AMU and APU Set September Space Conference
Space Education & Strategic Applications Conference returns virtually September 17-18 with speakers, panels, and a live Star Party.
By Academic Writing Club Newsroom
American Military University and American Public University will hold their seventh annual Space Education & Strategic Applications Conference virtually on September 17 and 18, 2026. The free two-day event is open to the public and will bring together researchers, educators, students, industry professionals, and space enthusiasts. Its theme, “Moving Beyond Low Earth Orbit - A New Era of Space Exploration,” focuses on Solar System exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. Attendees can register for the conference.
Space Exploration Milestones
The conference marks 65 years since humans first entered space and the 50th anniversary of the Viking 1 and Viking 2 Mars landers. Sessions will examine policy, science, and technology connected to future exploration.
Dr. Kristen Miller, AMU & APU Professor of Space Studies and conference organizer, said:
“The future of space exploration depends on collaboration across disciplines. SESA brings together a depth and breadth of knowledge from scientists, engineers, educators, policymakers, and students to share ideas, advance research, and inspire the next generation of explorers.”
Speakers And Star Party
Keynote speakers include Nathan Miles, a software engineer at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder and a member of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center SWFO-L1 Development Team. Other presentations and panels will cover policy, space economics, commercial and military space, astronomy, and exobiology.
Faculty and staff will host a free virtual Star Party on YouTube at 9 p.m. Eastern on September 17. Students will broadcast real-time images from the university’s research-grade telescope in Charles Town, West Virginia, including images of nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies.
Space Studies Conversation
The conference is organized by AMU and APU, part of the American Public University System.
Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, Provost of American Military University and American Public University, said:
“The SESA Conference reflects our continued commitment to advancing space education and fostering meaningful dialogue among academia, industry, government, and the military. We’re proud to bring the depth and breadth of our space studies expertise to this important conversation.”
