Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the foundation of humanity’s next leap into space. This track explores how AI is transforming mission design, spacecraft autonomy, space manufacturing, planetary science, and the economics of the new space age. From accelerating discovery to enabling resilient off-world habitats, AI is emerging as a critical partner in humanity’s journey beyond Earth.
| Morning Session · 10:00 am – 12:00 noon | |
| 10:00 am | Space Edge Accelerator Showcase: Start-Ups Leveraging AI and Manufacturing in Space |
| 11:00 am | Invited Talks |
| 12:00 noon — Lunch Break | |
| Afternoon Session · 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm | |
| 2:00 pm | State of AI Panel |
| 3:00 pm | AI in Space Panel |
| 4:00 pm | AI for Humanity in Space: Human-Centered AI, Storytelling, and the Next Frontier |
| 5:00 pm | Space and AI Simulation How did commercial space come together? Let's use AI to figure that out, and have some fun. |
| 6:00 pm — End of AI and Space Session | |
AI & Space
Session Chair Info
Zaheer Ali
Space Paladin, Director of the Space MBA Program, University of Central Florida
Zaheer Ali is a physicist, technologist, and educator working at the intersection of AI, quantum, and space systems. He is Space Paladin, Director of the Space MBA program at the University of Central Florida. In addition, he is a partner at Space Outcomes LLC, NewSpace Finance, and co-founder of Positon Inc., he has held leadership roles at NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, Hewlett Packard, and multiple startups. He has Read More
AI & Space
Session Speakers Info
Nishchal Baniya
CEO, Everest Sustainability Foundation
Nishchal is a chemical engineer serving as the Chief Executive Officer at Everest Sustainability Foundation. Read More
Chris Cochran
Field CISO and VP of AI Security, SANS Institute
Chris Cochran is the Field CISO and Vice President of AI Security at the SANS Institute, where he stands at the intersection of frontier AI innovation and real-world cybersecurity defense. A Marine Corps veteran and former leader at organizations like Netflix, Mandiant, the U.S. House of Representatives, Axonius, and NSA, Chris has spent his career translating complexity into clarity, whether guiding organizations through emerging AI threat landscapes, pioneering defensive AI Read More
Bryant Cruse
Founder and CEO, New Sapience
Bryant Cruse, the Father of AI in Space, has been a pioneer in the application of AI technology to difficult real-world problems. He graduated from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland where he acquired his lifelong interest in the philosophy of Epistemology or “how we know what we know.” After serving for eight years as a Naval Aviator he returned to school for an MS in Space Systems Engineering from Read More
Dr. Amanda Fetch
ML/AI Working Group Chair, United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation
Dr. Amanda Fetch is an award-winning AI and space researcher and Chair of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) Machine Learning & AI Working Group. She specializes in AI-driven Space Situational Awareness and has built and led high-performing data science and analytics teams. With over 25 years of experience across analytics, AI, and machine learning, she serves as a trusted advisor and Board Director for the TMMi Foundation North Read More
Dr. Pascal Lee
Planetary Scientist, SETI Institute and Mars Institute - ISDC 2026 Co-Chair
Dr. Pascal Lee is a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute, the Mars Institute, and NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. He is also professor of planetary sciences at Kepler Space University, and chief scientist for Ceres Robotics, a NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) industry provider. He also serves as the National Space Society’s Vice-President for Planetary Development. Dr. Lee holds an M.E. in geology from the Read More
Elizabeth (Liz) Ngonzi
Human-Centered AI Strategist, Platform Architect, and Executive Educator
Elizabeth (Liz) Ngonzi is a human-centered AI strategist, educator, global speaker, and platform architect with more than 30 years of experience working at the intersection of technology, leadership, governance, strategic communication, and institutional transformation. Her career began in Digital Equipment Corporation’s Marketing Development Program, including an early rotation in aerospace marketing that sparked her long-standing interest in how emerging technologies shape human systems and the future of society. She is Read More
Paul Richards
Former NASA Astronaut
Spanning more than 39 years, Paul’s career has woven through NASA, the Department of Defense, private industry, and academia. He has served as an engineer and inventor, program manager, Naval Reserve Officer, board member and chair, and—most prominently—an astronaut who logged over 307 hours in space. In 2001, he flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on STS102, the eighth shuttle mission to the International Space Station and the first dedicated crew Read More
Dr. Jennifer Rochlis
CEO, Advancing Frontiers, Inc.
Dr. Jennifer Rochlis has spent her career bridging cutting-edge science with human-centered systems, bringing that synergistic lens to spaceflight, emerging technologies, and leadership development. She is the co-founder, President and CEO of Advancing Frontiers, Inc., a consulting company providing human systems and spaceflight integration services. Previously, she was Vice President for Products and Chief of Solution Architecture at Teledyne FLIR. During her 20-year tenure at NASA, she served as Division Read More
Aimei Helen Yang
Strategic Communications Leader in AI & Space Systems, Independent Researcher
She is a strategic communications leader and researcher focused on the human, commercial, and cultural dimensions of long-term space development. With nearly 30 years of experience advising global organizations—including leadership roles at WPP and Walmart—she specializes in translating complex technological systems into durable public trust across cultures. Her recent work examines how AI shapes perception and generational commitment during the pre-settlement phase of space expansion, positioning AI as a collaborative Read More