordinated efforts to build capacity, share risk, and accelerate technology transfer across sectors. - Workforce and education
Focuses on the needs and skills development across the space economy. It may include training programs, technical education, curriculum strategies, outreach initiatives, recruitment strategies, and efforts to address workforce gaps and capacity-building. - Others
Open to paper submissions that do not fit neatly into the categories above but contribute to the understanding or development of the space economy.
Policy and Law ↓
The expansion of space activities requires the continuous evolution of space policy, legal frameworks, and governance mechanisms. Gaps in these structures can hinder innovation, limit investment, and undermine effective international coordination. Papers are invited on national and international space law, governance models, and policy development to address both current and emerging challenges in the space domain. Submissions from industry, government, and academia are encouraged.
Specific subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- National and international space law
Focuses on the foundational legal frameworks that govern space activities at both national and international levels. Covers areas such as the evolution of space treaties, jurisdiction and liability, asset registration, gaps in current regimes, and legal frameworks for space resource utilization and commercial space activities in Earth orbit, the moon, and beyond. - Regulatory reforms and licensing process
Focuses on modernizing and streamlining regulatory systems to match the pace of commercial space. Includes areas such as spectrum allocation, licensing for new services, harmonizing rules to lower barriers, and aligning civil and commercial regulations with national security needs. - Governance models
Focuses on institutional and multilateral frameworks for managing space as a global domain. Includes areas such as space traffic management (STM), orbital debris governance, models for lunar and Martian activities, comparisons with other global commons (e.g., Antarctica, the deep sea), and mechanisms for responsible conduct and interagency coordination. - Space policy and strategic planning
Focuses on the design and implementation of national and international space policy and strategies. Includes areas such as national space policy, agencies’ strategies and plans, institutional roadmaps, foresight tools, and long-term scenario planning. - Space sustainability and planetary protection
Focuses on ensuring long-term environmental and operational sustainability. Includes orbital debris mitigation, planetary protection standards, resource sustainability, equitable benefit-sharing, and integrating sustainability into policy and commercial practices. - Cross-sectoral, ethical, and public-private dimensions
Covers broader societal, ethical, and collaborative aspects of space governance. Includes models for public-private partnerships, ethical considerations in legal frameworks, and efforts to promote inclusion and access for emerging space actors. -
Others
Open to paper submissions that do not fit neatly into the categories above but offer valuable insights into space policy and law.
National Security ↓
As space becomes an increasingly strategic asset, its role in national and global security continues to grow. Space-based capabilities are critical to modern defense, intelligence, and emergency response systems, while the space environment itself is becoming more contested, congested, and competitive. The integration of civil, commercial, and military space assets raises complex questions around resilience, dual-use technologies, and deterrence.
Papers are solicited on security-related aspects of space operations and technologies. This may include emerging threats, strategic frameworks, capability development, and approaches to ensure the safety, stability, and responsible use of space from a national security perspective. Submissions from industry, government, and academia are encouraged.
Specific subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Space domain awareness
Focuses on programs and technologies for detecting, tracking, and characterizing objects and behaviors in space. This includes areas such as monitoring potential threats, hostile actions, or anomalies using ground-based and space-based systems, with applications across defense, intelligence, and traffic coordination. - Resilience and protection of space assets
Focuses on strategies to ensure the continued operation of critical space systems in contested or degraded environments. Topics may include redundancy, hardening, anti-jamming, intelligent systems, and system architecture approaches for resilience. - Cybersecurity
Focuses on strategies and technologies for protecting space systems from cyber threats, including vulnerabilities in ground stations, interconnectivity across systems, communication links, and onboard software. - Emerging threats and challenges
Focuses on novel threats to space security, including cyber-physical attacks, artificial intelligence enabled threats, and other unexpected exploitations of unexpected technologies. - Space operator readiness and human-system integration
Focuses on novel methods for training, exercises, wargaming, and development of the art and science of space warfighting, including human-machine interfaces for space systems, space operator task/workload analysis, technologies and techniques for increasing space operator and space operations teams’ effectiveness and efficiency. - Dual-use technologies and civil-military integration
Focuses on technologies and systems that serve both civil and military applications. Topics may include commercial capabilities supporting defense operations, procurement strategies, and coordination across government, military, and private sectors. - Others
Open to submissions that address additional security-related issues not captured in the categories above but that contribute to a stable, resilient, and secure space domain.
Science and Exploration ↓
Space science and exploration continue to drive innovation, foster international collaboration, and expand our understanding of the universe. As we advance toward an off-world future, it is essential to harness emerging technologies and capabilities to deepen our knowledge of the solar system and beyond. Scientific missions generate critical data and lay the groundwork for future human exploration, while robotic and crewed missions to the moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies remain central to national priorities and global strategies. This topic highlights high-priority scientific questions, as outlined in decadal surveys and community roadmaps, and examines the systems and technologies needed to enable long-duration missions.
Papers are solicited on research and technologies related to human spaceflight, scientific missions, and infrastructure development. Submissions from industry, government, and academia are encouraged. Contributions from adjacent terrestrial sectors (such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, mining, agri-tech, etc.) that offer potential cross-pollination with space exploration are also welcome.
