Due to the generous sponsorship from the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and GMV, the ICSSA conference committee invites you to attend the fifth International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Conference on Space Situational Awareness (ICSSA). The ICSSA will be hosted at GMV in Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain for April 7-9, 2026.
The foremost purpose of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) is to provide decision-making processes with a quantifiable and timely body of evidence (predictive/imminent/forensic) of behavior(s) attributable to specific space domain threats and hazards. The conference will cover broad-ranging technical and policy related aspects associated with the topic of SSA. Over the past two decades, SSA has evolved into a high-impact, multidisciplinary field of research. The magnitude and complexity of its constituent lines of inquiry are growing at rapid pace, driven by the increasing number of objects of interest, including resident space objects: RSOs (a collective term for active spacecraft and space debris) as well as near Earth objects: NEOs (comets and asteroids in Earth’s vicinity). Combining its various “notions”, SSA today spans research in areas of RSO/NEO sensing, identification, forecasting, tracking, association, risk assessment, resource allocation, spacecraft control, information & communication, proximity operations, debris removal, space weather, drag-controlled re-entry, alternative (non-propulsive) deorbiting technologies, liability and insurance issues and a host of other related topics. Continued sustainable access and utilization of space relies on the awareness of its environment, both from the perspective of human operators on the ground and autonomous spacecraft during flight. Moreover, as the nature and number of participants utilizing the space environment grows, there is critical need for steadfast governance driven by a coherent space policy.
Conference Chair:
Riccardo Bevilacqua, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Conference Co-Chairs:
Tarek Elgohary, University of Central Florida
Troy Henderson, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Organizing Committee Members:
Arun Misra, Canada
Alberto Águeda, Spain
Diego Escobar, Spain
Thomas Schildknecht, Switzerland
For questions regarding registration and logistics, please contact:
Katie Risher, University of Florida Conference Department
kmacwilkinson@ufl.edu
Important Dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline: December 15, 2025
Abstract Acceptance Notification: January 30, 2026
Early Registration Deadline: March 1, 2026
Paper Submission Deadline: March 7, 2026
