Agenda

Day 1 – February 24, 2026

12:00 – 1:00 PM

Registration and refreshments

1:00 – 1:15 PM

Welcoming remarks
Steve Wolfe, President & Co-Founder, Beyond Earth Institute

1:15 – 1:45 PM

Keynote: Rep. George Whitesides, Member, U.S. House of Representatives

Rep. George Whitesides has championed human spaceflight across multiple roles—leading a space advocacy group, serving as NASA chief of staff, and heading Virgin Galactic as CEO. We’ll hear how he hopes to shape U.S. policy in support of his bold vision for humanity’s future in space.

1:45 – 3:00 PM

Moon First or Moon Forever? U.S. Strategy in the Face of China’s Lunar Ambitions

As America prepares for its historic return to the Moon, the real challenge lies beyond the flags-and-foodprint moment. The question is whether the United States will seize the opportunity to lead in shaping the future of lunar development—or allow China to set the pace. This discussion, led by Bhavya Lal, will examine the stakes of lunar exploration, the strategic choices ahead, and how bold action today can secure U.S. leadership in developing and sustaining a thriving lunar presence.

Keynote: Bhavya Lal, Former NASA Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy

Panelists:

  • Jeff Foust, Senior Staff Writer, Space News (moderator)
  • Lori Garver, Former NASA Associate Administrator
  • Greg Autry, Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy, University of Central Florida
  • Peter Garretson, Senior Fellow in Defense Studies, AFPC
  • Thomas Zurbuchen, Former Associate Administrator, NASA Science Mission Directorate

3:00 – 3:30 PM

Break

3:30 – 4:00 PM

Fireside Chat:  

Todd May, Senior Vice President of the Space and Mission Solutions Business Unit, KBR

Interview by Heath Mills, CSO, Rhodium Scientific

Todd May serves as Senior Vice President of KBR’s Science and Space Business Unit, leading 4,000 employees worldwide. Former NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director and Space Launch System Program Manager, he brings 28 years of NASA leadership to advancing government and commercial space solutions.

4:00 – 5:00 PM

Panel: Making the Right Decisions to Ensure a Thriving LEO Economy

Nearly five years ago, NASA launched the Commercial LEO Destination (CLD) program with a bold vision: to empower private industry to build the next generation of space stations and ensure vital microgravity research continues after the ISS retires in 2030. Yet, despite this ambitious start, uncertainty still clouds the path forward—leaving companies and potential users grappling with unanswered questions and unclear timelines. This panel will cut through the ambiguity, spotlight the remaining hurdles, and explore the real return on investment for these ventures. Leading this conversation is Tejpaul Bhatia, seasoned space investor and former Axiom CEO, who brings a unique perspective on turning opportunity into sustainable success.

Panelists:

  • Tejpaul Bhatia, Space Investor and Entrepreneur, Former Google and Axiom Space (Moderator)
  • Rich Leshner, Vice President Government Affairs, VAST
  • Saleem Miyan, Co-founder & CEO, Max Space
  • Olivia Gámez Holzhaus, Founder & CEO, Rhodium Scientific

5:00 – 5:30 PM

Keynote: Fireside with Martine Rothblatt, founder & CEO, United Therapeutics

Martine Rothblatt is a trailblazing lawyer, author, and entrepreneur whose innovations span satellite communications and biotechnology. As the creator of SiriusXM and founder of United Therapeutics, she has revolutionized industries while championing transhumanist technologies. A passionate advocate for space settlement, Rothblatt supports initiatives like the “Space Settlement in Our Lifetime” competition, inspiring bold solutions for sustainable life beyond Earth.

5:30 – 7:00 PM

Welcoming Reception

Day 2 – February 25, 2026

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Registration & light breakfast

9:00 – 9:10 AM

Welcoming remarks
Courtney Stadd, Executive Vice President, Beyond Earth Institute

9:10 – 9:30 AM

Fireside Chat: Legislative Action to Support the Human Spaceflight Economy

Brent Blevin, Staff Director, U.S. House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee  recently reported out a NASA Authorization bill with major provisions supporting commercial space and human expansion. Brent Blevin will discuss bipartisan efforts to advance a robust space program ahead of the 2028 Artemis III Moon landing.

9:30 – 10:15 AM

Panel: Getting Real About Policies that Get us to a Space Migration Future
In this panel, veteran Washington architects of space policy confront the next frontier: what governance frameworks must we forge to enable permanent human settlement beyond Earth? These leaders have shaped the foundational policies driving today’s space exploration and commerce. Now we challenge them to chart the institutional, regulatory, and international strategies required to transform orbital outposts into thriving communities—and to answer whether our current policy trajectory can carry us there.

Panelists:

  • Liz Sanchez Chang, President and Founder, American Space Law Foundation (Moderator)
  • Courtney Stadd, Executive Vice President, Beyond Earth Institute
  • Scott Pace, Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at George Washington University
  • Kevin O’Connell, Founder and CEO at Space Economy Rising, LLC
  • Charles Miller, Co-founder & Former CEO, Lynk Global

10:15 – 10:45 AM

Break

10:45 – 10:55 AM

Featured Speaker:  Red Shift: The Acceleration of China’s Commercial and Civil 
Space Enterprise & The Challenge to America

Dave Cavossa, President, Commercial Space Federation

In September, CSF released the Red Shift report. It provides a comprehensive assessment of China’s space progress and its implications for American interests. This report serves as both a factual record of China’s emerging capabilities and a risk assessment for U.S. industrial competitiveness and national security. Dave Cavossa will top-line this report and provide an update on new insights gained in the five months since the report’s initial release. Download the Red Shift report from: https://commercialspace.org/news_events/redshift/

10:55 – 11:40 AM

Panel: Building Sustainable Lunar Communities: Challenges and Solutions
The next decade promises breakthrough lunar development. But between ambition and achievement lies a gauntlet of technical, financial, and regulatory challenges. While mining operations and permanent habitats dominate planning discussions, the fundamental infrastructure and access systems remain nascent. This panel examines the critical barriers facing both public and private lunar ventures: launch economics, surface logistics, power and communications infrastructure, the viability of resource extraction, and unresolved governance questions, including non-interference, safety zones, and operational sovereignty. Can we build the foundation fast enough to match our timelines?