Specific subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Mission architecture and planning
Focuses on the planning and optimization of robotic and human exploration missions, including system architectures, trajectories, timelines, and integration with science and technology objectives. - Space architecture, stations, and habitats
Focuses on the design and engineering of crewed orbital and surface habitat systems. Includes items such as LEO and cislunar stations, planetary outposts, surface habitats, and supporting infrastructure for long-duration missions. - Human health and performance
Addresses physiological and psychological factors affecting astronaut health and operational readiness. Includes areas such as biomedical countermeasures, radiation protection, mental health, workload optimization, and the effects of isolation and microgravity. - Life support, EVA, and bioregenerative systems
Focuses on the systems and technologies that sustain human life and enable crewed activity in space environments. This includes Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS), bioregenerative life support approaches (e.g., plant-based air, water, and waste recycling), and the design, development, and testing of spacesuits and extravehicular activity (EVA) systems. - Microgravity and partial gravity science
Encompasses studies of physical, material, and biological processes under altered gravity conditions—including microgravity, zero-g, partial, and reduced gravity—with applications in science and space operations. - Space resources utilization
Covers technologies and systems for prospecting, extracting, processing, and using in-situ resources on the moon, Mars, and beyond. Supports robotic and crewed missions through local production of propellants, construction materials, consumables, power, amongst other applications. - Lunar infrastructure development
Focuses on systems for a sustained lunar presence. Includes areas such as surface power generation and distribution, communications, landing pads, navigation and timing (PNT) systems, construction methods. - Robotics, mobility, and surface operations
Focuses on robotic systems and mobility platforms for exploration and in-situ operations, including areas such as lunar and planetary rovers, autonomous surface transport, robotic construction, mobility systems integration, and human-machine interaction. - Analog missions and simulation environments
Examines the use of Earth-based analogs to replicate space conditions. Includes areas such as habitat simulations, EVA protocols, field testing, and crew behavior studies. - Astronomy, astrophysics, and heliophysics
Covers missions, instruments, and research that advance understanding of the sun, stars, galaxies, exoplanets, and cosmic phenomena. Includes observatories, mission design, operations, and data processing and analysis. - Earth science and space weather
Covers the use of space- and ground-based systems to monitor Earth’s environment and space weather. Includes areas such as Earth observation for climate, oceans, and geophysics, and the study of solar activity, geomagnetic storms, and their impact on space systems and infrastructure. - Science outreach and communication
Focuses on public engagement and education in space science. Includes science communication strategies, STEM outreach, citizen science, and inclusive engagement initiatives. -
Others
Open to submissions that do not fall into the categories above but contribute meaningfully to space science and exploration.
Technology Development and Utilization ↓
Achieving future space goals will require the development of new technologies and supporting infrastructure both in space and on Earth. As space systems grow more complex and mission demands increase, the development, demonstration, and practical deployment of innovative technologies are essential for improving performance, reducing costs, and expanding capabilities across domains.
Papers are invited on the design, advancement, and operational integration of innovative space technologies, systems, tools, and processes, ranging from early-stage concepts to flight-proven systems. Submissions from industry, government, and academia are encouraged.
Specific subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Small satellites
Covers platforms, missions, and enabling technologies for MicroSats, CubeSats, and hosted payloads. Includes advances in miniaturized subsystems such as propulsion, communications, power, and ground operations. -
Launch, transportation, and entry system
Focuses on technologies enabling space access, in-space mobility, and planetary arrival. Includes launch vehicles, upper stages, crew/cargo transport, and entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems such as heat shields and precision landing. Emphasizes performance, reusability, and reliability. -
Power, propulsion, and thermal systems
Covers the design, development, and integration of spacecraft subsystems for power, propulsion, and thermal control. Includes solar arrays, batteries, radioisotope power systems, wireless power transfer, chemical and electric propulsion, nuclear propulsion, solar sails, energy storage, and thermal management systems. -
Materials and structures
Focuses on the design, analysis, testing, and integration of structural and material systems for space applications. Includes items such as lightweight and load-bearing structures, deployable systems, advanced materials, durability in harsh environments, and structural performance across mission phases. - Guidance, navigation, and control
Includes techniques and systems for vehicle navigation, guidance algorithms, control systems, and associated hardware/software integration. - Avionics and flight software
Focuses on the design, development, and integration of avionics systems and onboard flight software for space assets. Includes areas such as fault-tolerant architectures, command and data handling, real-time processing, and system reliability. - Payloads, sensor systems and information fusion
Covers the development and application of spaceborne payloads and sensors (e.g., optical, infrared, SAR, hyperspectral, etc.) and the processing of multi-source data for Earth observation, planetary science, situational awareness, and real-time operations. - Communications and navigation
Includes technologies for direct communications, data relay, and navigation across domains. Covers areas such as optical comms, software-defined radios, inter-satellite links, and PNT systems for deep-space and cislunar operations. - Space logistics, refueling, and ISAM
Covers infrastructure and operations to sustain and extend missions post-launch. Includes in-space refueling, cargo transfer, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing), active debris removal, and end-of-life operations to support orbital sustainability. - Autonomy, robotics, and human-machine teaming
Focuses on autonomous systems and robotic platforms for space missions. Includes AI/ML systems, system prognostics and health monitoring, supervised autonomy, human-machine interfaces, and robotic servicing and construction for on-orbit and surface operations. - Space operations and support
Addresses mission operations and supporting technologies. Includes planning, training, telemetry, command and control, flight dynamics, and data processing for both human, robotic, and satellite missions. - Space systems engineering
Focuses on system-level design, integration, and management of complex space systems, including standards, lifecycle processes, and systems-of-systems considerations. - Simulation, systems modeling and digital engineering
Covers digital engineering tools and software for mission design and operations. Includes areas such as digital twins, integrated simulations, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and validation frameworks. - Astrodynamics and space environments
Focuses on trajectory design, orbit determination, and mission analysis, along with the modeling and mitigation of environmental effects such as radiation, plasma, and micrometeoroids. Includes analysis of orbital dynamics, attitude control, and how environmental conditions impact spacecraft navigation, maneuver planning, and overall system performance -
Others
Open to submissions that address novel or cross-cutting technologies not captured in the categories above but that support the advancement and utilization of space capabilities.
