Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) and the Korea Institute for Astronauts (KIFA) will host the KIFA International Spaceflight Conference 2026 from October 29 to November 2, 2026, (5 days), will host the first-ever international spaceflight academic conference (KIFA International Spaceflight Conference 2026) in the fields of space science and human research in space organized by a domestic government and private (university) institution, under the theme “Human Research in Space: Astronauts, Artemis Missions, and Moon–Mars Explorations,” providing a forum for international academic exchange attended by space scientists, space medicine experts, researchers, and representatives from the aerospace industry from around the world. This conference broadly addressed human survival and health in the space environment, the medical, physical, and psychological adaptation of astronauts, and the scientific and technical challenges of future crewed space exploration, playing a significant role in promoting international joint research and academic cooperation.

A total of five keynote speakers from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia participated in this conference, sharing their latest research findings and professional expertise on space life sciences, human factors engineering, space medicine, the space environment, and future space exploration. The keynote speakers included Assoc. Prof. Ghada Alsaleh from the University of Oxford in the UK, Andrea Boyd from the European Space Agency (ESA), Diana C. Ly from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Prof. Tu Hwan Kim from the Korea Institute of Space Science and Technology (KIFA), and Dr. Marie J. B. Henderson from NASA. They led in-depth academic discussions focused on human research on the International Space Station (ISS), the health and physiological adaptation of astronauts, the Artemis lunar exploration program, human-centered space exploration, and future directions for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.

 
The conference featured a series of roundtable discussions across three fields, facilitating in-depth discussions among experts and interdisciplinary research exchanges.
•    Roundtable 1: Human Factors Engineering — Chaired by Prof. Barrett S. Caldwell, with Dr. Marie J. B. Henderson, Andrea Boyd, Prof. Jennifer Young, and Estefania Velázquez Hernández serving as panelists, the session discussed human performance in the spaceflight environment, crew cooperation, human-centered space mission design, and future directions for human factors engineering.
•    Second Roundtable: Space Design — Chaired by Prof. Emmanuel Wolfs, with Raahil Riyaz Sheikh, Kamalesh Mohan, Jeremy Saget, and Dr. Anna Xygkou-Tsiamoulou serving as panelists, the session shared diverse perspectives on future space habitation environments, space design, human-centered space architecture, and the creation of sustainable living environments in space.
•    Third Roundtable: Space Medicine, Physiology, and Cognitive Neuroscience — Chaired by Prof. David W. Kim, with panelists Diana C. Ly, Prof. Ghada Alsaleh, Dr. Faye Tan, and Prof. Fathi Karouia served as panelists, discussing the effects of the space environment on the human body’s physiological functions and health, the physical and cognitive adaptation of astronauts, advancements in space medicine, and health management challenges in long-duration crewed space exploration.
In addition, over the course of five days, 51 international presenters—excluding KIFA researchers, volunteers, and observers—delivered a total of 17 research presentation sessions, sharing the latest research findings in diverse fields such as space radiation and life sciences, space medicine, human physiology, the space environment and living quarters, life support systems, spacesuit design, human-AI collaboration, crew psychology and cognitive functions, and lunar and Martian exploration. These programs served as an opportunity to emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary research linking space science, medicine, engineering, design, and human behavioral sciences, while expanding the possibilities for international collaborative research.

As part of the academic conference program, on November 2, 2026, participants visited the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in Daejeon—a facility where public access is strictly restricted—to conduct an on-site academic exchange examining the current status of South Korea’s aerospace technology development and its space exploration research capabilities. Through this visit, international participants gained an understanding of South Korea’s space R&D activities and the technical achievements of the Naro satellite launch vehicle, and explored opportunities for exchange and cooperation between South Korean space science and aerospace research institutions and international experts. This is regarded as a significant achievement in that it linked the importance of human-centered future space exploration and international cooperation—discussed at the Space Flight Academic Conference—to the actual site of a government research institute.

KIFA International Spaceflight Academic Conference 2026 website: https://kifaspace.org/kifa-space-research-conference-2026