Panelists:

  • John Reed, Chief Rocket Scientist, United Launch Alliance (moderator)
  • Alex MacDonald, Former Chief Economist at NASA
  • Charles Miller, Co-founder & Former CEO, Lynk Global
  • Alan Campbell, Director of Growth and Capture, Space Systems, Draper
  • Jim Keravala. CEO & Chief Architect, OffWorld
  • Ryan Z. Amick, Technical Advisor – Human Factors, KBR

11:40 – 11:50 PM

Featured Speaker:  Growing Lunar Civilizations: A Comparative Look at Two Transportation Systems

Daniel Inocente, Principal Architect & Founder, DIA

In this thought exercise, Daniel will compare how SpaceX Starship compares to the Blue Origin Blue Moon system to deploy cargo to the surface of the Moon for the purpose of developing a large-scale human habitat.

11:50 – 12:00 PM

Featured Speaker: The Hotel on the Moon

Skyler Chan, Founder and CEO, GRU Space

GRU Space has an ambitious plan to build a hotel on the Moon, America’s Moon base, and eventually build cities on the Moon and Mars. Skyler Chan (founder & CEO) will share his big idea, how it’s being funded, and the pathway he is following to realize his vision of creating a hotel on the Moon.

12:00 – 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 – 1:45 PM

Panel: Shifting Opportunities for International Space Actors
The ISS era is closing. As commercial space accelerates and new players emerge, sovereign nations are recalibrating their space strategies. In this session, embassy representatives from key spacefaring nations reveal how their countries are adapting: What near-term pivots are already in motion? What strategic realignments are under consideration? From independent capabilities to coalition-building, from LEO commercialization to lunar and cislunar positioning, hear directly from diplomatic channels how national space ambitions are being redefined for the post-ISS era.

Panelists:

  • Frank Justice, Vice President, Meridien International Center (moderator)
  • Meredith McKay, NASA Acting Associate Administrator for International and Interagency Relations
  • Kaneko Yosuke, Space Attaché, Embassy of Japan
  • N. Lakshmi Narasimhan, Counsellor, Space (ISRO), Embassy of India 

1:45 – 2:00 PM

Featured Speaker:  Space Situational Awareness in a Fragmenting Global 
Environment

Richard DalBello, Principal, RDB Space
 
Richard DalBello examines the current state of space situational awareness, analyzing TraCCS—a program he created as Director of the Office of Space Commerce—alongside SpaceX’s Stargaze announcement and related initiatives working to enhance monitoring and protection of the increasingly crowded orbital environment.

2:00 – 2:45 PM

Panel: Governance and Law in the Off-Earth Environment
As humans increasingly become a presence in space, governance considerations will become more complex. Even before the construction of large space colonies, large space stations, both public and private, will necessarily need to be governed by agreed-upon principles for inhabitants and sponsoring entities. As populations grow, the greater the need for a clear set of governing principles. This panel will address the unique challenge of both near-term commercial space stations and long-term large-scale habitats that support populations in the thousands.

Panelists:

  • Melanie Saunders, Human Exploration and Spaceflight Expert, The Aerospace Corporation (moderator)
  • Kelvin Coleman, former Associate Administrator, FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation
  • James Muncy, Principal, PoliSpace
  • Michael Overby, Deputy Director of Space Affairs, U.S. Department of State

2:45 – 3:15 PM

Break

3:15 – 3:45 PM

Featured Speaker: Creating New Civilizations on Mars: From Footprints to Terraforming

James Green, Founder, MetaVisionaries & Former NASA Chief Scientist

Jim Green envisions humanity’s future as we establish permanent outposts in orbit, on the Moon, and Mars. He focuses on Mars—the next frontier in the Artemis program—exploring how civilization will take root on the red planet and examining the bold prospect of terraforming the Red planet.

3:45 – 4:30 PM

Panel: Funding the Future: Investment and Commercialization in the Space Economy
As human spaceflight evolves from flags-and-footprints to permanent habitation, capital requirements surge while business cases remain uncertain. This panel examines investment realities for space stations, lunar infrastructure, and settlement technologies: venture appetite for long-cycle assets, revenue models beyond government contracts, risk mitigation strategies, and return horizons. Hear from investors and entrepreneurs on financing humanity’s expansion beyond Earth.

Panelists:

  • Kelli Ogborn, Space Economy Strategist (moderating)
  • Kara Cunzeman, Principal Director eLab, The Aerospace Corp
  • Gregorii Trubkin, President, HyperNova Fund
  • George Pullen, Chief Economist, MilkyWayEconomy
  • Raquel Buscaino, Novel and Exponential Technology (NExT) Lead, Deloitte

4:30 – 5:00 PM

Open discussion and Closing Remarks

5:00 PM

Symposium Adjourns

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About Beyond Earth

The Beyond Earth Institute (www.beyondearth.org) is a non-profit think tank that, along with the stakeholder community, conducts research, provides analysis, makes recommendations, and develops vital insights regarding space policy proposals with near-term and far-ranging implications.