This past weekend, Flagstaff became a hub for space enthusiasts, students, families, and scientists as the Asteroid Day AZ celebration brought the community together for a weekend of exploration and discovery. Hosted by Lowell Observatory, Meteor Crater, and the Meteor Crater Education Alliance, the festivities highlighted the importance of asteroid science through inspiring speakers, hands-on activities, and the next generation of planetary defense innovators.

A highlight of the weekend was celebrating the winner of the 2026 Schweickart Prize, a program of B612. Created to encourage bold new ideas in planetary defense, the annual award honors innovative graduate student research while carrying forward the legacy of Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart.

This year’s winning team leader, Brian Murphy, PhD, joined Rusty on stage at Lowell Observatory’s Universe Theater to accept the meteorite prize and $10,000 award on behalf of himself and collaborator Richard Cannon. Their winning WARDEN proposal explores how planetary defense can evolve beyond protecting Earth alone to safeguarding humanity’s growing presence throughout the Earth-Moon system. Brian shared that the prize funding will help move the concept toward implementation.

Joining the celebration was space explorer Anousheh Ansari, who spoke about the unique power of prizes to inspire the next generation of STEM innovators while ensuring Rusty’s vision continues to influence future explorers.

Read more about the 2026 Schweickart Prize winner here.

Throughout the weekend, B612 cofounder and former NASA astronaut Ed Lu shared how building an accurate map of our solar system is essential not only for protecting Earth from asteroid impacts, but also for enabling future scientific discovery and responsible exploration. Fellow astronauts Nicole Stott and Steve Smith connected their experiences in space to the importance of understanding asteroids, while Scott Manley introduced young visitors to asteroid mission design through Kerbal Space Program during the inaugural SpaceFort STEM Festival.

Asteroid Day may last just one day, but the work it celebrates continues every day of the year. Together, we’re discovering more of our solar system, advancing planetary defense, and inspiring the next generation of explorers. If you share that vision, we invite you to join B612.

Donate today.