Tag: most influential

ASCEND 2026 Will Showcase the Space Industry’s Most Influential Voices

FROM THE INSTITUTE
More than 200 luminaries from across the civil, commercial, and national security space sectors, adjacent industries, and the next-generation workforce will take the ASCEND stage, 19–21 May, in Washington, D.C. They will address the most important opportunities and mission-critical challenges at this pivotal time for the space community. Registration for ASCEND 2026 is open now, with early-bird rates available until 20 April.
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ASCEND 2026 Assembles Space Industry’s Most Influential Voices in Washington, D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 31, 2026 – Reston, Va. – AIAA announced today a powerful lineup of speakers who will take the stage at ASCEND 2026, 19–21 May, Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C. The event will address the most important opportunities and mission-critical challenges at this pivotal time for the space community.

“We are proud to bring the global space community to experience ASCEND in Washington, D.C. Eight leading organizations from across the industry are joining the ASCEND team this year and strengthening our content to deliver a must-attend event,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.

“This year’s program is timely and transformative, as the space community looks to accelerate exploration and science. ASCEND 2026 will showcase the leading voices from space commerce, security, and policy to build our off-world future. It will be the most comprehensive gathering of space professionals in the nation’s capital in 2026 with 2,000 participants expected,” Mowry added.

Powered by AIAA, ASCEND is the world’s premier outcomes-focused, interdisciplinary space event designed to accelerate building our off-world future. Lockheed Martin is the Founding Sponsor of ASCEND. Commercial Space Federation (CSF) is the Premier Event Partner. Event partners include: BryceTech, ISS National Laboratory, National Air and Space Museum, Novaspace, Space Force Association (SFA), Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), and The Aerospace Corporation.

Over 200 industry luminaries from across the civil, commercial, and national security space sectors, adjacent industries, and the next-generation workforce are featured as speakers. Confirmed speakers include:

Erik Antonsen, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School
The Honorable Brian Babin (TX-36), Chair, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Olga Bannova, Research Professor, University of Houston
David Baumann, Director, Human Research Program, NASA
Harriet Brettle, Executive Director, Keck Institute for Space Studies
Will Bruey, CEO, Varda
Tory Bruno, President, Blue National Security, Blue Origin
A.C. Charania, Senior Vice President of Space Business Development, Zeno Power
Anne Cheever, Founder, Vela Scientific
Carissa Christensen, Founder and CEO, BryceTech
Jonathan Cirtain, CEO & President, Axiom Space
John Conafay, CEO, Integrate Space
Katie Cranor, Executive Director, Office of Operational Safety, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, FAA
Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Director, Astrophysics Division, NASA
Jonny Dyer, CEO, Muon Space
Shirley Dyke, Donald A. and Patricia A. Coates Professor of Innovation in Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
Debra Facktor, Head of US Space Systems, Airbus US Space & Defense
David Goldstein, Principal Guidance, Navigation and Control Engineer, SpaceX
James “Jim” Green, CEO, Space Science Endeavors
Dana “Keoki” Jackson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, MITRE National Security, and AIAA President-Elect
Taylor Jordan, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, NOAA
Mike Kincaid, President & Executive Director, Challenger Center
Josef Koller, Head of Space Safety and Sustainability, Amazon Leo
Joe Landon, Co-Founder & President, Rendezvous Robotics
Kris Lehnhardt, M.D., Director, Space Medicine Program, UTHealth Houston
Dana Levin, Director of Space Medicine and Human Research, Vast Inc.
Janna Lewis, Senior Vice President, Policy & General Counsel, Astroscale US
Robert Lightfoot, President, Lockheed Martin Space
Laura Lucier, Chief, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA
Ray Lugo, CEO, ISS National Laboratory
Sandra Magnus, Principal, AstroPlanetview LLC
Scott McLaughlin, Executive Director, Spaceport America
Kristen McQuinn, Mission Head, Roman Space Telescope, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Rob Meyerson, CEO, Interlune
Mike Moses, President, Spaceline, Virgin Galactic
Clay Mowry, CEO, AIAA
Michelle Murray, Deputy Director, Office of Strategic Management, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, FAA
Clive Neal, Professor of Planetary Geology, University of Notre Dame
Charles Norton, Chief Technology Strategist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Michael Roberts, Chief Scientist, ISS National Laboratory
Ryan Shepperd, Lead SSA Engineer, Iridium
Erika Wagner, Lead, US Business Development, The Exploration Company-US
Matthew Weinzierl, Professor & Senior Associate Dean, Harvard Business School

