Space Settlement Summit: Among the Top Space Events of 2026 - Part of UCF Space Week 2026 with The Economist
Connecting innovators to lead the next space economic boom.
You are invited to be part of a collaborative force actively laying the foundation for a sustainable future on the Moon and beyond. The aim of Space Settlement Summit 2026 is to bridge the gap between lunar exploration and commercial reality by tackling the structural frameworks of the cislunar economy.
The Space Settlement Summit brings together leading experts, visionaries, and decision-makers to formulate actionable strategies for the future of human expansion into space. Results of the workshops will produce a set of space settlement summit position papers and as a feature article in Ad Astra Magazine. Results will then be used as outreach to policy makers, industry leaders, and investors.
The Orbital Space Settlement Design workshop will result in a draft recommendation titled "Recommended Preferred Use-Case for the first Earth-Moon Orbital Settlement," which will, in its final form, appear as a paper in the NSS Space Settlement Journal. The Orbital Space Settlement Design workshop will also output an updated list of questions that will be used to guide the Orbiting Space Settlement Project over the next five years, and will be published on the OSSD project page.
Through these disseminated outcomes, the summit aims to directly inform policy decisions, stimulate public interest, and catalyze near-term investments in off-world settlement.
Our workshops will dive straight into the vital logistics of living and working on the Moon, the security of space economic interests, governance, and the deployment of next-generation power grids and orbital habitats. Attendees are invited to join their selected breakout workshops.
Senior Fellow in Defense Studies, American Foreign Policy Council
Executive Director, Air and Space Law at Ole Miss
Professor of Practice, Space Electrical/Power, University of Central Florida
Founder and Executive Director, Expanding Frontiers
Co-founder and Chairman, Mars Institute
NSS Space Ambassador, Space Farms, St Louis Space Frontier
Chief Operating Officer, Andromeda Space Corporation
COO/SVP, National Space Society
Space Paladin, Director of the Space MBA Program, University of Central Florida
Multidisciplinary Futurist Bridging AI, Advocacy & Aerospace
Researcher, Public Engagement, Florida Space Institute, University of Central Florida
Editor-in-Chief, Ad Astra Magazine | Co-Host, This Week in Space | Author, Journalist, Filmmaker
Join us in Orlando for UCF Space Week, October 25th–30th, 2026 — a six-day series of events celebrating innovation in space science, exploration, and policy. Kicking off with the Space Settlement Summit on October 25th & 26th, the week continues with keynotes, tech demos, student showcases, and more. Don’t miss this unique convergence of visionaries, researchers, and future leaders shaping our multi-planetary future.
Live & In Person • Tickets Available Soon
Kickoff 7:30 PM | TV: ESPN
Recently, more than fifty academics, engineers, NASA officials, and high-level leaders in the space exploration industry worked in tandem to perform a careful review of plans for major space settlement.
A Dream Renewed: Space Settlement in the 21st Century dives deep into previously overlooked and lightly addressed subject areas and introduces many new and unique approaches to living off- Earth. This book is an exclusive report of that work and is the first comprehensive update since Gerard K. O’Neill’s work in the 1970s.
Join us on Sunday, October 25th, during the Summit reception for the official launch of A Dream Renewed, presented by editors Dale Skran and Rod Pyle. Copies will be available for purchase throughout the Space Settlement Summit, and both editors will be on hand to sign copies.
The National Space Society (NSS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation of a spacefaring civilization. Our vision is a future where people live and work in thriving communities beyond the Earth. NSS is committed to a space settlement agenda that will transform space from a frontier to a robustly inhabited and developed domain.
To empower humanity's future in space. We advocate for the exploration and settlement of space through policy, advocacy, outreach, and education. We inspire and educate the general public, support cutting-edge research, and promote the unifying power of space for the betterment of humanity. Our goal is a future where the limitless resources of space benefit all of humanity, fueling a new era of prosperity, opportunity, and discovery.
We are pleased to offer a block of rooms at the The Celeste Hotel in Orlando for the Space Settlement Summit 2026 attendees. Enjoy comfortable accommodations and convenient amenities, providing an ideal home base for your summit experience. The Celeste Hotel is just minutes away from the University of Central Florida campus. Rooms are available at a special rate of $189.00 plus tax from October 20th to October 31st, with availability extending a few days before and after these dates. All bookings must be made by October 2nd to guarantee the group rate.
Secure your stay at The Celeste Hotel in Orlando and be at the heart of all the summit activities. We look forward to seeing you there!
Continue the momentum built at the Space Settlement Summit:
International Space Development Conference
May 27 - 30, 2027
Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel
Los Angeles, California
Contact Aggie Kobrin at the National Space Society for more information
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