Stardust 2026
Monday 2 to Thursday 5 November 2026, online
Four days of talks, abstracts and posters, the Human Side of Space fireside, the finale of the Stardust Challenge, and the opening of the Stardust Awards. Everyone who takes part gets a certificate of participation. Monday to Thursday it is all online and free — that is how you attend. Open to anyone, at any age. The full schedule for all four days is below, every speaker with their own slot.
The room, all four days: https://meet.google.com/utz-vmxq-bap. The host lets you in.
271 registered from 46 countries
What happens
Stardust 2026 is our flagship event, and it is a WORLDWIDE ONLINE EVENT. From Monday 2 to Thursday 5 November every session is streamed and free, and that is how you attend — nobody needs a ticket, a flight or a visa. There is no conference hall. The joining link goes on this page before it starts.
Talks
People who fly, build and study spaceflight, on the main stage through the week.
The Challenge finale
The finalists in every category are named live at the opening on Monday, and the Stardust Challenge ends here: on Thursday 5 November the judges reveal the winners on the stream, wherever in the world the teams are.
A certificate
Everyone who takes part gets a certificate of participation. It is claimed with your Stardust account, so there is nothing to print, post or chase.
Poster sessions
Accepted abstracts on the floor as posters, with their authors beside them.
The Stardust Awards
The Stardust Awards open during the week: the community nominates, every member gets a vote, and nominations run to 15 December.
The stream
Every main-stage session, live and worldwide, with the chat open. Recordings follow for members.
The agenda
Times are PST (Seattle), with your own time zone beside each one.
Monday 2 November
Tuesday 3 November
Wednesday 4 November
Thursday 5 November
Online and free worldwide. Full programme.
The speakers
Everyone on the bill, and every one of them has a time on the agenda above.
Dr. Olav Krigolson
Professor, Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience Laboratory
University of Victoria
Frank White
Author, The Overview Effect
Human Space Program
Stephan Reckie
Executive Director, GEN Space
Global Entrepreneurship Network
Dr. Danny Jaques
Founder
Danny's Rocket Ranch
Gary L Gilbert, Jr.
Publisher, Flying Goddess Publishing
Dr. Steven C. Smith
Leadership Programs Facilitation Specialist, Human Performance Accelerator Lab
Space Center Houston
Paola Rodríguez
CEO
Neko Aerospace Engineering
David Bavaresco
President and Chief Aerospace Engineer
Neko Aerospace Engineering
All 41 confirmed speakers and the hosts
Osho Priya
NASA Lucy Mission Ambassador
STEM outreach and ethical AI
Julie Claveau
Astrophysicist and Canadian Space Sector Professional
Shinul Paul
Chief Operating Officer
Stardust
Alejandra Islas
Astro Teacher Ale, Early Childhood STEM Educator, M.Ed.
Zain Tawana
Chief Impact and Partnership Officer
Stardust
Shifa Zahra
Director of Space Biology and Strategic Partnerships
Stardust
Caroline Clark
Analogue Astronaut & Space Psychology Researcher
Expansum
Dr. Gretchen Green
Physician and Blue Origin astronaut, NS-32
Carlo Vizzi
Astronaut Trainer
ALTEC
Dianea Carroll Phillips
Analog astronaut, Crew 321 Mars Desert Research Station
Science Yourself! No G's About It
Colleen McLeod Garner
Director of Growth
Voyager Technologies
Martina Dimoska
Program Human Systems Integrator
NASA Johnson Space Center
Laura Granados
Stardust Ambassador
Andrew Parris
President and Co-founder
The Inspired 24
Dr. Alexandra (Sandra) Whitmire
Lead Scientist, Human Factors and Behavioral Performance, NASA Human Research Program
Oscar O'Farrill
Psychologist and High-Performance Coach
Astronaut Training Agency for México and Latin América
Dr. Fernando De La Peña Llaca
Founder and CEO, Aexa Aerospace and Aexa Tech
Aexa Aerospace
Ashley Lewelling
Director and producer, World's Biggest Analog film · Coordinator, GOWME
GOWME
Robert Aillon
Founder and CEO
Leviathan Space Industries
Rafael Kargren
Chief Strategy Officer
Stardust
Michael J. Smith
Center Opportunity Manager, Marshall Space Flight Center
NASA
Rocky Singh
Chief Revenue Officer
Stardust
Eddie Gonzales
Stardust Advisory Board
NASA, retired
Robert S. Katz
Founder and CEO, World Innovation Network; NASA Space Apps Local Lead, Cape Canaveral
WIN
Girinath Anandhan
Analog Astronaut and Founder, CosmoBuzz Space
CosmoBuzz Limited
Dorra Saidi
Lead, Quasar Nexus
Université Centrale, Tunisia
Ken Ruffin
Space Communicator; President, NSS of North Texas
National Space Society
Mariam Metawee
Founder, Project Spaceak for Knowledge
Stardust Egypt
Sharon Eggleston
Founder, Space Day Maine
Maine Space Grant Consortium
Arshleen Kaur Sahni
Founder and CEO, Space Architect
Arkasa
Steve Jones
Astronomy and physics teacher, ExoLab 8 and 9 principal investigator
FCS Innovation Academy, Georgia
Dr Joshua Chou
Chief Science Officer
Stardust
Jason Michaud
CEO and Founder
Stardust
Host, Stardust 2026
Unveiling soon
Speaker 42
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Speaker 43
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Speaker 44
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Speaker 45
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Speaker 46
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Speaker 47
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Speaker 48
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Speaker 50
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Speaker 51
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Speaker 52
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Speaker 54
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Speaker 55
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Speaker 60
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Speaker 61
Call for abstracts
The call for abstracts closed on 20 October 2026.
Accepted abstracts
The Challenge finale
Stardust 2026 is where the Stardust Challenge 2026 ends: 83 teams from 35 countries are registered so far, 41 entries are in, and the winners are revealed on the main stage on Thursday 5 November. Registration for teams closes 15 October; entries close 18 October.
Be there
On the stream
Free and worldwide. Register for the event below, it takes a minute with a free Stardust account: the stream link, the reminders and the seat in the chat go to registered people, not to every account.
Where
Online, wherever you are. Every session is streamed, and the Challenge winners are revealed on Thursday 5 November on the same stream.
Help run it
The organising committee, the judges, the mentors and the volunteers on the day. Who they are, and four doors to join them. The committee
Nobody needs to travel: the programme is online and free, 2 to 5 November. Every session is photographed, filmed and streamed; taking part is saying yes to that.
Press and partnerships: Shifa Zahra, Director of Space Biology & Strategic Partnerships, shifa.z@stardustinc.ca.
Questions people ask
Is it free?
Yes. No account is needed to join the room, and a free Stardust account gets you the chat and your certificate. The programme is online, Monday 2 to Thursday 5 November. The Challenge winners are revealed on Thursday 5 November, on the stream, and everyone is welcome.
Can my class join?
Yes. A teacher takes a join code into a room and the class watches together, or a team enters the Challenge and follows the finale together.
Can I present?
Send an abstract before 20 October. Accepted talks go on the main stage, accepted posters on the floor.
Will there be recordings?
Every main-stage session is recorded. Members get the recordings after the event.
For the press
What you can use, in one place. Contact Shifa Zahra, shifa.z@stardustinc.ca.
