SpaceCHI 2026 at the NASA Ames Research Center,

Both on-site and remote participants are welcome 

September 24-25, 2026

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Space exploration is at the dawn of a new era. Major reductions in launch costs and the rise of the private space industry are rapidly democratizing access to space. Once the exclusive domain of a few large government agencies, space systems and services are now poised to become increasingly intertwined with everyday life. This transformation is giving rise to entirely new economic sectors and opening the door to novel uncharted research directions.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has historically played a vital role in helping to scale emerging technologies and maximize their societal benefits – from the laser printer and the personal computer to groupware and AI. HCI’s tools and methodologies, honed over decades of refinement, are uniquely positioned to help drive the current space transformation.

SpaceCHI seeks to catalyze this potential by providing an interdisciplinary platform for researchers and practitioners worldwide. Hosted at NASA Ames, one of the most revered bastions of space research, and located in Silicon Valley, the beating heart of technological innovation, this year’s edition of the conference promises an unforgettable experience featuring insights from uniquely qualified experts. SpaceCHI 2026 adopts a hybrid format, welcoming both on-site and remote participants to present and engage. It is our pleasure inviting you to join us in shaping the future of HCI and space exploration!

Important Dates:

 

  • 17 July – Submission deadline
  • 27 July – Notifications, registration opens
  • 18 September – Camera ready 
  • 23 September – Registration closes
  • 24-25 September – Conference

Submission Guidelines

SpaceCHI adopts a broad interdisciplinary scope, welcoming submissions on a wide range of subjects related to HCI in space exploration. Examples of relevant topics include:

  • Human-AI Interaction for Space Exploration
  • On-body/Wearable Technology for Space Health
  • Human-Robot Interaction for Deep Space Mission
  • Interfaces for Human Expression in Space
  • Trust within Autonomous and Intelligent Systems
  • Cognitive load and Human Performance Issues
  • Computer-supported Cooperative Work
  • Space Fabrication
  • Augmented Reality/Mixed Reality
  • Space Food & Humanizing Space
  • Built Environment & Space Architecture
  • Smart Vehicles & Navigation
  • Digital Fabrication for Space Missions

Submissions should follow the standard Springer proceedings template, available for download here. We welcome a variety of submissions, including full research papers, position papers, and work-in-progress papers. While there is no strict page limit, the length of each submission should correspond to the scope and significance of its contributions. Most SpaceCHI submissions typically range between 5 and 15 pages. For reference, papers accepted at previous SpaceCHI can be viewed here.

All submissions must be anonymized.

 

 
 

Papers will be selected through a single round of double-blind peer review. Submissions will be evaluated based on:

  • Relevance: Alignment with the theme of HCI in the space domain.
  • Impact: Potential to stimulate meaningful community discussion.
  • Originality: Novel contributions to the field.

The authors of accepted papers will be invited to submit a camera-ready manuscript. Each accepted paper will then be assigned a DOI and included in a dedicated proceedings volume published by Springer Nature. 

At least one author of each accepted paper must register for and attend the conference to present their work. Remote participation and presentation is perfectly fine. By submitting a paper, authors confirm that neither this paper nor a closely related version is under submission or will be submitted elsewhere before notification by SpaceCHI. All submissions will be made using CMT (link will be made available soon).

Apart from full paper submissions, SpaceCHI 2026 will also be accepting poster presentations. Researchers and practitioners interested in presenting a poster at SpaceCHI are invited to submit a one-page extended abstract describing their work. More information about the submission process and poster presentation formats will follow soon, including details on how posters can be submitted and presented either online or in person.

For those who do not wish to attend the conference on-site, we offer a remote participation option via Teams, allowing attendees to follow all presentations and discussions. 

Registration

The conference registration will open as soon as authors of accepted papers have been notified (July 27). A link to the registration portal will be posted on this website. Upon completing the registration, you will receive your conference ticket via email.

As a nonprofit conference, SpaceCHI aims to keep costs as low as possible for its participants. Nevertheless, charging a registration fee is still necessary to cover essential expenses such as open access publishing, catering and logistics. We are currently finalizing our budget and expect to announce the exact registration fees shortly. Our intent is to keep the pricing consistent with previous years (targeted at under 300 USD per person). The fees for remote presenters will be reduced.

Due to the finite capacity of the conference venue at NASA Ames, we prioritize attendees who are presenting papers. However, depending on final registrations, a small number of additional on-site spots may become available. These will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with final availability confirmed after the submission period closes. If you are interested in attending in person without presenting, please reach out to us, and we will notify you as soon as we have more details.

Contact

For questions regarding submissions and other conference matters, please contact co-chairs Tommy Nilsson or Valentina Sumini. We normally respond to enquiries within hours. If you have not heard back from us, please check your spam folder.

We are actively seeking sponsors to support SpaceCHI. We are also in talks with ACM and SIGCHI to establish SpaceCHI as an officially affiliated conference. If you are willing and able to support us with this, we want to hear from you!

The NASA Ames Conference Center (NACC) 

The 2026 edition of SpaceCHI will be hosted at the NASA Ames Research Center (also known as the NASA Silicon Valley Event Center – SVEC), located in the sunny Mountain View, California. Situated next to the historic Moffett Federal Airfield and the former Naval Air Station, the venue features flexible meeting spaces, dedicated exhibit areas, a historic auditorium, and a spacious outdoor patio. As one of NASA’s ten primary field centers, Ames has been at the forefront of world-class space research since 1939, leading the way in aeronautics, science, and exploration technology.

 

Steering Committee

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  • Tommy Nilsson, Fraunhofer FIT
    Leonie Bensch, MIT Media Lab
  • Jessica Marquez, NASA Ames
  • Jean Vanderdonckt, UCLouvain
  • Valentina Sumini, MIT Media Lab
    Pat Pataranutaporn, MIT Media Lab
    Martin Nisser, University of Washington
  • Leif Oppermann, Fraunhofer FIT
  • Sheryl Ehrman, SJSU
  • Periklis Papadopoulos, SJSU
  • Nikos Mourtos, SJSU
  • Nicole Okamoto, SJSU
  • André Füzfa, University of Namur
  • Adalberto Simeone, KU Leuven
  • Russel Andrews, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, Stanford University (invited lecturer) 
  • Oliver Bensch, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
  • Scott Davidoff, Space Science Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
    Joseph Paradiso, MIT Media Lab
  • Albrecht Schmidt, LMU Munich
  • Aidan Cowley, ESA EAC
  • Lionel Ferra, ESA EAC
    Dava Newman, MIT Media Lab
    Cody Paige, MIT Media Lab
    Marianna Obrist, University College London
    Conrad Zeidler, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
    Ariel Ekblaw, MIT Media Lab
    Pattie Maes, MIT Media Lab
    Melodie Yashar, San Jose State Research Foundation, NASA Ames
    Alonso H. Vera, NASA Ames
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Conference chairs
Jean Vanderdonckt (UCLouvain), Valentina Sumini (MIT Media Lab), Leonie Bensch (MIT Media Lab), Tommy Nilsson (Fraunhofer FIT)

Program chairs
Jessica Marquez (NASA Ames), Martin Nisser (University of Washington)

Registration and Finance chair
Periklis Papadopoulos (SJSU)

Reviewers
TBA

*SpaceCHI is a non-profit initiative and does not receive direct financial support from any external sponsors. All listed affiliations and logos represent co-organizing institutions that provide in-kind support and logistical cooperation for this event.