Space: International Collaboration and Competition
Schedule
Tue, 10 Feb, 2026 at 05:00 pm to Wed, 11 Feb, 2026 at 04:00 pm
UTC-05:00Location
Mailing Address: 76 4th St N #623, Saint Petersburg, FL, United States, Florida 33701 | St. Petersburg, FL
Advertisement
Since President John F. Kennedy delivered his 1962 Rice University “We choose to go the Moon” clarion call, the space program has yielded many discoveries that directly touch our daily lives: GPS, solar panels, memory foam, LED lights, anti-icing systems, and many others. Outer space is emerging as the next frontier of competition for commerce and valuable resources. Determining who gets access to and control of those contracts and resources creates new complexities in the interactions of countries and companies here on earth.
The St. Petersburg World Affairs Council (SPWAC) is pleased to present ‘Space: International Collaboration and Competition.” This international conference, convened in partnership with the University of South Florida, the USF Global and National Security Institute, and the British-American Business Council, features leading voices from industry, academia and government.
“Space: International Collaboration and Competition”
February 10-11, 2026
USF-SP University Student Center
200 – 6th Avenue South, 2nd Floor, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
On Tuesday, February 10, the Conference will begin with late afternoon networking meet-and greet, and a Keynote Address by NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott. Educated in Florida and resident in St. Petersburg, Stott is an astronaut, aquanaut, engineer, artist, author, and a mom. Her book, Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet – and Our Mission to Protect It, combines the awe and wonder of her spaceflights with her artwork to inspire appreciation of our collective roles as crewmates on Spaceship Earth. A veteran NASA Astronaut, she made two spaceflights totaling 104 days on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. She was the first person to operate the ISS robotic arm to capture a free-flying cargo vehicle, and the first to paint a watercolor in space.
On Wednesday, February 11, SPWAC will platform a full day of discussions among distinguished experts on space discovery, the militarization of space, and the competition among the growing number of countries and companies embarking on space missions. The British-American Business Council also will convene a panel on the aerospace business, spotlighting British-American companies in Florida.
Working Schedule available at spwac.org.
Confirmed speakers include James Green (former NASA Chief Scientist), Joseph Silk (The Sorbonne University), Namrata Goswami (Johns Hopkins University), Martin Elvis (Harvard University), Jack Burns (University of Colorado Space Policy Institute), Jeffrey Collins (University of Prince Edward Island), Mohammed Soliman (Middle East Institute and McLarty Associates), Kevin Strait (Anzen Legal Group), Chris Stott (CEO ManSat, Executive Chair Lonestar Data Holdings ), Ksenia Moskalenko (Florida High-Tech Corridor) and Tom Kelly (CEO and Co-founder, Evona).
TICKETING
The Conference is free to USF students and faculty with I.D.
Special member prices are available on one-day or two-day tickets for SPWAC and the British-American Business Council using the special promotional code emailed to members of those organizations. Sorry but the VIP tickets – already far less than last year -- are not discounted.
For Conference tickets, use this link: https://www.tixtree.com/e/space-international-collaboration-and-competition-56b0e1ca1337
LOCATION AND PARKING
The location for the Conference is USF-SP’s University Student Center, 200 – 6th Avenue South, 2nd Floor, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
Parking is available at the USF-SP Garage, 250 – 5th Avenue South, Levels 2-4. Cost is $5 per day using ParkMobile Zone 38015.
KEY SPONSORS
SPWAC thanks the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg, the USF Global and National Security Institute, (GNSI), local NPR station WUSF, the Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (SILL), and the British-American Business Council.
ABOUT US AND OUR MISSION
The annual St Petersburg Conference on World Affairs was launched in 2013 by USF Professor Thomas Smith and retired U.S. Ambassador Douglas McElhaney, with the purpose of educating students and local citizens about pressing international issues of the day.
The St. Petersburg World Affairs Council, a member of the education-focused World Affairs Councils of America, continues in that spirit of open discussion and debate. SPWAC bridges global issues and local interests, offering at least 12 programs annually with special pricing for its members.
Come join us!
Advertisement
Where is it happening?
Mailing Address: 76 4th St N #623, Saint Petersburg, FL, United States, Florida 33701, 76 4th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33731-7001, United States, St. PetersburgEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
