Past Forums

2025 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

6–10 January 2025
Orlando, FL
Theme: Energize the Future

The 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum set records once again, solidifying its status as the premier aerospace R&D event. With over 6,100 attendees from 48 countries, it featured representation from 73% of AIAA Corporate Members and showcased 104 exhibitors. The forum hosted nearly 770 technical sessions and 630 technical paper sessions, including more than 2,860 technical presentations. Discussions covered a wide range of topics, including aerospace technology needs, design and development, hardware trends, software trends and emerging AI, and the future of aerospace.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

• Aerospace technology needs
• Design and development
• Exascale computing
• Autonomy and AI
• The future of innovation

Forum 360 Sessions

• Aviation R&D Requirements
• Mission Requirements Driving Space R&D Needs
• The Future of Aerospace Design
• Advancing Digital Engineering with Pattern-Based MBSE
• How Propulsion Technology Will Drive Net Zero
• Materials and Manufacturing: The Need for Speed
• Idea Challenge Workshop: Defining Opportunities on the Bleeding Edge
• Resilience of Software-Enabled Systems
• Certification of AI-Enabled Systems
• Capture the Satellite Game Challenge
• The Essential Building Blocks Needed for a Thriving Commercial Space Sector

Proceedings 
Final Program 
Event Recap 
Photos 
On-Demand Sessions 

2024 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

8–12 January 2024
Orlando, FL
Theme: Outside-In: Expand the Boundaries
The 2024 AIAA SciTech Forum broke forum records. The world’s largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology had 6,000+ attendees representing 45 countries, two-thirds of AIAA Corporate Members represented, and 81 exhibitors. There were also 740+ technical sessions, including 2,900+ technical presentations. The forum explored breakthrough capabilities, the future of flight, emerging capabilities and challenges in test, the future of space operations, and imagining the aerospace engineer of tomorrow.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

Breakthrough Capabilities
Fireside Chat: Future of Flight
Flight Test in the New Golden Age of Aviation
Future of Space Operations
Fireside Chat: Imagining the Aerospace Engineer of Tomorrow

Forum 360 Sessions

Pushing the Boundaries of Computing
Applying Breakthrough Capabilities to Aerospace
A Systems View of Sustainability
Disruptive Technologies Shaping the Future of Flight
How Will AI Minimize Safety Risk? Using Digital Tools to Revolutionize Test
Visions Ahead: Upcoming Missions and Beyond
Idea Challenge: The Artemis Generation Speaks
KSP Differential Game Challenge: An Autonomy Design Competition for Non-Cooperative Space Operations in Kerbal Space Program
What Does Tomorrow Look Like?

Proceedings
Final Program
Event Recap
Photos
Recorded Lectures and Sessions

2023 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

23–27 January 2023
National Harbor, MD & Online
Theme: Ignite the Future: Explore the Frontiers of Aerospace

The 2024 forum had 5,800 attendees representing 50 countries, 62 AIAA Corporate Members, and 71 exhibitors. There were also 780 technical sessions, including 2,700+ technical presentations. The forum explored how aerospace is solving societal grand challenges, the funding resources available, the intersection of science and engineering, accelerating confidence in this digital world, and making Sci-Fi a reality.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

• Accelerating a More Hopeful Future
• Plenary Session with William Roach, Chief Scientist, Air Force Office of Scientific Research
• The Future of Remote Sensing
• Digital Innovation: Accelerating Digital Tech to Transform the Aerospace Industry
• Making Sci-Fi a Reality

Forum 360 Sessions

• Grand Challenges: The How
• Idea Challenge: Applying Aerospace Technologies to Solve Societal Problems
• Public Investors in the Future of Aerospace
• Private Investors in the Future of Aerospace
• The Secret to Innovative Success: Uncovering Actual Customer Needs
• Monitoring Planet Earth
• Past, Present, and Future Mars Exploration
• Addressing Increasing Complexity in Aerospace Systems
• Transformative Systems Engineering Success Stories
• Humans and Autonomy
• Creating Revolutionary Capability: Connecting Science Fiction and Science Vision

Proceedings 
Final Program 
Event Recap 
Photos 

2022 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

3–7 January 2022
San Diego, CA & Online
Theme: Enabling Sustainability Through Aerospace Technology

The hybrid forum brought together over a combined 5,000 attendees in person and online. Throughout the week, the program explored the science, technologies, and policies shaping our industry’s future and enabling sustainability.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

• Sustainability from the User’s Perspective
• Fireside Chat: Exceptional Mission, Exceptional Talent
• From Jars to Stars
• What Goes Up: Ensuring Sustainable Operations in the New Space Age
• Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking

