SpaceVision 26

How to Network and Pitch Yourself

4:00 – 5:00 PM

This workshop will prepare students and early-career professionals with the tools and strategies needed to build valuable and lasting connections in the space industry. Workshop participants will practice crafting an effective personal pitch, learn to confidently approach industry experts, and gain insight on how to navigate networking events. Participants will leave with actionable feedback on how to better communicate their experience, expand their network, and position themselves as strong candidates for careers and internships across the space sector.

Maximizing Your SV26 Experience

3:00 – 4:00 PM

Packed with three days of panels, lectures, networking events, a career fair, and social activities, SpaceVision can be a lot to take in, especially for first-time attendees. This session is your roadmap to getting the most out of the conference. Learn how to prioritize sessions based on your interests and goals, when to network, and how to make the most of the time between official programming. This panel will help you walk away with a plan for turning SpaceVision into your personal career launchpad.

Nancy Grace Roman: The Future of Astronomic Insight

9:45 – 10:30 AM

The Roman Space Telescope will survey the sky at a scale and cadence no previous observatory could manage, with a field of view that reframes what wide-field infrared astronomy can answer about dark energy, exoplanets, and the structure of our galaxy. This panel brings together people working on the mission and on the science it will serve to discuss where it stands, what its survey strategy is designed to settle, and what it will make possible that Hubble and Webb could not.

Manufacturing in Space

9:45 – 10:30 AM

In-space manufacturing promises materials and processes impossible to replicate under Earth's gravity, from optical fiber to pharmaceuticals to metal alloys. What has been proven feasible so far, and what stands between current experiments and a viable in-space manufacturing economy? This panel explores the technical, economic, and logistical realities of building things beyond Earth. Experts will discuss current commercial efforts, microgravity research, and where this emerging industry is headed.

Space Sustainability: Challenges of Operation, Future of Positive Change

9:45 – 10:30 AM

As satellite constellations grow and orbital debris accumulates, the long-term sustainability of space operations has become an urgent concern. Who is responsible for cleaning up the orbital environment, and what regulatory frameworks exist to prevent it from getting worse? Explore the operational, environmental, and policy challenges facing the space industry today. Experts will discuss active debris removal, sustainable satellite design, and what a truly sustainable space economy could look like moving forward.

Planetary Defense: Detect, Track, and Mitigate

10:45 – 11:30 AM

Near-Earth objects pose a real, if statistically rare, threat to life on our planet. Missions like DART have demonstrated that humanity now has the tools to potentially deflect an incoming asteroid, but detection and tracking remain the first line of defense. How do scientists identify and monitor these objects, and what would an actual mitigation effort look like? Join the discussion on current capabilities, ongoing gaps, and the international coordination required to protect the planet.

Space Economics: Who Pays, Who Profits, & What's Next?

10:45 – 11:30 AM

The global space economy is projected to nearly triple to $1.8 trillion by 2035, and government contracts are no longer the only engine behind it. Commercial customers, private investment and entirely new markets are reshaping how space gets funded and who profits from it. This panel looks at where the money actually comes from, from satellite services and private space stations to lunar delivery and in-space manufacturing. It also covers which markets are ready to take off, which are still decades away, and what the shift toward a commercial space economy means for industry, policy, and the people building it.

Artemis III

12:45 – 1:30 PM

Artemis III will mark humanity's return to the lunar surface for the first time in over fifty years, carrying enormous scientific, technical, and symbolic weight. What are the mission's key objectives, and what technical hurdles remain before crewed lunar landing becomes a reality? This panel dives into the current status of Artemis III, from the Human Landing System to crew training, and discusses what success will mean for the broader Artemis program and future lunar exploration.

The Red Planet

12:45 – 1:30 PM

Mars keeps its secrets in rock. Perseverance and Curiosity have spent years reading that record, uncovering clues about ancient water, changing climate, and the planet's potential for past habitability. But plenty remains unanswered, including what will happen once collected samples finally make it back to Earth. This panel covers where Mars research stands today and what scientific priorities will shape the next generation of missions to the Red Planet.

International Relations through the Lens of Space

1:45 – 2:30 PM

Space has never been apolitical. From the Cold War's orbital rivalries to today's competing lunar programs, exploration and geopolitics have always moved together. The Artemis Accords, national space agencies, and an increasingly crowded field of spacefaring nations all raise the same underlying question: does space push countries toward cooperation, or toward a new kind of competition? This panel unpacks the diplomatic architecture behind modern space activity and what it reveals about power, alliance, and rivalry in the 21st century.

