Austin locals and visitors alike can venture to space with EarthLight Foundation’s annual New Worlds Conference, combining all things science, exploration, technology, art, music and literature and their connection with space exploration.

What to know

From Oct. 23-25, community members can engage with a variety of interactive activities, speakers and more while learning about space exploration and connecting with like-minded individuals.

The three-day event will feature a mix of TED-style sessions showcasing topics from national space policy and space biomedicine to private space stations, cloud cities on Venus, farming on the moon and the ethics of artificial intelligence-human partnerships.

“New Worlds is not just about space—it’s about the creative collision of bold ideas and new ways of thinking about humanity’s future,” Rick Tumlinson, founder of EarthLight and New Worlds, said. “Ten years ago, we held the first New Worlds in Austin because we believed this town—and Texas—were on their way to becoming the gravitational center of frontier innovation. Turns out we were right.”


Attendees can look forward to the following speakers and more:
  • Retired Maj. Gen. John Olson, U.S. Air Force, former U.S. Space Force CTIO, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and NASA
  • Orson Scott Card, author of “Ender’s Game”
  • Emily Carney, space historian, author and influencer
  • Tom Markusic, founder, Firefly Aerospace/Frontera Space
  • Phil Metzger, director, Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research
  • Joel Mozer, first Chief Scientist of the U.S. Space Force
  • Kimberly Washington, founder & CEO, Space 4 Girls
  • Frank White, author of “The Overview Effect”
  • Robert Zubrin, founder, The Mars Society
The conference will also host its Space Cowboy Ball which will raise funds for EarthLight's Permission to Dream Initiative. (Courtesy New Worlds Conference)
The conference will also host its Space Cowboy Ball, which will raise funds for EarthLight's Permission to Dream Initiative. (Courtesy New Worlds Conference)
What else?

In addition to the conference’s presentations, attendees will have the chance to get to know 10 early-stage NewSpace startups as well as visionary university students competing in Space Tank, a showcase for emerging ventures to gain visibility, mentorship and community.

“The frontier doesn’t wait—and neither do startups,” Tumlinson said. “We’re giving early-stage companies the spotlight they deserve right on the main stage, in front of the leaders, investors and partners who can help them grow. This isn’t just a conference—it’s a launchpad.”

Oct. 23 workshops will highlight space investing, communicating space visions with the public and investors, space revolution policy, advocacy and activism, space biomedicine, and closing gaps in planning moon-based communities.


The finale

After two days of learning and building community, participants will enjoy an evening of ceremony, costume party, concert and fundraising at the conference’s Space Cowboy Ball, described in a news release as “Burning Man on a rocketship.”

The ball will raise funds for EarthLight’s Permission to Dream space education initiative. The finale event will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 25, and entry is included in every conference pass.

Tickets for the conference are now available on the event website with early registration, including access to the Space Cowboy Ball and select workshop content. Student rates are also available, and media, sponsorship and speaking inquiries are welcome.


Some context

EarthLight Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports the concepts of free enterprise and democratizing space and is committed to the expansion of life and humanity into space.