University of South Florida
02/10/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/10/2026 13:12
St. Petersburg global affairs conference explores the final frontier of space
By Matthew Cimitile, University Communicationis and Marketing
Distinguished speakers from across the U.S. and beyond will convene at the largest global affairs conference in Florida to dig into the new space race.
The St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs returns to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg on February 10-11. Put on by the St. Petersburg World Affairs Council in partnership with USF's Global and National Security Institute and USF St. Petersburg, this year's conference brings together world-renowned astrophysicists, lawyers, business leaders and political scientists with hundreds of community members to explore how countries and companies are collaborating and competing for resources outside Earth's orbit.
"With NASA launching Artemis II this year, the first time a crewed mission is heading back to the moon in over 50 years, and all the other advances taking place in space, it seems like the perfect opportunity to further explore what this all means," said Lynne Platt, board president of the St. Petersburg World Affairs Council.
The Artemis II mission, which will orbit the moon to pinpoint where the next crewed landing should take place, marks a significant milestone in returning to the moon and future explorations of Mars. At the same time, China, India and the United Arab Emirates are deploying space missions and joining United States and Russia in space exploration. And private companies such as Space X, Blue Origin and Virgin Atlantic are sending up hundreds of satellites into orbit and even taking tourists along for rides.
A new space race is here, and this two-day event will focus on issues from space discovery to militarization to the laws of the final frontier.
"Until recently, outer space has most often been viewed as a safe, collaborative space for all nations. That will not be the case in the future. Outer space will become a primary theater of competition and conflict. Every nation and society uses technology orbiting the earth, which creates both great value and great targets, open for exploitation and attack by competitors and rogue nation-states. It will be imperative that we use conferences like this year's St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs to address these vulnerabilities and identify innovative paths forward."
USF's Global and National Security Institute Executive Director and Retired U.S. Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie
The conference kicks off with a keynote address from NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott. Stott has conducted two space flights and spent more than 100 days as a crewmember at the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle.
She will discuss her book, "Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet-And Our Mission to Protect It," which highlights her experience in orbit and how the international model for collaboration in the extreme conditions of space can hold the key for similar cooperation on Earth.
The following day, the conference will consist of four panels that highlight ongoing issues taking place beyond Earth's orbit, and includes:
- Understanding the universe
- Policing the final frontier
- Competition in the new space race
- Aerospace businesses in Florida
This is the 14th year of the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs. It was co-founded by Thomas Smith, a political science professor who is now interim regional chancellor of USF St. Petersburg, and Douglas McElhaney, former U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
GNSI Executive Director and U.S. Marine Corps General (Ret.) Frank McKenzie speaking with Interim Regional Chancellor Thomas Smith during last year's conference.
"One of the highlights of my career is seeing this idea turn into a small gathering and then flourish to become the largest conference on international issues in the state," Smith said. "It has grown in size, scope and importance, attracting accomplished professionals and scholars to our campus every year who have contributed to global dialogue and critical decisions for the most pressing problems facing our world."
Others speaking on topics of global significance this year include Jim Green, former chief scientist for NASA who consulted on the film "The Martian;" Peter Garreston, senior fellow in defense studies at the American Foreign Policy Council; Martin Elvis, an astrophysicist and asteroid expert with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; and Chris Stott, founder and executive chair of Lonestar Data Holdings Inc., a space-based data storage company.
The conference is one of a dozen programs put on by SPWAC annually. Part of the World Affairs Councils of America, SPWAC works with academic, business, cultural, government and other organizations to organize monthly lectures, concerts, book talks, international travel opportunities and more.
The conference is free of charge for USF students with an I.D.
Learn more about the 2026 St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs
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