Planetary Science: The Science of Exploration

1:45 – 2:30 PM

Sitting at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and robotics, this panel examines what these two extreme frontiers are actively teaching one another. Join researchers and mission engineers as they dig into the current science of the search for life, from autonomous submersibles mapping hydrothermal vents to missions analyzing organic molecules on Mars and plume samples from icy ocean worlds like Enceladus. Together, we will explore why some of the most groundbreaking space research happens nowhere near space, and how investigating the origin of life elsewhere deepens our understanding of the fragile conditions that made life possible on Earth.

Analog Training for Space

1:45 – 2:30 PM

Analog environments aren't only used to prepare astronauts, they're active research platforms spanning far more than human performance. Facilities like HERA, Antarctic research stations, and undersea habitats support ongoing studies in isolation psychology and team dynamics, but also serve as testbeds for biology, chemistry, and geology research that has nothing to do with training crews. This panel looks at the full range of science happening in analog environments, from microbial studies to closed-loop life support experiments, and how findings across these disciplines feed into mission planning and our broader understanding of operating in extreme conditions.

Reflecting on Apollo: On the Shoulders of Giants

2:45 – 3:30 PM

Fifty years on, Apollo still sets the bar. Its engineering solved problems with a fraction of the computing power in a modern phone, and its cultural weight still shapes how the public imagines spaceflight. This panel looks back not out of nostalgia, but to ask a harder question: what did Apollo get right that we've since forgotten, and where has the field genuinely moved beyond it? Expect a conversation that connects 1969 directly to Artemis and the decisions being made today, as well as what it takes to build the team that gets it done.

Communications and Telemetry in Space

2:45 – 3:30 PM

Behind every stunning image or dramatic landing is an essential system: the communications link carrying that data back to Earth. As missions push farther out and satellite constellations multiply, engineers are running into real limits on bandwidth, latency, and available spectrum. How do deep space networks and laser communication systems keep pace with growing demand? This panel goes under the hood of space communications infrastructure and the innovations keeping missions connected as we expand exploration.

Where does Sci-Fi end and Science Begin?

2:45 – 3:30 PM

Science fiction is often defined by its mind bending technologies and the incredible scale of industrialization. What about the societal and communal aspects of building our world towards a profitable and equitable future? What is required to push existing technology towards the boundary of science fiction and how does science fiction continue to guide our advancement as a species?

Lunar Landers: What works and what doesn't

3:45 – 4:30 PM

Landing on the Moon is still hard. Despite decades of institutional knowledge, recent missions, both government and commercial, have delivered a mixed record of triumphant touchdowns and expensive crashes. This panel digs into the engineering decisions that separate the two outcomes, from guidance systems to landing site selection to margin for error. What patterns are emerging across recent attempts, and what is the industry finally starting to learn?

The Human Demands of Deep Space: Teaming and Survival

4:45 – 5:30 PM

Medical challenges are widely recognized as a limiting factor to deep space human exploration, but what about the challenges of teaming and intrapersonal relationships? What does it take to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of a crew from deep space? Explore the factors at hand and what the current solutions are with experts in bioastronautics, teaming, and human performance in space.

Off the Record

5:45 – 6:45 PM · Space Center Theater · Chatham House Rule

Not every conversation belongs on a panel transcript. Off The Record is a closed-door, no-press, no-recording session where industry professionals speak candidly about the parts of the space industry rarely discussed on stage. Get the inside scoop on the politics, the pressures, the mistakes, and the unfiltered truths about building a career in aerospace. In exchange, attendees agree to keep what's shared in the room and follow the Chatham House Rule.

Launch Systems for a High Cadence Future

9:45 – 10:30 AM

Reusability changed the economics of launch. Now the industry is chasing the next frontier: cadence. Getting rockets off the pad weekly, or even daily, requires more than a reusable booster, it demands rethinking manufacturing, range scheduling, and infrastructure at every level. Panelists will discuss what's currently limiting launch frequency and what a genuinely high-cadence future will require from vehicles, facilities, and the people building them.

Space Start Ups: Up and Coming

9:45 – 10:30 AM

Every year brings a new wave of space startups chasing everything from propulsion breakthroughs to lunar logistics. Few survive long enough to matter. What separates the companies that carve out a real niche from those that quietly disappear? Founders and early employees join this panel to talk candidly about fundraising, regulatory hurdles, and the unglamorous grind of building a space company from scratch.

