The brainchild of astrodynamicist Moriba Jah, co-founder/chief scientist at Privateer and associate professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas, the Diverse Dozen is the exclusive ASCEND community of thought leaders and activists whose intellectual and emotional commitment to keeping the off-world environment free of debris knows no bounds.

“D12 is centered on the belief that we’re more similar than we are different, and action is best when born from compassion,” says Jah, a space environmentalist advancing our ability to understand how human objects in space create both services and risks of collisions.

If you’re selected for the 2022 Diverse Dozen, you will author an opinion essay and deliver a thought-leadership presentation of your vision for space during the in-person component of 2022 ASCEND, 24–26 October, at Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. You’ll also participate in the review and selection of the next cohort (Summer 2023).