When
Join us for the 2026 Arizona Space Institute Symposium where Arizona's space research community will convene to share progress, align priorities, and strengthen partnerships shaping the future of space science and technology.
Bringing together researchers, engineers, industry collaborators, and institutional leaders, the symposium serves as a forum for advancing mission development, observatory systems, space domain awareness, and emerging space technologies across the state and beyond.
Event Highlights
Research Presentations
Hear from faculty, research scientists, industry collaborators, and emerging scholars presenting work across mission science, instrumentation, telescope systems, data-driven applications, and space systems engineering. The program reflects the breadth and depth of Arizona’s growing space portfolio.
Leadership Remarks & Morning Reception
The day will begin with welcome remarks and strategic perspectives from university leadership, followed by a light breakfast reception to encourage early networking and conversation.
Networking Luncheon
Connect with peers from academia, industry, and government during a structured networking luncheon designed to spark collaboration and support future proposals, partnerships, and mission opportunities.
Who Should Attend?
The symposium is designed for individuals and teams engaged in — or seeking to engage in — space-related research and mission development, including:
- Researchers developing mission concepts or preparing space-related proposals
- Faculty and scientists with experience in flight missions, instrumentation, or observatory systems
- Industry and community partners collaborating on space technologies
- Research groups with laboratories, facilities, or flight-ready instrumentation that support space exploration
- Early-career researchers and graduate students exploring pathways into space science and engineering
- University stakeholders interested in the continued growth of Arizona’s space enterprise
Join us as we bring together the people, expertise, and partnerships advancing space research in Arizona.
Register Today
Inside the Symposium
Explore the sessions, speakers, and ideas shaping this year’s program.
An overview of the people, platforms, and infrastructure driving space research across Arizona—from mission operations and active spacecraft to observatory science and enabling technologies.
- Andrew Gardner- Software for Mission Operations at ASI
Walter Rahmer-CatSat Space Craft & Mission Update
Carlos Vargas- NASA's Aspera Mission Status Update
Dani Dellaguistina- From Asteroids to the Moon: New Insights from OSIRIS-REx/APEX and Artemis Lunar Seismology
Joseph Shields- New Science Opportunities at the Large Binocular Telescope
Erica Corral- University of Arizona’s Advancements in Thermal Protection Systems Materials for Aerospace and Defense
A look at the cutting-edge technologies enabling next-generation discovery, including advanced optics, detectors, and sensing systems designed for space and Earth applications.
- Jarron Leisenring- CCD and CMOS Sensor Manufacturing at UA's Imaging Technology Lab
Brock Parker- Read Noise Characterization and Optimization of Skipper CCDs Using Multiple Readout Electronics
Brandon Chalifoux- Figuring Lightweight Freeform Mirrors with Ultrafast Laser-Generated Stress
Xubin Zeng- SmallSat Snow Lidar with Onboard Quantum Computing
Hao Xin- Luneburg Lens Enabled Active and Passive RF Sensors for Autonomous Space Domain Awareness
Presentations highlighting both scientific discovery and the engineering required for sustained exploration, from space-based research missions to lunar systems and infrastructure.
- Haeun Chung- MgnoLya: UV SmallSat Mission for Cultivating Our Understanding of the Galaxy-Halo Connection
Sarah Sutton- EMission Imager for Lunar Infrared Analysis in 3D (EMILIA-3D), a Selected Payload for a Commercial Lunar Lander
Pranav Nair- Surface Power Generation for Effective Sustainability on the Moon
Victor Tenorio- Mine Planning and Production Performance for Icy Regolith Extraction from Selected Craters of the Shackleton de Gerlache Ridge
Federico Pederson- Characterization of Sulfur - Regolith Composites in Lunar & Martian Construction
A session focused on how space research translates into real-world applications, workforce development, and new partnerships across industry and the broader space ecosystem
- Jaclyn John- Channeled Infrared Polarimeter for Probing Ice Clouds
Arie Herrera- A Fuzzy Logic Approach to Determine a Crater Mining Sequence for Icy Regolith Extraction in the Lunar South Pole
Julie Euber- Their Eyes on the Skies: What Kindergarten through High School Students Care about in Space
Aaron Eden- From Biosphere II to Space Settlement: Building Arizona’s Aerospace Workforce Pipeline