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.
Tag: 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.
Exploring Next Steps for On-Orbit Data Centers
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The volume of data generated in space is increasing every day, and the concept of orbital data centers to handle it is receiving considerable attention. At a HUB session during ASCEND, The Aerospace Corporation’s Kelley Litzner presented and fielded questions on this hot tech topic.
vLEO Gains Momentum as Space Force, Industry Weigh Dual-Use Potential
FROM THE INSTITUTE
vLEO is emerging as a serious option in future space architectures for national security and commercial missions, panelists said at ASCEND 2026 on Wednesday. “It’s the perfect time for vLEO to be coming into its own,” said Spence Wise, senior vice president at Redwire, citing a convergence of technical readiness, operational demand, and commercial interest.
Pushing the Envelope: Licensing Process for Space Launches Catching Up to Demand but More Resources, Flexibility Needed
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The FAA’s approval process for regulating space launches is steadily improving due to recent streamlining efforts, but it must continue to evolve to sustain the dynamic ramp-up in activity in the coming years, government and industry leaders told ASCEND 2026.
Space Force Seeks More Innovations to Characterize Space Threats, General Says
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The Space Force, which is anticipating its biggest budget ever, must improve its “space domain awareness” as low Earth orbit becomes more crowded and adversaries pursue greater means to attack satellites and other assets, a top Space Force general told the ASCEND 2026 audience.
Experts Warn: Without Nuclear Power and National Will, America’s Lunar Future at Risk
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Policy and research experts from the University of Central Florida joined Arizona’s first space commissioner in a lively debate on America’s drive to the moon. The session explored what needs to happen from policy and technical perspectives to bring America’s lunar ambitions to fruition.
Isaacman Predicts Chinese Crewed Lunar Flyby by 2027
Space News reports, “The head of NASA says he expects China to perform a crewed flight around the moon in 2027, ratcheting up perceptions of a space race between China and the United States. In a May 19 keynote at the ASCEND conference here, Jared Isaacman warned a space industry audience that the next people to fly around the moon would be Chinese.”
Full Story (Space News)
NASA Administrator Calls on Space Industry to Move with Urgency
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Jared Isaacman took the stage at ASCEND 2026’s opening plenary with a singular message: NASA is a fundamentally different agency – one that will act with urgency to return to the moon, build a permanent base there, and realize the economic potential of operating on the lunar surface.
AIAA, Amazon Leo, Eutelsat, Iridium, and SpaceX Release Reference Guide: “Satellite Orbital Safety Best Practices 3.0”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Authors will discuss on 19 May, ASCEND 2026, Washington, DC
May 18, 2026 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), along with Amazon Leo, Eutelsat, Iridium Communications, Inc., and SpaceX, today announced the release of the third edition of its best practices reference guide, “Satellite Orbital Safety Best Practices 3.0.”
The 3.0 version is updated since its original publication in 2022, providing additional lessons learned and adding clarity and rationale for the recommendations. Extending the work of others, including NASA, the 18th Space Control Squadron, Secure World Foundation, and the Space Safety Coalition, the 3.0 version provides a consolidated, high-level set of recommended best practices that span design, launch, orbital operations, and disposal.
Key Features of “Satellite Orbital Safety Best Practices 3.0”
- Emphasizes the design phase for improved orbital safety
- Stresses pre-launch coordination and collision avoidance analysis, especially near crewed vehicles, mitigating hazards during post-launch identification and cataloging of new orbital objects
- Provides guidance on data sharing across design and operations emphasizing the critical importance of sharing and screening high quality ephemeris with covariance from deployment through disposal
- Includes an Appendix with data exchange recommendations to mitigate conjunctions
AIAA is providing access to download the reference guide today, in advance of ASCEND 2026, to address the urgency of space traffic coordination. Industry professionals can talk directly with the authors of the document – low Earth orbit industry experts from major satellite constellation operators – to discuss its implementation during ASCEND 2026:
Panel Discussion: Orbital Safety Best Practices for Satellite Operators
ASCEND 2026, Washington Hilton, Washington, DC
Tuesday, 19 May, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Sandra Magnus, Principal, AstroPlanetview, LLC (Moderator)
- Josef Koller, Head of Space Safety and Sustainability, Amazon Leo
- Dave Goldstein, Principal Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer, SpaceX
- Pablo Minguijon Pallas, Head of Flight Dynamics and Mission Analysis, Eutelsat*
- Ryan Shepperd, Space Situational Awareness Lead, Iridium
*Also part of the update effort, but unable to attend.
Registration for 2026 ASCEND is open. Journalists can request a Press Pass online.
Media contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270
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, and follow AIAA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X/Twitter.