FROM THE INSTITUTE
Finalists of BryceTech’s first-ever Start-Up Space Pitch Competition took the ASCEND stage twice – first to pitch their technology and market strategy before a panel of space and technology investors and then to share their vision with the broader ASCEND community.
Tag: ASCEND 2026
Users, Not Hardware, Will Drive Growth for the Next Era of Space Healthcare
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The center of gravity in the space economy is shifting from hardware to users. That was the message from Voyager Technologies’ Manwei Chan during a recent ASCEND 2026 panel exploring the strategic pillars for in-space R&D expansion.
Experts Debate the Why, What, and How of Preserving the ISS for Future Generations
FROM THE INSTITUTE
On the final day of ASCEND 2026, NASA leaders, historians, and science stakeholders came together for three back-to-back International Space Station (ISS) Heritage sessions to explore the “why, what, and how” of preservation — why the legacy of the ISS matters, what artifacts should be saved, and how the story of continuous human presence in low Earth orbit can be told through real hardware and lived experience.
Regional Rivalries, National Imperative: State Governments Pick Up the Pace in Space Race
FROM THE INSTITUTE
A growing number of states are taking proactive steps to marshal their public and private sectors and academia to grow the commercial space industry, offering…
India’s Space Ambitions Take Center Stage at ASCEND as ISRO Wins AIAA’s Highest Honor
FROM THE INSTITUTE
At ASCEND in May, AIAA saluted India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), with its highest honor, the Goddard Astronautics Award…
How to Accelerate the Space Industrial Base – And What Adversaries Can Teach Us
FROM THE INSTITUTE
A lively panel of leaders in the space industry took on the question of how the United States can keep its edge in space with competitors nipping at our heels. In fact, argued one panelist provocatively, we might actually want to take a few notes from adversaries.
Inaugural Global Leaders Space Exploration Forum Delivers Candid Conversations During ASCEND 2026
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA hosted space leaders for the inaugural Global Leaders Space Exploration Forum to advance the technical, operational, and policy dialogue needed to ensure that humanity’s expanding presence in space is prosperous, safe, and sustainable. The gathering reflected a shared recognition that the window to establish durable frameworks for interoperability, safety, and long-term sustainability in LEO and the cislunar domain is open now.
Experts Say Space Nuclear Power’s Biggest Obstacles Are Logistical, Not Technical
FROM THE INSTITUTE
A workshop on nuclear capabilities in space dove into the opportunities and challenges that have surrounded this powerful technology since the first space race. The workshop at AIAA’s ASCEND event in Washington, D.C., was hosted by Brian Weeden, Director of Civil and Commercial Policy at The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy. It kicked off with a lively discussion of nuclear power in space, then transitioned into interactive roundtables on related topics.
Varda CEO Foresees Space-Based Medicine Moving from Research Novelty to Manufacturing Mainstream
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Fresh off the reentry of its sixth vehicle over Australia and a newly announced commercial partnership with United Therapeutics, Varda Space Industries is positioning itself as a bridge between orbital research and real-world medicine, CEO and Co-founder Will Bruey said in a fireside chat Wednesday at ASCEND 2026.
Town Hall Calls for U.S. to Approach Lunar Development Like Real Estate Projects on Earth
FROM THE INSTITUTE
As the United States confronts its great power competition with China to the moon, NASA and policy and commercial space experts shared current thinking on how to accelerate developing the lunar environment — and why it matters.