Show notes
The Space Show Presents Steve Wolfe, Tyler Bender, & The Beyond Earth Institute, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026Quick Summary:This Space Show program focused on promoting the upcoming Beyond Earth Symposium, scheduled for February 24-25 in Washington, D.C., which will explore creating a clear pathway to a space town and discuss Artemis program developments. The discussion covered NASA’s authorization bill, commercial space station development, and the need for infrastructure to support a sustainable lunar presence. Key speakers included Steve Wolfe and Tyler Bender from Beyond Earth, who explained their organization’s focus on policy and strategic thinking for human expansion into space. The conversation also touched on Jared Isaacman’s leadership at NASA, the potential impact of China’s space program, and the importance of developing cislunar space infrastructure. The symposium will feature approximately 50 speakers and include meals in the registration package, with a 30% discount available for attendees using the promo code BES30.Detailed Summary:Our program focused on the upcoming Beyond Earth Symposium, which will take place in Washington, D.C., at the Law School for American University from February 24th to 25th. Tyler Bender, the space policy industry analyst for Beyond Earth, introduced the symposium’s theme of creating a clear pathway to a space town, discussing the evolution from space habitats to more permanent lunar settlements. Steve Wolfe, president and Co-founder of Beyond Earth, elaborated on the symposium’s speakers, including George Whitesides, and highlighted the importance of the NASA authorization bill amendment supporting human expansion into space. The discussion also touched on the challenges of organizing a diverse group of speakers from different regions and the need for policy discussions on advancing a human space migration agenda.The symposium will feature discussions on lunar exploration, focusing on sustainable lunar presence rather than the race to be the first to return to the moon. Steve mentioned that the event will include audience Q&A sessions and panels led by experts who will explore lunar development plans and compare different lander systems. Tyler confirmed that meals are included in the symposium package. Space Show Wisdom Team participant Dallas emphasized the importance of the SpaceX Starship for establishing a lunar community due to its larger capacity compared to the Blue Origin HLS. David raised a question about the development of cislunar space, which Tyler and Steve noted would be addressed in the first panel.The Beyond Earth Institute, a non-profit think tank, aims to provide thoughtful policy and strategic guidance for human space exploration, focusing on creating permanent communities on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Steve explained that while the Institute is policy-focused, it also considers technology and economic aspects, such as funding mechanisms and commercial development, to support space migration. He mentioned that the Institute has developed papers on financing options and has been advocating for a large-scale public-private partnership lunar research and development facility capable of housing up to 50 people.Wisdom Team member Ajay shared insights from his recent op-ed in the Space Review about lunar cargo transportation, highlighting the need for infrastructure development by 2028 and the limitations of current launch systems like Falcon Heavy and Starship. The group discussed the importance of focusing on infrastructure elements such as power, communications, navigation, and prospecting for building a lunar community, with Steve noting the recent commitment to a lunar space station. David inquired about trending shifts in congressional attitudes towards space policy, prompting Steve to reflect on the potential for policy to align with rhetoric and the support of constituents.The group discussed the increasing congressional interest in returning to the moon, driven by concerns about China’s potential to surpass the US in lunar presence. They noted a shift towards commercial space activities, with companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin making vocal commitments to lunar missions. Dallas shared insights from an upcoming AIAA paper series on lunar sustainability, highlighting the importance of ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization) and the need for practical applications rather than experimental tech demos. The conversation also touched on the process of selecting speakers for conferences, with Steve explaining their leadership council and working groups approach.Space Show program participants discussed funding challenges for mining robots, with Dallas explaining that their development was funded by mining companies but now they need to generate revenue through product sales. Steve clarified that the Beyond Earth Symposium is primarily a forum for discussion and networking rather than a workshop with specific outputs, though they have provided advice to the White House in the past. Ajay shared that he had received a call from Senator Rick Scott’s office regarding his recent op-ed, and will meet with a staffer to discuss space policy and the Artemis program. The discussion concluded with an assessment of Jarod Isaacman’s NASA leadership, with Tyler noting that while he started late, he shows genuine commitment to the Beyond Earth mission and NASA.The group also discussed NASA Administrator Bill Nelson’s leadership and initiatives, including his efforts to bring more civil servants back into NASA and reduce reliance on contractors. They also discussed the recent elimination of the National Space Council by President Trump, with Michael Kratsios serving as the current space policy point man as he is the Trump administration Science Advisor. The conversation concluded with an announcement about the upcoming Beyond Earth Symposium in two weeks.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223 (Not in service at this time)For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: [email protected] for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. 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