Dynamic Sessions Featured All Week

Deep technical content scheduled. AIAA events are well known for the depth of technical content presented, with over 200 technical presentations and collaborative sessions at ASCEND. ISS National Laboratory will bring even more technical presentations from its microgravity community that has been conducting research onboard the orbiting lab.
CSF will host its two-day Commercial Space Policy Summit (CSPS), 19–20 May. From launch cadence and regulatory reform to lunar and orbital infrastructure, national security, and the future of commercial space stations, this year’s Summit will tackle the most pressing issues shaping the space economy. Registration for CSPS includes access to ASCEND.
The Aerospace Corporation will host a Classified Day at the TS/SCI level on 18 May at its Chantilly, Virginia, office, with additional registration required. Additionally, they will host the Space Transformation Track on 21 May, comprising sessions designed to accelerate the space industrial base and progress in national priority areas for space.
BryceTech will host its inaugural Start-up Space Pitch Competition. Start-ups from across space and space-adjacent industries (series A or earlier) can apply. Finalists will pitch start-up space experts during ASCEND 2026. One winner will receive a Start-up Space Advisory Package from BryceTech, a one-year AIAA Corporate Membership, and more. Applications are open through 19 April.
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum will host a three-session deep dive into preserving the ISS National Laboratory as we prepare for its end of mission. Why save ISS heritage? What should be saved from the ISS? How will we recover items from ISS?
SGAC will host its SGx 2026 event, 17–18 May, focused on cultivating the next generation of space leaders with “lightning talks” followed by moderated Q&A panels that tackle pressing issues and innovative ideas to inspire the next generation of space leaders. Additional registration required through SGAC.

Early-Bird Registration Rates Available

Registration for ASCEND 2026 is open now, with early-bird rates available until 20 April. Journalists should request a Press Pass online.

Since 2020, ASCEND has promoted 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.

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, or follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2025 Premier Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 16, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of the AIAA Premier Awards, recognizing the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace whose outstanding contributions merit the highest accolades.

AIAA will present the awards during the AIAA Awards Gala on Wednesday, 30 April, at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC. The Institute also will recognize its Class of 2025 Honorary Fellows and Fellows at the AIAA Awards Gala. Tickets will be available to purchase in the coming weeks.

“Congratulations to our premier award winners,” said AIAA President Daniel Hastings. “In honoring these remarkable pioneers, we celebrate their transformative contributions that will echo through generations of aerospace innovation. Their groundbreaking work exemplifies the relentless pursuit of excellence that defines our community as they set new horizons for what humanity can achieve in the vast frontiers of air and space.”

“I’m simply in awe of this outstanding group of award winners. These are the aerospace professionals who push the boundaries of what’s possible. Supporting them throughout their career arc is at the heart of what we do at AIAA,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “The highest honors in aeronautics and astronautics – the AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award and AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award – are being given this year to brilliant individuals who in addition to advancing our understanding of flight in air and space, are lighting the way for the next generation. These leaders are making sure we stay at the forefront of innovation and maintain our national leadership in aerospace. They are truly shaping the future of aerospace.”

The winners are:

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award
Jeffrey P. Bezos, Founder, Blue Origin

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award
Vigor Yang, Ralph N. Read Chair and Regents Professor, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

AIAA Distinguished Service Award
Basil Hassan, Director, Engineering Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award
Christopher John Ruscher, Vice President and Senior Research Engineer, Spectral Energies, LLC

AIAA International Cooperation Award
Hitoshi Kuninaka, Director General, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and Vice President, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award
Gökçin Çınar, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan

AIAA Public Service Award
Bhavya Lal, former NASA Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy, NASA (retired)

Daniel Guggenheim Medal
Stephen W. Tsai, Research Professor, Emeritus, Stanford University

Award Citations

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award
The highest honor AIAA bestows for notable achievement in the field of astronautics. It was endowed by Mrs. Goddard in the 1940s as the ARS Goddard Memorial Award to commemorate her husband, Robert H. Goddard—rocket visionary, pioneer, bold experimentalist, and superb engineer whose early liquid rocket engine launches set the stage for the development of astronautics.

Jeffrey P. Bezos, Founder, Blue Origin, honored “For visionary leadership in moving us toward a future where millions of people are living and working in space for the benefit of humanity.”

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award
The highest honor AIAA bestows for notable achievements in the field of aeronautics. The award is named after Dr. Sylvanus A. Reed, aeronautical engineer, designer, and founding member of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences in 1932.

Vigor Yang, Ralph N. Read Chair and Regents Professor, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, honored “For seminal contributions to the understanding of combustion physics in aerospace systems, to technological innovation in aerospace propulsion, and to the advancement of aerospace engineering education and literature.”

AIAA Distinguished Service Award
AIAA recognizes an individual member who has provided distinguished service to the Institute over a period of years.

Basil Hassan, Director, Engineering Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories honored “For more than three decades of exemplary service at the national, technical, and regional levels, as well as with Publications, Honors and Awards, and the AIAA Foundation.”

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award
The award is presented to a member of the Institute who has made a recent individual technical contribution in the application of scientific and mathematical principles leading to a significant technical accomplishment.

Christopher John Ruscher, Vice President and Senior Research Engineer, Spectral Energies, LLC, honored “For the design, development, integration, and demonstration of a robust pressure sensor on a hypersonic sounding rocket and F404 engine test.”

AIAA International Cooperation Award
The award is presented to a member who has made a recent individual contribution in the application of scientific and mathematical principles leading to a significant accomplishment or event worthy of AIAA’s national or international recognition.

