Benjamin Seibert, Deputy Technical Program Chair

The quantity and diversity of space traffic has increased dramatically over the last 50 years, and now includes a variety of companies and nations with different goals, motives, and business/operating models. As growth continues, there is an increasing need to ensure access to space and safe operations from initial launch of the vehicle through mission completion. As more and more megaconstellations are deployed, the possibility for electromagnetic interference and the need for operational coordination increases. ASCEND seeks to provide technical content related to these issues and solutions to address them.

Further, papers are invited on policy, best practices, and lessons learned that address the appropriate roles of organizations (international bodies, national governments, nongovernmental organizations, etc.) in providing space situational awareness, traffic management, and control services. Regulatory clarity regarding the on-orbit authorities of government agencies – as-yet largely undefined – is a timely subject. Planned/evolving regulatory frameworks and priority preferences for air traffic operations amidst the increasing launch/reentry cadence are of specific interest.  ASCEND seeks to provide technical content related to these issues and recommended solutions to address them.

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John Carsten, Deputy Technical Program Chair
Christine Edwards, Deputy Technical Program Chair

Recent analyses suggest that the space economy is at a major tipping point toward rapid exponential growth. Realizing the full potential of that growth—a forecasted $1 trillion globally by 2040—demands bringing together business leaders, academics, innovators, investors, technical experts, government stakeholders, and decision makers to envision, design, and build the future of space commerce together. ASCEND seek papers that discuss and support this community while inspiring new approaches and lessons learned from relevant markets.

Mohammad Ayoubi, Deputy Technical Program Chair
Hao Chen, Deputy Technical Program Chair
Paula Do Vale Pereira, Deputy Technical Program Chair

Throughout human history, we have pondered the great mysteries, such as the formation of the universe and our solar system, the existence of life on other planets, and how we can better understand the complex systems of the Earth. Within the past century, advances in space technology have allowed us to make great leaps in our understanding of these and other scientific frontiers.

As we seek to further accelerate the growth of the space economy and make strides toward our off-world future, it is imperative that we leverage the resultant new technologies and capabilities to expand our understanding of the solar system and the universe. We must address the most crucial scientific questions that remain unanswered. This topic focuses attention on these questions, as prioritized by the scientific community in publications such as the U.S. NASA-requested decadal surveys, and to identify opportunities and challenges that can be addressed through increased activities and human presence in space.

Submissions may relate to items such as:

Sean Phillips, Deputy Technical Program Chair
Derek Doyle, Technical Discipline Lead

The threats and risks to the space systems and associated infrastructure that support all aspects of daily life continue to grow. ASCEND seeks papers that address the protection of our space capabilities, and the trade-offs between efforts to produce value in space, manage the increasingly crowded space domain, and protect our ability to operate freely in space. This includes capabilities that leverage novel sensors, components, and system technologies, as well as products from other relevant communities, to protect our space assets. Papers are sought that explore how public-private partnerships provide the architectures and systems that enable the continued open use of space for the benefit of all humankind.

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Amir Gohardani, Deputy Technical Program Chair

The awe-inspiring capability and rapid growth within the space enterprise suggests a discussion of sustainability is needed. ASCEND promotes a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between the space enterprise and maintenance of a suitable environment here on Earth is of interest. This includes both the impacts that the space enterprise has on global environments, and the risks that a changing climate impose on the space enterprise.

Understanding the profound changes affecting our planet has become an existential necessity for humankind. The nature and effects of climate change, the global extent of pollution, and the evolution of biodiversity are measured through scientific observations from a variety of platforms. ASCEND seeks papers that highlight the advantages and opportunities of space-based environmental sensing technologies in synergy with ground measurements. The aggregation and sharing of the gathered data are of interest to increase environmental domain awareness across the globe and inform policymaking.

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Christopher “Chrispy” Petersen, Deputy Technical Program Chair

Space activities shape human lives in many ways and there is a continuous need to consider the human element and the societal impact of space endeavors. The recent explosive growth in the commercial space industry has led to one of the most dynamic and exciting periods of expansion of the aerospace workforce. However, this vitality and growth has not come without challenges: workforce retention and management has become a first-order concern, prevalent across the industry. At the same time, our industry is becoming increasingly conscious of the critical importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and in our schools, and yet challenged to impart significant traction in this regard. Emergent technological needs in areas like artificial intelligence, human-robot teaming and cybersecurity are driving our system requirements and capabilities, resulting in significant changes in the educational needs of modern-day aerospace engineers. This phenomenon also reaches many other areas of our society by transforming the relationship between space and society, culture, and the arts. ASCEND seeks papers to shed light on all these issues within the broad impacts of space activities on society and help our economic sector wrap its arms around these huge challenges.

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