More than 200 luminaries from across the civil, commercial, and national security space sectors, adjacent industries, and the next-generation workforce will take the ASCEND stage, 19–21 May, in Washington, D.C. They will address the most important opportunities and mission-critical challenges at this pivotal time for the space community. Registration for ASCEND 2026 is open now, with early-bird rates available until 20 April.
“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.
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.
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
- A.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 and new event features are planned all week, including:
Deep technical content. 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’s 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’s Classified Day, 18 May, Chantilly, Virginia. Additional registration required. They also 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’s 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’s focus on the ISS National Laboratory heritage. Three sessions will deliver a 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’s SGx 2026 event, 17–18 May. This event focuses 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.
