Space Day 2026

Register to attend George Mason Space Day 2026

Join us Saturday, September 26 for an afternoon filled with engaging lectures, hands-on STEM activities, planetarium shows, and tours of George Mason’s satellite dish. Whether you are a space enthusiast or simply curious about the cosmos, there’s something for everyone.

Ever wondered what it’s like to live and work in space?

Hear a keynote address from Brigadier General Nick Hague, U.S. Space Force leader and NASA astronaut, who has completed three spaceflights, amassing 374 days in space performing operations aboard the International Space Station, including four spacewalks.

See Hague's full bio

Join Us for Liftoff

Saturday, September 26, 2026
1 to 5 p.m.
Johnson Center on George Mason's Fairfax Campus
View all speaker bios

*all minors must be accompanied by an adult

Hear engaging lectures and fast-paced lightning talks from experts at the forefront of aerospace and space discovery, featuring the latest breakthroughs shaping the future of exploration. View full speaker bios.

Keynote Speaker:

Brigadier General Nick Hague
Assistant Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, Headquarters United States Space Force

Mason Space Day Speakers:

Dominic Benford, Program Scientist, Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Anamaria Berea, Associate Professor, Computational and Data Sciences, College of Science, George Mason University
Phillip M. Cunio, Professor of Practice, Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing, George Mason University
Steve Dam, President and Founder of the Systems and Proposal Engineering Company (SPEC Innovations)
Cheryl Druehl, Interim Dean, Costello College of Business, George Mason University
Guiping Hu, Chair, Systems Engineering and Operations Research, College of Engineering and Computing, George Mason University
Hina Kazmi, Adjunct Faculty, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University
Eileen Kragie, Founder, Dark Sky Friends
Anne Ostermann, Dean of Libraries, George Mason University
Andrew Pace, GECO Fellow, University of Virginia
Piotr Pachowicz, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Volgenau School of Engineering, George Mason University
George Rankin, Mission Operations Director, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Tom Reinert, Board Member and Former President, DarkSky International
Caelus Rocketry
Laura Sauls, Assistant Professor, Global Affairs, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George Mason University
Michael Summers, Professor, Physics and Astronomy, College of Science
Samantha Thompson, Astronomy Curator Air & Space Museum
Keiichi Wada, Director, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Tours and Shows

George Mason Observatory Tour: Tours will start every 20 minutes and last 25 minutes. On a tour of the observatory, you will have the opportunity to view George Mason’s campus telescope and learn about its history. You will also see student-produced astronomy images and hear an overview of the research topics studied using the telescope. Sign ups available on-site.
Planetarium Shows: Shows will start every 20 minute and last 15 minutes. During a planetarium show, you will watch a tour through space and learn about celestial objects as you pass by them. This show is not suggested for guests with sensitivity to flashing lights, dark environments, or enclosed spaces.
Radio Dish Tour: Tours start every 40 minutes and last 30 minutes. On the radio dish tour, you will get to see George Mason’s 30-foot satellite communications dish.

Calling all future astronauts! Explore, create, and discover with space-themed activities designed to spark curiosity and bring science to life. From constellations and parachutes to planets and paper airplanes, adventure awaits.

Inflatable Planetarium
Step inside our inflatable planetarium and explore the night sky without the glow of city lights.

Parachute Demonstration
Learn how parachutes help astronauts safely return to Earth after their missions in space.

Paper Airplane Challenge
Design, build, and test your own paper airplane to see how far it can fly.

Cosmic Secrets
Discover how astronomers use light to determine what stars, planets, and other objects in space are made of.

How Satellites Turn in Space
Experience how engineers control the direction and orientation of satellites as they travel through space.

Create Your Own Constellation
Get creative with space-themed arts and crafts, including designing your own constellation and coloring space scenes.

Gabriele Belle, Committee Chair, College of Science
Rob Parks, Co-chair, College of Science
Tracy Mason, Co-chair, College of Science
Phillip Cunio, College of Engineering and Computing
S Falgiano, College of Science
Natasha Gilliam, College of Science
Hina Kazmi, Schar School of Policy and Government
Audrey Kelaher, College of Science
Ferah Munshi, College of Science
Laura Powers, College of Science
Steven Robeson, College of Science

George Mason Space Day Agenda

*subject to change

12:30 p.m.	Doors open
1 p.m.	Event begins (Dewberry Hall)
1 to 1:20 p.m.	Opening Remarks by City of Fairfax Mayor Catherine S. Read, College of Science Dean Cody W. Edwards, and Space Day Chair Gabrielle Bell
1:20 to 2 p.m.	Event Keynote: Brigadier General Nick Hague, U.S. Space Force leader and NASA astronaut
2 to 2:10 p.m.	Q&A with Brigadier General Nick Hague

Beginning at 2:15 p.m., Space Day will feature two concurrent presentation tracks: Mission & Engineering in Dewberry Hall and Science & Policy in the Cinema. Attendees are welcome to attend whichever sessions interest them most and may move between tracks throughout the afternoon to create their own Space Day experience. Both tracks will conclude with panel discussions featuring experts from across academia, industry, government, and the nonprofit sector.

Mission & Engineering (Dewberry Hall)		Science & Policy (Cinema)
2:15 to 2:45 p.m.	Keynote 2 and Q&A: Dominic Benford (NASA)	2:15 to 2:45 p.m.	Keynote 3 and Q&A: Keiichi Wada (JAXA)
2:45 to 3 p.m.	Steve Dam (SPEC Innovations)	2:45 to 3 p.m.	Eileen Kragie (Dark Sky Friends) and Tom Reinert (DarkSky International)
3 to 3:15 p.m.	Michael Summers (George Mason University)	3 to 3:15 p.m.	Andrew Pace (University of Virginia)
3:15 to 3:30 p.m.	Caelus Rocketry	3:15 to 3:30 p.m.	Samantha Thompson (Air & Space Museum)
3:30 to 3:35	Break	3:30 to 3:35	Break
3:35 to 4:15 p.m.	Engineering Panel: Moderator Phillip Cunio (George Mason University)	3:35 to 4:15 p.m.	Policy Panel: Moderator Hina Kazmi (George Mason University)

Following the concurrent tracks and panel discussions, all attendees are invited to gather in Dewberry Hall for the Mason Space Center Panel, moderated by Andre Marshall, before concluding the day with a raffle drawing.

4:15 to 4:20 p.m.	Break (Gather in Dewberry Hall)
4:20 to 4:50 p.m.	Mason Space Center Panel: Moderator: Andre Marshall (George Mason University)
4:50 to 5 p.m.	Raffle

Join us for a special film screening

After George Mason Space Day, keep the exploration going with a 6 p.m. screening of Cosmic Dawn in the Johnson Center Cinema, the inspiring story of the James Webb Space Telescope and its mission to uncover the origins of the universe. All George Mason Space Day attendees are welcome to join. Photo by NASA.