MIT Sloan
11th Annual
New Space Age Conference
April 9, 2026 | MIT Media Lab
Check out ticket options here
Conference Theme
Space as the Next Frontier
How Earth industry is preparing for orbit and beyond
General Structure
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1 Keynote
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1 Special Closing Session
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​4 Lightning Talks
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4 Panels
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Networking Reception
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Exhibitions
Keynote
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Terry Virts
ISS Commander, Space Shuttle Pilot, Fighter Pilot, Test Pilot, Filmmaker, Author
Colonel (USAF retired) Terry Virts spent over seven months in space during his two spaceflights, piloting the Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-130 in 2010 and commanding the International Space Station during Expedition 42/43 in 2014/2015.
He served in the US Air Force as a fighter pilot, test pilot, NASA astronaut, and is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Harvard Business School. He is currently working as an executive coach as well as advising businesses that focus on energy, aerospace, and technology.
Terry is a guest-lecturer at the Harvard Business School where he won the 2021 Alumni Achievement Award. He provides management consulting services and speaks around the globe on a variety of business and motivational topics.
He has directed several films, including One More Orbit (2019) and The Night After (2023), and is a guest lecturer at the USC School of Cinematic Arts where he teaches about his IMAX movie A Beautiful Planet.
Virts hosts the podcast 'Down to Earth with Terry Virts', and is the author of 'The Astronaut’s Guide to Leaving the Planet', an illustrated children’s book (2023), 'How to Astronaut: Everything you Need to Know Before Leaving Earth (2020)', 'Apo11o: To the Moon and Back (2019)', a limited-edition reproduction of the Apollo 11 flight plan, as well as the National Geographic photography book 'View From Above' (2017).
From 24th May, 'View from Above' can also be seen in a unique exhibition premiering in Augsburg, Germany. See more at Home - View From Above
Panels
Orbital factories and off-world resource extraction are emerging as transformative commercial frontiers with the potential to deliver unprecedented value back to Earth. This panel explores how the unique conditions and resources of space can unlock new markets—including asteroid mining, space-based solar power, and pharmaceutical production—and how these capabilities could define the next industrial revolution by reshaping global energy, supply chains, and high-value manufacturing.
Over the next decade, human spaceflight will shift from a government-driven effort to a mixed ecosystem led by commercial operators, international partners, and new low-Earth-orbit infrastructure. This panel will explore the technologies, business models, and regulatory frameworks shaping how humans live and travel in space, with a special focus on operational human performance and in-space habitability - from life support and radiation protection to crew workload and psychological factors. Panelists will discuss the breakthroughs enabling safer, more frequent missions and the broader implications of expanding human presence beyond Earth.
As commercial activity accelerates and national security missions expand, today’s spaceports are encountering increasingly strained operations, from ground-system bottlenecks to scheduling and regulatory delays. This panel explores how the sector can address these near-term limitations while preparing for a future defined by rapid, reliable, and resilient access to space. Industry and government leaders will highlight the technologies, partnerships, and operational models poised to reshape spaceport capabilities over the next decade and beyond.
As data centers and telecom infrastructure attract unprecedented funding and attention, hybrid networks are emerging as the backbone of the new space age. This panel brings together industry leaders to discuss how integrating terrestrial and orbital systems will redefine performance, resilience, and opportunities across the sector.
Sponsorship
GALAXY Sponsors
RED GIANT Sponsors
DWARF STAR sponsors
The MIT Sloan Space Industry Club (SIC) strictly adheres to the professional code of conduct standards contained in MIT’s Mind and Handbook. You can see the full code of conduct here: SIC Code of Conduct.