Forum 360 Sessions

• Embracing Sustainability
• Sustainability Throughout the Value Stream
• Fostering a Sustainable Workforce
• 2040: The Aerospace Workforce
• Sustainability Through Innovation Diversification
• Idea Challenge: Harvesting Emerging, Adjacent Technologies to Benefit Aerospace Technologies
• Operational Sustainability in Increasingly Congested and Heterogeneous Airspace
• Operational Sustainability in Increasingly Congested and Heterogeneous Earth Orbits
• Advancing an Environmentally Sustainable Aerospace Future

Proceedings 
Final Program 
Event Recap 
Photos 

2021 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

11–21 January 2021
Virtual Event
Theme: Accelerating Innovation Through Diversity

For the first time ever, the world’s largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology was held virtually with over 4,000 participants. The scheduled was expanded into eight days of programming over a two-week time frame. The reimagined forum explored the functional role and importance of diversity in advancing the aerospace industry. High-level speakers highlighted how the diversification of teams, industry sectors, technologies, design cycles, and perspectives can all be leveraged toward innovation.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

• Partnering to Accelerate Innovation
• Accelerating Innovation, Safely and Sustainably
• Emerging Technologies that Will Change Our World
• Aerospace Design in the Age of Big Data and Big Compute
• Building on the Shuttle Legacy

Forum 360 Sessions

• Empowering Innovation
• A Complex World Demands Smart Teams
• The Pandemic: A Catalyst for Innovation
• Embracing Emerging Markets
• Survive and Thrive: Resiliency Enables
• The Interdisciplinary Revolution: Evolving a New Mindset for Solving Real-World Problems
• Machine Intelligence & Autonomy Meet Aviation: Toward Safer & More Accessible Skies
• Design Faster
• Idea Challenge: Design Cycle – Go Fast!
• Perspectives, Inspiration, & Lessons Learned: 2021 SciTech Townhall

Proceedings 
SciTechxWebinar: Flying Is Safe – Is Air Travel?

2020 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

6–10 January 2020
Hyatt Regency Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Theme: Driving Aerospace Solutions for Global Challenges

Nearly 5,000 individuals, including a record number 1,500 students, attended the 2020 AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition – the largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology in the world. The 2020 forum explored the aerospace industry’s contribution to a sustainable future. The technical program contained over 2,400 technical presentations across 544 technical sessions.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

• Using Space to Support a Sustainable Society
• The Next Giant Leap
• Igniting Tomorrow: Stories from America’s Favorite Museum
• Engineers Build the World and We Can’t Survive Without Them!
• Multi-Use Aerospace Technologies

Forum 360 Sessions

• Achieving Sustainable Aviation
• Aerospace Innovation Enables Resilient Communities
• AI in Emerging Aerospace Manufacturing
• Is Hypersonic Flight The Next Big Thing?
• Connecting Faster
• Idea Challenge
• The Next Challenge for Aerospace: Global Climate Change
• High Performance Computing’s Impact on Aerospace Prediction
• Wow! Look at What We Discovered: Impacts of Multiple Use Aerospace Technology

Proceedings 
Final Program 
Photos 

2019 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

7–11 January 2019
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, San Diego, California
Theme: Aerospace On Demand

Over 5,000 individuals, including 1,400 students, from 44 countries registered for the AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition – the largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology in the world. The technical program contained over 2,800 technical papers.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

• Enabling the Replicator
• Exploration for Everyone
• Flying Anyone from Here to There – Anytime, Anywhere
• Applying Disruptive Technologies in Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products
• Customized Learning, When and Where You Need It

Forum 360 Sessions

• In-Space Factories
• On-Demand Metal Manufacturing
• Responsive Space
• Engineering Apollo
• On-Demand Aviation – Challenges and Solutions
• Lindberg Innovation Forum
• Autonomy Across Domains
• Verification & Validation in the Age of Autonomy
• Workforce Needs of the 21st Century

Proceedings 
Final Program 
Photos 

2018 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

8–12 January 2018
Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee, Florida
Theme: Seizing the Next Digital Transformation

Over 4,000 participants, including more than 1,000 students and 39 countries participated in the 2018 AIAA SciTech Forum – the largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology in the world. The technical program contained over 2,700 technical papers on 450 high-impact topics.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

• Digital Enterprise Business Models and Their Impact on the Aerospace Industry
• Data, Data Everywhere… the Power & Potential
• Dude, Where’s My Flying Car?
• Welcome to the Holodeck
• Serving our Robot Overlords

