Reuters reported that a growth in space debris “has led the U.S. government to attempt to set new space hygiene norms, while private companies are also investing in ways to tackle the messy orbital environment.” Thousands of commercial satellites “are being launched into Earth’s orbit at a record pace, driving up the risk of collisions that could spawn swarms of hazardous debris.” US Space Command released a formal list Friday “of what it views as responsible space behaviors, in a bid to steer military norms in orbit.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Tag: Government
Aerospace: Collaboration Makes It Soar
Panelists: Moderator: John Tracy, chief technologist, The Boeing Company; Morteza Gharib, California Institute of Technology; Dana “Keoki” Jackson, chief technology officer, Lockheed Martin Corporation; Sandy Magnus, AIAA executive director; Darryll Pines, Dean, Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland College Park; Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator, aeronautics research mission directorate, NASA; Steve Walker, deputy director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
By Duane Hyland, AIAA Communications (2008–2017)
Collaboration and cooperation are critical to driving future growth in aerospace science and technology, according to a Jan. 7 panel of experts at the 2016 AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition in San Diego.
The panel, “Aerospace Frontiers — Strengthening Collaboration for Continued Progress,” looked at how nexuses are built among professional, government, industry and academic organizations and how these collaborations drive growth in the industry.
Sandy Magnus, AIAA executive director, explained that professional organizations like AIAA provide a platform for the aerospace community to come together to allow the discussions to advance the industry.
“We use conferences such as this to do that,” Magnus said.
The other panelists expressed appreciation for what professional societies do and highlighted what their organizations do to promote communication and collaboration across boundaries.
Darryll Pines, Farvardin professor and dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, also said that now is a great time for engineering.
“Over 500,000 engineers are working in the U.S. today,” he said, stressing that platforms like conferences and professional societies are vitally important to the exchange of ideas.
The representatives of industry on the panel highlighted the importance of the academic community in providing the future workforce as well as opportunities for vital research and development partnerships.
“We need the ideas that come out of university research programs, and those are the people who will continue to generate these ideas,” said Keoki Jackson, chief technology officer at Lockheed Martin.
Each of the panelists identified the same barriers to professional growth for today’s engineers: budgets; burdensome government regulations; resistance from middle-management in industry to allow conference attendance; and a misunderstanding of the nature of science and technology conferences.
Steve Walker, deputy director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, said that one of his unique barriers is obtaining capable program managers that can leave their academic careers for two to five years to run DARPA’s programs.
Ongoing communication with lawmakers and others would eventually help erode these barriers, panelists said.
In the end, all of the panelists agreed that what AIAA and other professional societies do is extremely vital to the entire science and technology enterprise.
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AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 to Break Barriers Together
Registration Is Open for the World’s Largest Aerospace R&D Event
October 9, 2025 – Reston, Va. – AIAA announced registration is open for the premier aerospace R&D event of the year, AIAA SciTech Forum 2026, 12–16 January, Hyatt Regency Orlando, Orlando, Florida.
The forum’s inspirational theme, “Breaking Barriers Together: Boundless Discovery,” will deliver sessions and presentations envisioning the possibilities for aerospace’s future. More than 5,000 engineering minds from across industry, government, and academia are expected to gather, setting the pace of innovation and connection for the year.
From artificial intelligence and autonomy to high-speed propulsion and quantum computing, the program is designed to engage aerospace professionals in the next breakthroughs. The forum features nearly 3,000 technical presentations, as well as an extensive lineup of aerospace and defense industry leaders and innovators from across industry, government, and academia as speakers.
Confirmed plenary speakers include:
- Jonathan Arenberg, Fellow and Chief Mission Architect for Science and Robotic Exploration, Northrop Grumman, will provide a unique look at NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the premier observatory of the next decade that is studying every phase in the history of our universe. Having served as Northrop Grumman’s chief engineer on Webb, he will share his insights into its origins, development, operation, and lessons learned.
- Arbi Karapetian, Director, Innovation and Technology, Formula 1, will share how early-stage science and technology innovation fuels performance across industries. He will draw from his nearly 30 years of aerospace experience, most recently with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
New this year is the intensive Career Accelerator Program for university students. This full-day program will provide practical and actionable strategies to attendees to launch and navigate their careers in aerospace. Planned for Monday, 12 January, attendees will gain insights into what it takes to succeed in the industry with a series of expert-led microsessions offering leadership development tools and the latest career advice. The popular Student Lounge will be sponsored by Lockheed Martin for the next generation of aerospace professionals to network with each other throughout the week.
Premier sponsor Lockheed Martin will deliver sessions during the week on its AI Fight Club™, a head-to-head competitive environment designed to accelerate how artificial intelligence is developed and deployed. Speakers will share insights about this comprehensive testing ground that simulates how AI systems perform across domains – air, land, sea and space – to test models that meet Department of Defense (DOD) qualifications.
Features of the forum include:
- 60+ Technical Disciplines: The deep technical content sets an AIAA forum apart from other industry events. Technical sessions will cover applied aerodynamics; fluid dynamics; guidance, navigation, and control; intelligent systems; propellants and combustion; and many more.
- 100+ Exhibitors: With hardware displays to live demos to hands-on experiences, the expanded Expo Hall will showcase the latest technological developments from top companies, universities, and government agencies.
- Rising Leaders in Aerospace: Special programming and networking opportunities are scheduled for young professionals, designed by young professionals, including the popular Speed Mentoring session, as well as panels and interactive workshops on a variety of topics.
- Meet the Employers and Meet the Universities: These speed networking style events return for AIAA Corporate Members to recruit students and young professionals seeking their next steps in employment or advanced degree programs.
- Talks at the HUB: The Expo Hall will feature a series of lightning talks from innovators and inventors, with direct audience engagement from the dedicated HUB stage.
Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. For the most up-to-date program and registration information, visit SciTech.aiaa.org. Press passes are available by emailing [email protected].
Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
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 LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.