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NASA has invited media to the 2026 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium, scheduled for Oct. 26-28 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The agenda includes sessions on Artemis II and III, sustainable lunar operations, space propulsion, nuclear technology and the space workforce.
NASA has invited media to attend the 2026 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium, scheduled for Oct. 26-28 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The annual event will feature discussions of Artemis missions, sustainable lunar infrastructure, advanced propulsion and the space workforce, bringing NASA officials and other participants together to discuss current space exploration plans.
NASA’s Oct. 22 media advisory says the symposium will run from Monday through Wednesday in Huntsville, Alabama. The event is organized by the American Astronautical Society in collaboration with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Media members who want to attend in person or online must register through the society, according to NASA.
The announced program includes panels on Artemis II and Artemis III, building utilities and infrastructure for sustainable lunar operations, and strengthening supply chains for a Moon base. Other sessions are set to cover space propulsion, space nuclear technology, the changing NASA workforce and engineering. NASA describes the propulsion sessions as “flash talks.” The advisory also lists keynote presentations and awards, without providing their titles or recipients.
NASA speakers named in the advisory include Casey Swails, deputy associate administrator; Stephen Cash, director of NASA Marshall; Nicky Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate; and Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis II launch director at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The list also includes Steve Creech, Human Landing System program manager at Marshall, and Debbie Whitis Korth, acting program manager for the Orion Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
A Forum for Lunar Plans and Policy
The agenda connects technical questions with practical challenges facing NASA’s lunar ambitions. Sessions on lunar utilities, infrastructure and supply chains address the systems needed to support sustained operations beyond individual missions. Discussions of propulsion and nuclear technology concern areas that could shape future spaceflight capabilities, though the advisory does not announce new programs, decisions or technical results.
The event also offers a public-facing opportunity to hear from officials linked to Artemis and NASA’s science and exploration organizations. For reporters, the scheduled appearance of Artemis mission and program leaders may provide access to people who can discuss plans and priorities. NASA has not specified what new information, if any, speakers will release at the symposium, so the advisory should be read as an invitation and agenda announcement rather than a report of a policy change.
The workforce sessions add an institutional dimension to the program. NASA and its partners depend on skilled employees across engineering, mission operations and research; the advisory says the event will address the “evolving space workforce,” but does not describe particular staffing initiatives. The topic signals that workforce questions are part of the symposium’s discussions, not that a specific hiring or organizational change has been announced.
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How the Huntsville Symposium Is Organized
The von Braun Space Exploration Symposium is an annual event organized by the American Astronautical Society with NASA Marshall’s collaboration. NASA says it brings together participants from government, industry, policy and academia to discuss the state of space exploration and possible paths forward. The 2026 program places particular emphasis on humanity’s return to the Moon and the infrastructure and expertise that could support longer-term lunar activity.
NASA Marshall is based in Huntsville, where the symposium will be held at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The agency’s advisory identifies speakers and subjects but does not provide a detailed timetable, full speaker roster or session-by-session descriptions. Its stated focus on Artemis II and III is a program topic; the notice does not announce a change to either mission’s schedule or status.
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Program Details Still Awaiting Release
The advisory does not include a complete schedule, session times or keynote titles. It also does not identify award recipients or give details about which speakers will appear in specific panels. NASA says media may request interviews, but the notice does not confirm interview availability or provide a timetable for those conversations.
It remains unclear whether the symposium will produce formal recommendations, new NASA announcements or changes to mission plans. The listing of Artemis II and III, lunar infrastructure and propulsion as discussion topics does not establish that new decisions have been made. The advisory also does not give registration deadlines, access instructions or online participation details; media are directed to the American Astronautical Society for registration information.
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Registration and Symposium Sessions
Media interested in attending in person or online should contact the American Astronautical Society to register, NASA says. Reporters seeking interviews with NASA speakers are directed to contact Lance D. Davis at lance.d.davis@nasa.gov and Joel Wallace at joel.w.wallace@nasa.gov. The agency’s advisory does not specify a registration cutoff or guarantee interview slots.
The symposium is scheduled to begin Monday, Oct. 26, and conclude Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Further details may come from the organizers as the event approaches. NASA’s advisory points readers to the Marshall Space Flight Center website for information about the center, while registration and participation questions should go to the society organizing the event.
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Key Questions
When and where is the 2026 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium?
NASA says it is scheduled for Oct. 26-28, 2026, at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama.
What topics are on the symposium agenda?
The announced topics include Artemis II and III, sustainable lunar infrastructure and operations, Moon base supply chains, propulsion, space nuclear technology, engineering and the space workforce.
Which NASA officials are scheduled to speak?
NASA’s list includes Casey Swails, Stephen Cash, Nicky Fox, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Steve Creech and Debbie Whitis Korth. The advisory does not provide a session-by-session schedule.
How can media attend or request an interview?
Media interested in attending in person or online must register through the American Astronautical Society. NASA directs interview requests to Lance D. Davis and Joel Wallace at the email addresses listed in the advisory.
Does NASA’s announcement include new Artemis plans?
No new mission decisions or schedule changes are announced in the advisory. It says Artemis II and III will be discussed at the symposium.
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