Forum 360 Sessions

• The Dawn of Digital Engineering
• Digital Transformations Disrupting Aerospace Business Models
• Data, Data Everywhere… the Devil in the Details
• Prizes & Challenges: How Crowdsourcing Can Help Solve Technology Gaps
• On-Demand Mobility – Enabling Technologies and Capabilities
• On-Demand Mobility – Regulatory and Operational Challenges
• Digital Natives Leading the Digital Transformation in Design and Knowledge Environments
• Human-Machine Teaming

Proceedings 
Final Program 
Photos

2017 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

9–13 January 2017
Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, Texas
Theme: Addressing Full Spectrum Disruption Across the Global Aerospace Community

Nearly 4,000 participants, including more than 1,000 students, from 1,300 corporate, academic, and government institutions across 38 countries participated in the 2017 AIAA SciTech Forum – the largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology in the world. The technical program contained almost 2,000 technical papers on more than 400 high-impact topics.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

• Setting the Landscape–Factors Driving Today’s Disruptive Environment
• Innovation to Enable NASA’s Journey to Mars
• Disruptive Policy Issues–Presidential Transitions
• Disruptive Technology Developments–Breakthroughs that will Transform Aerospace
• Next-Generation Workforce

Forum 360 Sessions

• CREATE: Enabling Innovation Through Computational Prototypes and Supercomputers
• NASA Langley Centennial–A Storied Legacy, A Soaring Future
• Future of the Aerospace Industry and Workforce Needs
• Geoengineering to Mitigate Climate Change–Is There a Role for Aerospace?
• Space Traffic Management
• Transitioning Your Idea from the Lab to Flight Test
• Managing Change During the Development of Disruptive Technologies
• NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC): Enabling Missions from Venus to Alpha Centauri

Proceedings 
Final Program 
Photos 

2016 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

4–8 January 2016
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, San Diego, California

Over 3,400 individuals, including 1,000 students, from almost 1,000 corporate, academic, and government institutions across 42 countries participated in the 2016 AIAA SciTech Forum – the largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology in the world. The technical program contained more than 2,000 technical papers on more than 400 high-impact topics.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

• Aerospace Science and Technology Policy in the 2016 Political Arena
• Aerospace Generations – Lessons Learned from a Half Century of Innovation in Aerospace Technology
• Designing for Resilience
• Aerospace Frontiers – Strengthening Collaboration For Continued Progress
• Commercial Use of Unmanned Systems

Forum 360 Sessions

• Distilling Your Message: Putting Yourself Back into Your Science and Engineering
• Research Enabling and Enabled by a Cis-Lunar One-year Mission
• Cybersecurity Below 30,000 Feet—Applying Lessons from Other Industries
• Additive Manufacturing – Applications and Opportunities for the Aerospace Industry
• Space Exploration Through Advancing Technologies
• Putting the E in STEM
• Learning from Hollywood

Proceedings 
Final Program 
Photos 

2015 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

5–9 January 2015
Kissimmee, Florida

Over 3,400 individuals, including 1,000 students, from almost 1,000 corporate, academic, and government institutions across 42 countries participated in the 2015 AIAA SciTech Forum – the largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology in the world. The technical program contained more than 2,000 technical papers on more than 400 high-impact topics.

Topics addressed included:

Plenary Sessions

• Science and Technology Policy
• International Aerospace
• The Future of Design
• Diversity and Inclusion in the Aerospace Workforce
• Entrepreneurial Aerospace

Forum 360 Sessions

• U.S. Government Aerospace Technology Roadmaps
• Climate Change and National Security
• Improving Business Skills and Business Processes for the Aerospace Technical Community
• Big Data Analytics in Aerospace
• Advanced Manufacturing and its Impact on the Design Process of the Future
• The Digital System Model: The New Frontier in Aerospace & Defense Acquisition
• Aerospace Vehicles Technology Trends
• NASA Research Plans for Assured Autonomy for Aviation Transformation

Proceedings 
Final Program 
Photos 

2014 AIAA SciTech Forum Archive

13–17 January
National Harbor, Maryland

Over 3,000 individuals from more than 1,600 institutions across 43 countries participated in the 2014 AIAA SciTech Forum – the largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology in the world. The technical program contained over 1,400 technical papers on more than 300 high-impact topics. This event was sponsored by Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Boeing, and Dunmore Corporation.

Topics addressed included:

• R&D Policy Implications and Investments
• Designing for Affordability
• Continuing Education and Professional Development

Proceedings 
Final Program 
Photos