RESTON, Va., May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Commercial Space Federation (CSF), the Space Force Association (SFA), and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) announced today they are joining forces on an integrated space event, ASCEND 2026, spanning the week of 19–21 May 2026 in Washington, D.C.
“The vision of ASCEND has always been as a platform for accelerating the use of space for exploration, R&D, national security, and commercial innovation,” said Clay Mowry, chief executive officer, AIAA. “We are thrilled to bring ASCEND to the nation’s capital with these new event partners. Our new collaboration isn’t just exciting, it’s transformative – creating enormous synergies for the space community for learning, technical exchange, and in-depth dialogue. This new ‘Space Week’ will showcase the full spectrum of space policy, commerce, security, and innovation to build our off-world future.”
Space Policy and Leadership – Commercial Space Federation (CSF)
CSF is joining ASCEND as the premier event partner to design and deliver programming during ASCEND 2026 on the most pressing commercial space issues facing the industry. This move will continue CSF’s leadership on space policy discussions that were historically held during its flagship Washington, D.C., event, the Commercial Space Policy Conference.
Dave Cavossa, president, CSF, added, “CSF is excited to join forces with AIAA and other partners to reimagine a modern space event that is aligned to the policy challenges of today and tomorrow for the commercial space ecosystem. We want those vital discussions to happen in Washington, D.C., bringing all the critical voices together in the town where so much of our global space policy is shaped.”
National Security Space – Space Force Association (SFA)
Through an enhanced focus on national security space, ASCEND 2026 will feature expanded content highlighting its criticality to this community. SFA will provide sessions and speakers in the expanded event, designed to enable U.S. Space Force Guardians to collaborate with the commercial and civil space communities to enhance strategic partnerships and counter growing threats. In addition, ASCEND 2026 will feature a classified event that will provide attendees with mission critical insights.
Next Generation of Aerospace Professionals – Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)
As the largest network of university students and young professionals working in the global aerospace industry, SGAC will deliver its signature fast-paced, content-rich programming to ASCEND 2026. Modeled on the TEDx “lightning talk” format used at its previous SGx event, SGAC will create an environment where young professionals, industry experts, and government executives can network, share insights, and inspire each other.
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. Lockheed Martin is the founding sponsor of ASCEND.
The ASCEND 2026 Call for Content will open in early July 2025, inviting the global space community to submit technical abstracts and propose collaborative session topics across a broad range of disciplines.
AIAA Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270
CSF Contact: Kenya McEachern, [email protected]
SFA Contact: Karen Lawrie, [email protected]
SGAC Contact: Tatiana Komorna, [email protected]
About AIAA
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. Visit www.aiaa.org or follow us: X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About Commercial Space Federation
CSF is the leading U.S.-based trade association representing the commercial space industry. Our members represent multiple sectors of the space economy including launch and reentry, remote sensing, spaceports, satellite-based internet, in-space research and manufacturing, commercial space stations, space situational awareness, and more. CSF and its members are focused on expanding America’s leadership in space by offering innovative – and often less expensive – solutions to U.S. government customers including NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and the intelligence community. CSF advocates for policies that will grow a sustainable space economy, the global value of which is already estimated at $570 billion and projected to grow to $1.8 trillion by 2035.
About Space Force Association
The Space Force Association (SFA) is the only independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as a professional military association whose sole focus is supporting the United States Space Force, United States Space Command, U.S. national spacepower at large, and our global partners and allies’ efforts in space exploration. Its core functions are to research, inform, and advocate to achieve superior spacepower by shaping a Space Force that provides credible deterrence in competition, dominant capability in combat, and professional services for all partners. In addition, the SFA has an essential function to provide support for the men and women of the U.S. Space Force.
About Space Generation Advisory Council
The Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) in support of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications is a global non-governmental, non-profit (US 501(c)(3) organization and network that connects and represents university students and young space professionals aged 18–35 to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia. With members in over 165 countries, SGAC fosters international collaboration, capacity-building, and innovation in the space sector. The organization hosts flagship events such as the annual Space Generation Congress (SGC), SGx, SGFF and regional Space Generation Workshops (SGWs), publishes policy recommendations, and provides scholarships to empower young professionals. SGAC is also dedicated to STEM outreach and advocacy, inspiring and enabling the next generation of space leaders.
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