Internships & Fellowships

9:45 – 10:30 AM

For many students, internships and fellowships are the first step into a career in the space industry, but knowing how to land one isn't always straightforward. Join representatives from recruiting teams as they walk through the application process, share what makes a candidate stand out, and explain how these programs lead to mentorship, professional connections, and the potential for full-time opportunities.

Space Domain Awareness: National Defense

12:45 – 1:30 PM

Orbit is getting crowded, and not everyone up there is friendly. Tracking satellites, debris, and potential threats has become a matter of national security as the space domain grows more contested. This panel examines how defense agencies maintain situational awareness in an environment that's harder to monitor every year, and what strategic and technological shifts are shaping military approaches to space.

Academia to Industry: Bridging Gaps

12:45 – 1:30 PM

The rapid advancement of the technologies and capabilities of the space industry leave a gap between the curriculum at academic institutions and the knowledge and skills required to succeed in an industry career. Students often receive the same advice: Get an internship, apply even if you aren't qualified, do a project. What actionable items can students employ beyond the generalized recommendation if they are expected to sit beyond the curve, one that is always moving?

Combating Misinformation: Pop Science vs Science Literacy

12:45 – 1:30 PM

A viral headline can travel further in a day than a peer-reviewed paper travels in a year. Space is one of the most publicly beloved fields in science, which also makes it one of the most vulnerable to oversimplification and outright misinformation. How should scientists and communicators balance the need to engage the public with the responsibility to stay accurate? This panel takes on the tension between pop science and science literacy, and what it actually takes to build public trust.

Perspectives on Nuclear Propulsion

1:45 – 2:30 PM

It's the technology that could cut Mars transit time in half, and it's also one of the most politically fraught ideas in spaceflight. Nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion have been discussed for decades, yet development remains slow and controversial. This panel brings together differing perspectives on where the technology actually stands, what's holding it back, and whether nuclear propulsion will ever move from concept to mission.

Medical Care in Space: Healthcare, Standards, and New Technologies

1:45 – 2:30 PM

No ambulance is coming if something goes wrong 300,000 miles from Earth. Current astronaut health monitoring relies on a mix of onboard diagnostics, wearable sensors, and real-time data relayed back to flight surgeons on the ground, a system built around missions measured in months, not years. As exploration pushes toward Mars-length timelines, that model starts to break down: communication delays make real-time consultation impossible, and supplies can't simply be resupplied on demand. This panel examines how health monitoring technology has evolved, where the current standard of care falls short for deep space, and what changes, from autonomous diagnostics to onboard treatment capability, will be necessary to keep crews healthy on multi-year missions.

Saving NASA Science: How to Become an Effective Space Advocate

1:45 – 3:30 PM

In 2025, NASA and the space community faced an existential threat: the largest proposed cuts in its history, cancellation threats to missions in flight, and decades of accumulated experience lost. Yet despite what felt unstoppable, the community refused to accept this fate. Scientists, students, and advocates organized, spoke up, and brought the case for science directly to policymakers. Congress ultimately rejected nearly all of the proposed cuts. It was an historic grassroots mobilization for science, the largest in generations. The challenges facing the space community are evolving, meaning grassroots advocacy is now more necessary than ever. Join us for a workshop on the current state of play in Washington and how you can take an active role in advancing the scientific exploration of space.

Lunar Infrastructure: The Moon Base and The Lunar Economy

2:45 – 3:30 PM

A single landing is easy compared to what comes next: keeping people alive and working on the Moon for months or years at a time. That requires power systems, radiation-hardened habitats, resource extraction, and supply chains built from scratch in one of the harshest environments imaginable. This panel looks at what's actually being planned to support a permanent lunar presence, and whether the much-discussed "lunar economy" is a realistic near-term goal or still a distant vision.

Optics in Space: Visualization and Computer Technologies

2:45 – 3:30 PM

Every image a spacecraft sends home starts with optics, and every discovery built on that image depends on how well it's processed. As sensor technology and computer vision advance, spacecraft are seeing more, and understanding more of what they see, than ever before. This panel explores recent advancements in optical systems and imaging software, and how they're reshaping what we can observe and interpret from millions of miles away.

Astronaut Fireside Chat

4:30 – 5:30 PM · Space Center Theater

Few people can speak to the realities of spaceflight quite like someone who's actually been there. In this intimate, conversational session, astronauts reflect on the journey that took them to space. Hear all about the setbacks, the training, the unforgettable moments, and what it actually feels like to leave Earth. This is a rare chance to hear the human side of spaceflight, straight from someone who's lived the experience.