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.
Tag: DC.
ISS National Lab Provides Fresh Lens on Aging and Health, Sparking Space Medicine Programs Nationwide
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The biological research onboard the International Space Station (ISS) over the last 26 years hasn’t only benefited astronauts; it’s driven new understanding of human health on the ground.
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.
SGx Delivered Real-World Insights for Rising Space Professionals
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Co-located for the first time with ASCEND, SGAC’s annual SGx event brought together students and young professionals from around the world for engaging, collaborative content. Attendees delved into current industry trends and worked to hone skills that will support them for a lifetime.
Inaugural ASCEND Classified Day Convenes 100 National Security, Intelligence, and Industry Leaders
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA’s inaugural ASCEND Classified Day, hosted at The Aerospace Corporation’s corporate headquarters, provided the AIAA technical community an opportunity to hear directly from national leaders about what is needed to deliver continuing leadership in space and to address and dissect the pressing challenges for doing so.
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.
BryceTech to Steer Investment and Innovation Conversation at ASCEND 2026
FROM THE INSTITUTE
When ASCEND 2026 convenes in Washington, D.C., 19-21 May, BryceTech will step into a new role: curating a dedicated two-day track that aims to connect investors, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders across the commercial space ecosystem. “We set this up … with the theme of investment and innovators,” said Elaine Gresham, director of the Space Center of Excellence at BryceTech, explaining that 19 May is designated as Investors Day and 20 May as Innovators Day.
ASCEND 2026 Program to Launch with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
FROM THE INSTITUTE
ASCEND 2026 will open on Tuesday, 19 May, with keynote remarks from Jared Isaacman, the 15th Administrator of NASA. It’s not his first time appearing at ASCEND. Isaacman spoke at ASCEND in 2021, just after returning from commanding Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight. Now he’ll share perspectives from his new role leading America’s space program.