RESTON, Va., Dec. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AIAA will kick off SciTech Forum 2026 with opening remarks from America’s most experienced astronaut, Peggy Whitson, Vice President of Human Spaceflight, Axiom Space. The event is scheduled 12–16 January, Hyatt Regency Orlando. Other daily plenary speakers will cover the latest innovations transforming aerospace, including:

• Jonathan Arenberg, Fellow and Chief Mission Architect for Science and Robotic Exploration, Northrop Grumman, shares insights from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
• Arbi Karapetian, Director, Innovation and Technology, Formula 1, brings nearly 30 years of aerospace experience to reveal how innovation fuels performance across industries
• Jason Levin, SVP of Engineering for Air Dominance & Strike, Anduril, showcases lessons learned in developing its Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Fury
• Craig Martell, CTO, Lockheed Martin, and Ylli Bajraktari, President and CEO, Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), discuss the challenges and opportunities of next-gen artificial intelligence
  
  

AIAA SciTech Forum is known for setting the pace of innovation and connection for the year. This year’s inspirational theme, “Breaking Barriers Together: Boundless Discovery,” will envision the possibilities for aerospace’s future. Other notable speakers include:

• Camille Alleyne, Founder and CEO, Arusha Space, LLC
• Carissa Christensen, CEO, BryceTech
• Todd Citron, CTO, The Boeing Company
• Greg Ombach, Senior Vice President, Airbus
• Will Roper, CEO, Istari Digital, and former Assistant Secretary of Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, U.S. Air and Space Force
• Brad Rothenberg, CEO, nTop
• Ryan Tseng, President, Co-founder, and Chief Strategy Officer, Shield AI
• Danica Vallone, CEO, Making Space
  
  

The new Career Accelerator Program for university students will deliver an intensive day of career advice and tools from AIAA Corporate Member hiring managers and recruiters, plus confirmed speakers:

• Hillary Coe, Chief Design and Marketing Officer, Vast
• Amy Medina Jorge, Educator and Blue Origin commercial astronaut
• Joan Misner, Social Media Influencer @YourFemaleEngineer
  
  

Registration with the best pricing is available through 15 December. For the most up-to-date program information, visit SciTech.aiaa.org. Journalists can request media credentials at communications@aiaa.org.

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, RebeccaG@AIAA.org, 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA 
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.