Welcome to IEEE SpaceTech’s webinar page!
IEEE SpaceTech webinars bring together investors, academics, and industry professionals to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and technologies advancing humanity’s expansion into space.
Register for these free virtual Zoom events and tune in for an hour-long discussion, followed by a live Q&A at the end of each session. Shortly after, a recording will be posted to IEEE Future Directions’ YouTube page and other social media channels.
Stay informed, get inspired, and join the conversation building technical communities to humanize space!
First Webinar: Space Technology – an IEEE Future Directions Initiative to Humanize Space
Taking place on 7, October, 2026 at 11:00 am ET, REGISTER HERE
Abstract: This webinar introduces the differences between legacy space (Space 1.0) and NewSpace (Space 2.0) which the expectation of commercial space technologies will bring about significant benefits across economic, societal and environmental domains. Opportunities include global connectivity, precise navigation, Earth observation that will spark economic growth by creation of new markets, high-skilled jobs while fostering innovation across multiple sectors.
Speaker: Timothy Lee, a Boeing Technical Fellow based in Southern CA, leads the development of disruptive microelectronics technologies for advanced communications networks and sensor systems for airborne and space applications. His current research interests include heterogenous integration (Advanced Packaging), silicon Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and gallium nitride Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs).
Second Webinar: Challenges in Application and Computing-Driven Satellite Networks
Taking place on 28, October, 2026 at 11:00 am ET, REGISTER HERE
Abstract: This talk describes the technology/architecture of satellite networks from the Physical to the Application Layers. Unlike terrestrial networks, these networks connect without pre-deployed infrastructure and reconfigure topology by beam steering in 1mS-S to adapt to traffic loads, platform movements, and atmospheric conditions. This fluid connectivity and dynamic, bursty applications unique to space demand a radically new architecture. We employ a multi-layer approach and a cognitive control plane — including a dynamic “Domain Name Service” and a “Discovery Module” — to deliver real-time, best-available data and application performance.
Speaker: Vincent W. S. Chan is the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Professor of MIT and a faculty of EECS and the Artificial Intelligence & Decision Making Sector of the Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing, MIT. He is a Life Fellow of IEEE, a Life Fellow of Optica (formerly Optical Society of America) and the 2024 recipient of the IEEE Thomas Edison Medal for “pioneering technical contributions and leadership in the fields of space and terrestrial optical communications and networks.
Third Webinar: Space-Based Power Generation: From Solar Power Satellites to Energy Mules for the Moon
Taking place on 2, December, 2026 at 11:00 am ET, REGISTER HERE
Abstract: Space-based power generation is emerging as a key enabling technology for future terrestrial and space infrastructures. Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) offers the possibility of harvesting solar energy in orbit and transmitting it wirelessly to Earth, potentially providing continuous and geographically flexible energy delivery. Beyond terrestrial applications, similar concepts can support future lunar exploration, where reliable access to energy will be essential for scientific stations, communication systems, mobility, and resource utilization. This talk will discuss RF wireless power transmission architectures for SBSP and introduce the concept of Energy Mules, mobile or orbital platforms capable of collecting, transporting, storing, and wirelessly delivering energy to remote or temporarily shadowed locations on the Moon. The presentation will address the main technological challenges, including high-efficiency RF generation, phased arrays, beam focusing and steering, rectennas, system efficiency, and the integration of power transfer within future Earth–Moon energy networks.
Speaker: Nuno Borges Carvalho is a Full Professor at the University of Aveiro and a Senior Research Scientist at Instituto de Telecomunicações, Portugal. He is an IEEE Fellow and URSI Fellow and served as President of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society in 2023. His research focuses on microwave and RF systems, wireless power transfer, nonlinear RF technologies, satellite communications, sensing, and space-based energy systems. He has led research activities on long-distance wireless power transmission, space-based solar power, and Energy Mule concepts for future lunar missions. He currently leads and contributes to several IEEE and international initiatives addressing RF technologies, sustainable energy, space systems, and emerging hardware technologies.