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Lake Street Dive at the Interstellar Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ©Eric Kozakiewicz/Interstellar Rodeo
Interstellar Dreamers: Building the Next Generation Aerospace Workforce Talent
Robin McDougal | Interstellar Dream Space Center
spaceNEXT 2026 | Landing Stage | February 20, 2026
In this session on the Landing Stage at spaceNEXT 2026, Robin McDougal of the Interstellar Dream Space Center explored how inspiring young people today is essential to building the aerospace workforce of tomorrow.
Through the theme “Interstellar Dreamers,” McDougal highlighted the importance of early engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), alongside mentorship and experiential learning opportunities that connect students to real pathways in aerospace and space-related careers.
The discussion focused on how education programs and community initiatives can help students develop the skills, confidence, and curiosity needed to pursue careers in a rapidly evolving space economy. By fostering early interest and providing access to hands-on experiences, organizations can help build a more prepared, diverse, and future-ready workforce.
McDougal emphasized that as the demand for talent across aerospace, engineering, and advanced technologies continues to grow, developing strong talent pipelines will require collaboration between educators, industry leaders, and local communities.
The session reinforced a key theme of spaceNEXT: the future of space exploration and commercialization will depend not only on innovation, but on empowering the next generation of dreamers, builders, and explorers.
This album captures highlights from the conversation on the Landing Stage, where attendees explored how inspiration and education today can shape the aerospace leaders of tomorrow. 🚀