Registrations for the Spacepower Conference 2026 are now open. Organized by the Space Force Association and scheduled for December 8–10, the event is regarded as the U.S. Department of Defense’s flagship gathering on space. Among the topics on the agenda, space nuclear systems hold a prominent place alongside artificial intelligence and the Golden Dome missile defense initiative.
Now in its fourth edition, the conference is deliberately shifting its format. Less traditional symposium, more operational working session: the stated goal is to produce concrete guidance for the future of American space power. Expected attendees range from U.S. Space Force Guardians and allied military leaders to private investors and defense industry experts. Space nuclear technology is not a peripheral topic here — it is a core component of the technological architecture Washington is building to maintain superiority in the orbital domain.
The event takes place against the backdrop of a structured revival of nuclear technologies for space applications. Nuclear thermal propulsion, fission power systems for lunar missions, and energy infrastructure for long-duration operations are now the subject of tangible federal investment. NASA, the Department of Energy, and the private sector are working in parallel on programs such as Fission Surface Power, designed to provide energy for permanent bases on the Moon. The Spacepower Conference is one of the few venues where these stakeholders engage directly with senior military officials and defense acquisition decision-makers.
The agenda will be organized around four distinct thematic tracks, though the full program will not be released until autumn. Among the priorities already announced are allied integration, strengthening the industrial base, and developing a qualified workforce. On the technology front, alongside space nuclear systems, the focus falls on on-orbit services, space mobility, and in-space refueling — the capabilities that define the next generation of space operations, both civilian and military.
The conference also coincides with the closing of America 250, the program marking the United States’ 250th anniversary. The timing is no coincidence: the outlook is explicitly oriented toward the future of the space domain as a lever for national security and economic prosperity. In this context, nuclear technology is no niche pursuit — it is one of the strategic bets Washington is placing to ensure energy autonomy for long-duration missions, from the Moon to Mars. More than a conference, this is a signal of where U.S. strategic priorities are heading over the next decade.
