Tag: event

ASCEND Conference, Scheduled for 16-18 November 2020, Designed to Accelerate Building of Our Off-World Future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Melissa Power, Interprose Public Relations
401.454.1314
[email protected]

IAC, Washington, D.C., 22 October 2019—ASCEND (“Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery”) officially launched today. Powered by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the 16–18 November 2020 event in Las Vegas is designed to be the world’s first outcomes-focused, transdisciplinary conference designed to accelerate the building of our off-world future.

Achieving the phenomenal growth widely forecasted for the emerging space economy—$1 trillion globally by 20401—demands new and creative avenues for meaningful collaboration and ideas exchange across a greater diversity of stakeholders than ever previously convened. To address this need, AIAA, the world’s largest aerospace technical society, is working with the space industry leaders on ASCEND’s Guiding Coalition, including representatives from Lockheed Martin, the Aerospace Corporation, United Launch Alliance, and the University of Colorado Boulder, among many others, to build and launch ASCEND.

“The ASCEND attendees will work together to make meaningful decisions, get tangible work done on the spot and take concrete steps toward our off-world future,” said Rob Meyerson, ASCEND executive producer, and former president, Blue Origin. “The entire space ecosystem is being brought together for the first time at ASCEND for learning, technology exploration, problem solving and deal making.”

Attendees will work across disciplines to plot the course of the industry’s future, to showcase ideas and technology advancements, to test products and meet the people who built them, and to connect and problem solve with experts from every sector. The ASCEND agenda is being designed to spur large-scale discussions of the trends, economic forces, and challenges facing every member of the space ecosystem; to allow for focused conversations to apply these big ideas to different sectors, projects, and use cases; and to exchange technical content and go deep into specific advancements and discoveries. Speakers and sessions are being finalized for a program organized across a tremendous range of space-related topic areas:

  • Space Traffic Management
  • In Situ/Space Resource Utilization
  • Lunar and Mars Architectures and Infrastructure
  • In-Space Manufacturing and Assembly
  • Agricultural Applications
  • National Security Space
  • National Science Priorities
  • Space Policy and Law
  • Advanced Propulsion and Power
  • Information Systems, Communications, and Cybersecurity
  • Life Sciences and Systems
  • Education, Outreach, and Workforce Development
  • Investment, Finance, and Business Development
  • Transformative Research and Technologies

“ASCEND is connecting leaders across disciplines in bold, new ways so that the technical expertise informs the economics and the policies of space exploration, with an understanding of the environmental perspective. AIAA is unique in our ability to convene that kind of conversation,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “We want to have the hard conversations and drive the intentional outputs so that progress can be seen from year to year on the hurdles that need to be addressed to accelerate building our off-world future.”

A special Inaugural rate for this international space economy flagship event will be offered to the first 300 registrants. Please visit the ASCEND website (www.ascend.events) for complete details.

About AIAA 
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is nearly 30,000 engineers and scientists from 91 countries dedicated to the global aerospace profession. AIAA convenes yearly forums; publishes books, technical journals, and Aerospace America; hosts a collection of 160,000 technical papers; develops and maintains standards; honors members and celebrates their achievement; and advocates on policy issues. AIAA serves aerospace professionals around the world—who are shaping the future of aerospace—by providing the tools, insights, and collaborative exchanges to advance the state of the art in engineering and science for aviation, space, and defense. Visit aiaa.org.

1 Morgan Stanley Research, https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/investing-in-space

2022 ASCEND to Kick Off with NASA, The Aerospace Corporation, SpaceX, U.S. Space Force

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Broad, Bold Perspectives from Inspired Visionaries Lead the Three-Day Event in Las Vegas

August 30, 2022 – Reston, Va. – ASCEND, the world’s premier outcomes-focused, interdisciplinary space event designed to accelerate building our off-world future faster, today announced its agenda for the 2022 ASCEND apex event, 24-26 October at Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, and online. Details are available at ascend.events. Early-bird registration rates are available through midnight, Friday, 9 September; space is limited. Journalists around the world are invited to cover 2022 ASCEND; press passes are available for credentialed media by request.

