2026 AMOS Conference program taking shape

The program for the 27th Annual AMOS Conference is taking shape with selections made for the technical aspect of the program. Presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), the premier technical conference in the nation devoted to space domain and situational awareness (SDA/SSA) will be held September 15-18 at the Wailea Beach Resort. 

The continued evolution and advancements in field of space domain awareness is reflected in the number and content of the submissions – this year a record number of abstracts were received from 23 countries with over 250 selected to present their research in September. All submissions are subject to rigorous evaluation by a panel of reviewers for quality, innovation and relevance to the SDA community.

“With the high interest in presenting at AMOS each year, the hardest challenge is saying no to authors,” explained Annette Lynch, MEDB Program Director, Conference Services. “Not everyone can get stage time, whether through an oral or in-person poster presentation, and so to present a greater body of work, we offer the option of pre-recorded virtual-only poster presentations.”

Technical Sessions

Ten technical sessions cover topics related to SDA — AI for SDA Applications, Astrodynamics, Cislunar SDA, Conjunction/RPO, Satellite Characterization, SDA Systems & Instrumentation, Space-based Assets, Space Debris, Space Domain Awareness and Space Weather.

Posters will be displayed on digital touch screen monitors in the Exhibit and Poster Venue and available for all attendees to view on demand. A select number of presenters have been invited to give a 10-minute overview of their poster during one of the two poster sessions scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday of the conference.

A record forty-seven students have been accepted to present this year and are eligible for the 9th annual AMOS Student Paper Award. The award is presented in collaboration with the American Astronautical Society, along with the Best Paper Award. Students are required to submit their research paper by August 14 to vie for the award which includes an honorarium, complimentary registration to the AMOS Conference and to EMER-GEN® (September 13-15), the program for young professionals enthusiastic about careers in space.

The AMOS Conference attracts a cross section of private sector, government, and academic participation participate in important dialogue and international collaboration. In addition to the technical sessions, the program includes keynote speakers, policy forum, special interest topics, exhibit venue, networking receptions and short courses.

Technical Short Courses

Technical short courses are selected through a call for proposals and provide an opportunity for participants to upgrade technical job skills and remain abreast of recent developments in fields of interest within SDA. To accommodate more courses, short courses are offered virtually and in-person.

Ten short courses will be presented in-person on Tuesday, September 15 at the AMOS Conference venue over two sessions. All participation will be in-person with no live streaming available, and no recording. The interactive courses, and the presenters are:

1. Panchromatic, Multi-spectral, Spectroscopy and Polarimetry  Data Collection and Image Processing for Non-resolved Space Object Characterization – Presented by Francis Chun, U.S. Air Force Academy; Benjamin Roth, U.S. Air Force Academy; Timothy Strong, i2 Strategic Services LLC; David Strong, Strong EO Imaging, Inc.; Anil Chaudhary, Applied Optimization; Phillip Fishbein, Applied Optimization
2. Observing and Characterizing Space Debris – Presented by Thomas Schildknecht, Space Analytics
3. Telescopes and Optics: An Introduction to Optical SSA – Presented by Peter Zimmer, COMSPOC/JTMA
4. Applied Multi‑Sensor Fusion for Enterprise‑Level SDA: Deriving Coherent, Time‑Relevant Operational Insight from EO, Passive RF and Heterogeneous Data Sources – Presented by Harris Mohamed, KRATOS; Kyle Overton, COMSPOC; Jason Ruggieri, COMSPOC; Steve Williams, KRATOS
5. Architecting the Future of SDA: Implementing MOSA for Rapid Innovation – Presented by Yvette Rodriguez, Warfighting Acquisition University; Nicholas LeGrand, Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Mission Capabilities; Monique Ofori, Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Mission Capabilities
6. Deep Learning & Large Language Methods for Space Domain Awareness – Presented by Roberto Furfaro, University of Arizona; Richard Linares, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Weston , L3Harris
7. Resource-Constrained Sensor Scheduling for Space Domain Awareness: A Scenario-Based Interactive Workshop – Presented by Brenton Smith, Zendir; Christopher Capon, Zendir
8. Uncertainty Propagation for Space Situational Awareness – Presented by Brandon Jones, University of Texas at Austin
9. Foundational Cislunar Education – Presented by Jonathan Smith, Parsons
10. Hands-On Space Mission Analysis: Building Voice-Controlled AI Agents for GMAT, SatSim, and SDA Image Processing – Presented by Christopher Grant, Hyperion Vector Systems; Jon Terry, Hyperion Vector Systems

Four courses will be held virtually on Monday September 14. The presentations are “live,” (no recording) and participants will have the ability to interact with the instructor and attendees in real-time.

1. The Probability of Collision Controversy – Presented by Alinda Mashiku, NASA; Dolan Highsmith, The Aerospace Corporation; Hunter Toumey, The Aerospace Corporation; Eliot Toumey, Omitron, Inc.
2. Optical Modeling and Simulation for SSA/SDA – Presented by Patrick North, AGI
3. Introduction to Data Driven Analytics and Applications to SSA – Presented by Jeff Cornelius, Parsons
4. Real‑Time Conjunction Assessment and Optimal Collision Avoidance: Theory, Algorithms, and Implementation of Own SSA/STM Software – Presented by Douglas Deok-Soo Kim, SPACEMAP Inc.; Peter (Joonghyun) Ryu, SPACEMAP Inc.; Shawn Seunghwan , SPACEMAP Inc.

Full descriptions of all the short courses are available here. Places are limited due to space and to ensure an interactive experience for all.

Registration for the AMOS Conference is open with conference organizers expecting another sold-out conference. Virtual tickets are available and all registrants will have access to a virtual platform to enable networking and collaboration. A separate registration fee is required for each technical short course, and courses can be added to new or existing registrations.

The 9th Annual EMER-GEN program precedes the AMOS Conference fostering innovation and entrepreneurship amongst young professionals enthusiastic about careers in space. The program features challenges, tabletop exercise, professional development sessions and popular mentoring sessions with renowned space specialists. Registration for EMER-GEN is also open, with scholarships available for Hawaii-based participants.

Host of the AMOS Conference and EMER-GEN, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation established in 1982 with a mission to diversify Maui County’s economy, building pathways to innovation, jobs and opportunities for our residents. Through partnerships with the public and private sector, MEDB undertakes projects that assist growth industries with navigating and thriving in our county, educates and trains residents for new careers, and engages our community in forums that determine future economic directions.

Learn more at https://amostech.com / and EMER-GEN at http://www.emer-gen.com.

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