The University of North Dakota hosts its second Space Operations Summit on Nov. 5–6 at the Memorial Union, focusing on satellites, hypersonics, lunar exploration and defense-related research. Keynotes include NASA spacesuit lead Kavya Manyapu and Purdue's Joseph Jewell, and a Nov. 6 fireside chat pairs UND President Andrew Armacost with Northrop Grumman executive Benjamin Davies. UND will showcase facilities such as a neutral-buoyancy pool and the Integrated Lunar/Martian Analog Habitat, while industry partners including Blue Origin, Iridium and Voyager Space lead sessions on commercial stations, asteroid detection and workforce training.
UND Space Operations Summit to Spotlight Satellites, Hypersonics, Lunar Research and Defense — Nov. 5–6
The University of North Dakota hosts its second Space Operations Summit on Nov. 5–6 at the Memorial Union, focusing on satellites, hypersonics, lunar exploration and defense-related research. Keynotes include NASA spacesuit lead Kavya Manyapu and Purdue's Joseph Jewell, and a Nov. 6 fireside chat pairs UND President Andrew Armacost with Northrop Grumman executive Benjamin Davies. UND will showcase facilities such as a neutral-buoyancy pool and the Integrated Lunar/Martian Analog Habitat, while industry partners including Blue Origin, Iridium and Voyager Space lead sessions on commercial stations, asteroid detection and workforce training.
21:57, 03.11.2025Technology
UND Space Operations Summit — Nov. 5–6 at the Memorial Union
The University of North Dakota's second annual Space Operations Summit returns to Grand Forks to showcase advances in satellites, hypersonics, lunar exploration and defense-focused research. The two-day event brings together UND faculty, national experts and industry leaders to discuss emerging technologies and workforce development in space operations.
Speakers and Signature Events
Keynote speakers include Kavya Manyapu, lead for extravehicular activity spacesuit development for NASA's Artemis lunar program, and Joseph Jewell, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue University. A highlight on Nov. 6 at 2:30 p.m. is the UND National Security Speaker Series fireside chat between UND President Andrew Armacost and Benjamin Davies, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Defense Systems sector. The session will include time for student interaction.
Industry Participation
Panels and sessions will feature companies such as Blue Origin, Iridium, 3M, Starlabs, Infinity Systems Engineering and Voyager Space. UND officials are exploring partnerships with commercial space-station developers, including Voyager Space, as NASA and industry plan for successors to the International Space Station.
UND Research and Facilities on Display
UND will highlight multiple hands-on research projects and facilities, including a neutral-buoyancy capability inside the Altru Sports Complex pool for simulating weightlessness and the Integrated Lunar/Martian Analog Habitat (ILMAH), where a recent two-week analog mission was completed by American Military University researchers. Faculty and student teams will also present work on asteroid detection, hypersonics research and student-built rockets that support aerospace workforce training.
Local Engagement
Mike Fridolfs, Grand Forks City Council member and site & operations director for Northrop Grumman's GrandSky facility, confirmed that Benjamin Davies will visit the GrandSky site for a brief tour while in town, giving local stakeholders a chance to showcase regional capabilities.
“There are going to be some outstanding speakers both from UND ... and then some really great external speakers that are coming in,” said Scott Snyder, UND vice president for research and economic development. Snyder also emphasized that UND's hypersonics work bridges space science and national security.
This summit aims to deepen collaboration among academia, industry and national security partners while inspiring the next generation of space professionals.