Powered by AIAA, 2022 ASCEND will open on Monday, 24 October, with perspectives from:

  • Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno, Director of Staff, U.S. Space Force
  • James Free, Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Development, NASA
  • Pam Melroy, Deputy Administrator, NASA
  • Todd Nygren, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Technology Group, The Aerospace Corporation
  • Ellen Ochoa, Astronaut; former Director, NASA Johnson Space Center
  • Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO, SpaceX
  • Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA

The three-day program is packed with speakers from leading space organizations and adjacent industries including Axiom Space, Barclays Capital, Maxar Technologies, MIT, NASA, and SpaceX, among others. During the more than 147 sessions across 16 space domain topics, speakers and attendees will tackle important issues and explore exciting opportunities in low Earth orbit and beyond, including:

  • Space Traffic Management and Coordination
  • Sustainable Space Exploration
  • Outpacing the Space Threat
  • Using Space to Protect Our Planet
  • A Competitive and Burgeoning Space Economy
  • Developing the Space Workforce of Tomorrow
  • The Future of Cislunar and Lunar Exploration

2022 ASCEND attendees will experience the energy of presentations by our planet’s off-world pioneers, including Fortune 500 executives, established space agency leaders, government and military officials, professional and citizen astronauts, “new space” companies, international organizations, university professors and students, and start-up CEOs. In addition to the opening speakers, 2022 ASCEND will feature over 250 speakers, including:

  • Bill Beckman, Director, NASA Programs, The Boeing Company
  • Steve “Bucky” Butow, Director, Space Portfolio, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
  • Mark Daley, Deputy Director, Office of Space Commerce, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • Debra Facktor, Head of U.S. Space Systems, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc.
  • Paula Grisanti, CEO, National Stem Cell Foundation
  • John Guiney, Vice President, Fleet Operations Management, OneWeb
  • Fiona Harrison, Harold A. Rosen Professor of Physics; Kent and Joyce Kresa Leadership Chair, Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology
  • Amy Hopkins, President, Capella Space Federal
  • Kathleen Howell, Hsu Lo Distinguished Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University
  • Moriba Jah, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Privateer Space
  • Lt. Gen. Larry D. James, USAF (Ret.), Deputy Director, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  • Steve Jurczyk, Co-Founder and CEO, Quantum Space LLC
  • Bhavya Lal, Associate Administrator, Technology, Policy, and Strategy, NASA
  • Joe Landon, Vice President, Advanced Programs Development, Lockheed Martin
  • Mark Mozena, Vice President, Government Affairs, Planet
  • Kursten O’Neill, Vice President, Dream Chaser Crew Program, Sierra Space
  • Jim Reuter, Associate Administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA
  • Andrew Rush, President and COO, Redwire Space
  • Janice Starzyk, Vice President, Government Operations, Virgin Orbit
  • Erika Wagner, Senior Director, Emerging Market Development, Blue Origin
  • Vanessa Wyche, Director, NASA Johnson Space Center

The 2022 ASCEND program also includes unique features to engage attendees, including:

  • The Diverse Dozen returns. This year’s cadre of young people from 10 countries will shape the dialogue around space safety, security, and sustainability under the leadership of astrodynamicist Moriba Jah, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Privateer Space.
  • The Cyber Star Wargame will explore the implications of cybersecurity on the projection of space power.
  • The MICRO session tabletop exercise, “Defending Earth! What Can We Do to Stop an Asteroid Threat?” will walk through an asteroid threat scenario, following the META session, “Asteroids: Time Capsules and Terror.” It’s based in part on the Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise conducted earlier in 2022.
  • Breakout workshop sessions will collect feedback to help NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate identify gaps and plan future investments.

Media contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804.397.5270

About ASCEND
Powered by AIAA, ASCEND promotes the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future! For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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 aiaa.orgg, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.