Hitoshi Kuninaka, Director General, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and Vice President, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), honored “For fundamental contributions to electric propulsion and leadership of the world’s first asteroid sample return missions, as well as for fostering international cooperation and public interest in space exploration.”

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award
The award is presented for a notable contribution made by a young person, age 35 or under, to the advancement of aeronautics or astronautics. This award honors Lawrence B. Sperry, pioneer aviator and inventor, who died in 1923 in a forced landing while attempting a flight across the English Channel.

Gökçin Çınar, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, honored “For pioneering research and innovative contributions to electrified aircraft systems and sustainable aviation.”

AIAA Public Service Award
The award honors a person who has demonstrated sustained and visible support for aviation and space goals.

Bhavya Lal, former NASA Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy, NASA Headquarters (retired), honored “For lasting and sustained leadership in national space policy and setting the course for NASA’s future missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.”

Daniel Guggenheim Medal
The Medal was established as an international award honoring an individual who makes notable achievements in advancing the safety and practicality of aviation. Jointly sponsored by AIAA, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), SAE International, and Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the Medal recognizes contributions to aeronautical research and education, the development of commercial aircraft and equipment, and the application of aircraft to the economic and social activities of the nation.

Stephen W. Tsai, Research Professor, Emeritus, Stanford University, honored “Forfoundational contributions to the mechanics of composites over a distinguished 60-year career, resulting in laminate theory and failure criteria that are the basis of modern aerospace composite structures.”

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 aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2024 Premier Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 8, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of the AIAA Premier Awards, recognizing the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace whose outstanding contributions merit the highest accolades.

AIAA will present the 2024 AIAA Premier Awards during the AIAA Awards Gala on Wednesday, 15 May, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts*, Washington, DC. The Institute also will recognize its Class of 2024 Honorary Fellows and Fellows at the AIAA Awards Gala. Tickets are available now.

“Congratulations to our premier award winners,” said AIAA President Laura McGill. “We are inspired by their achievements. These prestigious awards celebrate their truly significant work that is shaping the future. AIAA is committed to recognizing aerospace professionals for their innovations and discoveries that advance aerospace capabilities and performance.”

The winners are:

AIAA Award for Aerospace Excellence – U.S. Air Force Combat Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology Demonstration Team

AIAA Public Service Award – Leland D. Melvin, Former NASA Astronaut, Leland Melvin LLC

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award – Mark S. Miller, Leidos, Dynetics Group

AIAA Distinguished Service Award – Paul D. Nielsen, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

AIAA International Cooperation Award – Jean-Yves Le Gall, CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), ESA Council (European Space Agency), Arianespace, IAF (International Astronautical Federation)

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award – Kurt Polzin, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award – W. Michael Hawes, Lockheed Martin Space (retired)

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award – Michelle N. Banchy, NASA Langley Research Center

Award Citations

AIAA Award for Aerospace Excellence
This award honors a unique achievement by a group or team in the aerospace community that is shaping the future of aerospace and inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in aerospace. The award is designed for timely recognition of a recent program or mission.

U.S. Air Force Combat Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology Demonstration Team, honored “For demonstrating AI piloting the XQ-58A Valkyrie uncrewed jet aircraft, building on previous demonstrations with a crewed (F-16) VISTA X-62A, but taking it one step further to a full demonstration, and amplifying the importance of military government partnerships with industry and academia.”

AIAA Public Service Award
The award honors a person who has demonstrated sustained and visible support for aviation and space goals.

Leland D. Melvin, Former NASA Astronaut, Leland Melvin LLC, honored “For tirelessly promoting STEAM and aerospace to young people of all demographics by word and personal example.”

Mark S. Miller, Leidos, Dynetics Group, honored “In recognition of contributions to engineering advancement of grid-fin aerodynamic control technology from seminal research through pervasive technology adoption into flight systems including reusable launch vehicles.”

AIAA Distinguished Service Award
AIAA recognizes an individual member who has provided distinguished service to the Institute over a period of years.

Paul D. Nielsen, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, honored “For outstanding and distinguished leadership and service to AIAA and to the aerospace profession over the past four decades.”

Jean-Yves Le Gall, CNES, ESA Council, Arianespace, IAF, honored “For extraordinary contributions and leadership, and for major collaborations with the international community in the development and operation of space missions for scientific and civil applications.”

Kurt Polzin, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, honored “For inspired technical leadership as Chief Engineer of NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion Project, positioning the nation to rapidly mature, demonstrate, and use nuclear propulsion systems.”

W. Michael Hawes, Lockheed Martin Space (retired), honored “For a lifetime of contributions to the design, manufacturing, and operations of human space flight programs including the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Orion.”

Michelle N. Banchy, NASA Langley Research Center, honored “For exceptional technical contributions in the field of aerodynamic design toward the development and application of natural laminar flow systems.”

In addition, the Institute will present the 2024 Daniel Guggenheim Medal during the 2024 AIAA Awards Gala to Michimasa Fujino for technical innovation and leadership in conceiving, designing, and bringing HondaJet to a leading position in the business jet market. This award is jointly sponsored by AIAA, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), SAE International, and the Vertical Flight Society (VFS).

*Note: This event is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.

Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270