FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2026 – Reston, Va. – AIAA announced today a powerful lineup of speakers who will take the stage at ASCEND 2026, 19–21 May, Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C. The event will address the most important opportunities and mission-critical challenges at this pivotal time for the space community.
“We are proud to bring the global space community to experience ASCEND in Washington, D.C. Eight leading organizations from across the industry are joining the ASCEND team this year and strengthening our content to deliver a must-attend event,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.
“This year’s program is timely and transformative, as the space community looks to accelerate exploration and science. ASCEND 2026 will showcase the leading voices from space commerce, security, and policy to build our off-world future. It will be the most comprehensive gathering of space professionals in the nation’s capital in 2026 with 2,000 participants expected,” Mowry added.
Powered by AIAA, ASCEND is the world’s premier outcomes-focused, interdisciplinary space event designed to accelerate building our off-world future. Lockheed Martin is the Founding Sponsor of ASCEND. Commercial Space Federation (CSF) is the Premier Event Partner. Event partners include: BryceTech, ISS National Laboratory, National Air and Space Museum, Novaspace, Space Force Association (SFA), Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), and The Aerospace Corporation.
Over 200 industry luminaries from across the civil, commercial, and national security space sectors, adjacent industries, and the next-generation workforce are featured as speakers. Confirmed speakers include:
- Erik Antonsen, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School
- The Honorable Brian Babin (TX-36), Chair, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
- Olga Bannova, Research Professor, University of Houston
- David Baumann, Director, Human Research Program, NASA
- Harriet Brettle, Executive Director, Keck Institute for Space Studies
- Will Bruey, CEO, Varda
- Tory Bruno, President, Blue National Security, Blue Origin
- C. Charania, Senior Vice President of Space Business Development, Zeno Power
- Anne Cheever, Founder, Vela Scientific
- Carissa Christensen, Founder and CEO, BryceTech
- Jonathan Cirtain, CEO & President, Axiom Space
- John Conafay, CEO, Integrate Space
- Katie Cranor, Executive Director, Office of Operational Safety, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, FAA
- Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Director, Astrophysics Division, NASA
- Jonny Dyer, CEO, Muon Space
- Shirley Dyke, Donald A. and Patricia A. Coates Professor of Innovation in Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
- Debra Facktor, Head of US Space Systems, Airbus US Space & Defense
- David Goldstein, Principal Guidance, Navigation and Control Engineer, SpaceX
- James “Jim” Green, CEO, Space Science Endeavors
- Dana “Keoki” Jackson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, MITRE National Security, and AIAA President-Elect
- Taylor Jordan, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, NOAA
- Mike Kincaid, President & Executive Director, Challenger Center
- Josef Koller, Head of Space Safety and Sustainability, Amazon Leo
- Joe Landon, Co-Founder & President, Rendezvous Robotics
- Kris Lehnhardt, M.D., Director, Space Medicine Program, UTHealth Houston
- Dana Levin, Director of Space Medicine and Human Research, Vast Inc.
- Janna Lewis, Senior Vice President, Policy & General Counsel, Astroscale US
- Robert Lightfoot, President, Lockheed Martin Space
- Laura Lucier, Chief, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA
- Ray Lugo, CEO, ISS National Laboratory
- Sandra Magnus, Principal, AstroPlanetview LLC
- Scott McLaughlin, Executive Director, Spaceport America
- Kristen McQuinn, Mission Head, Roman Space Telescope, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
- Rob Meyerson, CEO, Interlune
- Mike Moses, President, Spaceline, Virgin Galactic
- Clay Mowry, CEO, AIAA
- Michelle Murray, Deputy Director, Office of Strategic Management, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, FAA
- Clive Neal, Professor of Planetary Geology, University of Notre Dame
- Charles Norton, Chief Technology Strategist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Michael Roberts, Chief Scientist, ISS National Laboratory
- Ryan Shepperd, Lead SSA Engineer, Iridium
- Erika Wagner, Lead, US Business Development, The Exploration Company-US
- Matthew Weinzierl, Professor & Senior Associate Dean, Harvard Business School
Dynamic Sessions Featured All Week
- Deep technical content scheduled. AIAA events are well known for the depth of technical content presented, with over 200 technical presentations and collaborative sessions at ASCEND. ISS National Laboratory will bring even more technical presentations from its microgravity community that has been conducting research onboard the orbiting lab.
- CSF will host its two-day Commercial Space Policy Summit (CSPS), 19–20 May. From launch cadence and regulatory reform to lunar and orbital infrastructure, national security, and the future of commercial space stations, this year’s Summit will tackle the most pressing issues shaping the space economy. Registration for CSPS includes access to ASCEND.
- The Aerospace Corporation will host a Classified Day at the TS/SCI level on 18 May at its Chantilly, Virginia, office, with additional registration required. Additionally, they will host the Space Transformation Track on 21 May, comprising sessions designed to accelerate the space industrial base and progress in national priority areas for space.
- BryceTech will host its inaugural Start-up Space Pitch Competition. Start-ups from across space and space-adjacent industries (series A or earlier) can apply. Finalists will pitch start-up space experts during ASCEND 2026. One winner will receive a Start-up Space Advisory Package from BryceTech, a one-year AIAA Corporate Membership, and more. Applications are open through 19 April.
- The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum will host a three-session deep dive into preserving the ISS National Laboratory as we prepare for its end of mission. Why save ISS heritage? What should be saved from the ISS? How will we recover items from ISS?
- SGAC will host its SGx 2026 event, 17–18 May, focused on cultivating the next generation of space leaders with “lightning talks” followed by moderated Q&A panels that tackle pressing issues and innovative ideas to inspire the next generation of space leaders. Additional registration required through SGAC.
Early-Bird Registration Rates Available
Registration for ASCEND 2026 is open now, with early-bird rates available until 20 April. Journalists should request a Press Pass online.
Since 2020, ASCEND has promoted the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future.
Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
ASCEND 2026 is set for 19–21 May at the Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C. Pictured at top: Washington, D.C., Skyline on the Potomac River. | Credit: Sean Pavone, iStock–©
