Schedule

Burt Rutan, Robert Bigelow, and Buzz Aldrin in conversation at the 2006 ISDC.

The International Space Development Conference features a broad range of programs and presentations. ISDC programming will begin at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 27th, and will end in the early afternoon, Monday, May 31st.

The ISDC will include several luncheon and dinner speakers. There will be an extra charge for each of the special meal events in order to cover the cost of the meal and requires a secondary registration. More information about the registration process is available on the Registration page.

Following is a brief overview of some of the programming, special events, and activities that will be going on at the ISDC. At the bottom of this page are links to PDFs with detailed programming information.

ISDC SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY: Find out how you can Breakfast with the Stars

ISDC Program Overview

• Throughout:
  • During the ISDC and culminating at the NSS Governors Dinner, NSS will conduct a fundraising auction of space-related memorabilia and other items.
  • Exhibits from several government agencies, space industry, and non-profit organizations will be on display. For details, see the Exhibitors page
• Wednesday:
  • Space Investment Summit 8 will continue a well established series of forums offering a full day of exclusive dialogue sessions with prominent investment leaders and an entrepreneurial showcase of pre-qualified space-related business plans. Separate registration is required. For more, see Space Investment Summit.
• Thursday:
  • An all day Space Solar Power Symposium.
  • Space Commerce programming featuring new space entrepreneurs.
  • AIAA Space Colonization Technical Committee symposium, part I.
  • A luncheon buffet featuring special guest speaker Peter Diamandis, founder and chair of the X-Prize Foundation.
  • An evening Italian Reception buffet
  • A screening of the science fiction movie 2010.
• Friday:
  • A special all-day tour of Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. See Tours for more information.
  • The Space Solar Power Symposium continues.
  • Space Commerce programming featuring new space entrepreneurs continues.
  • Panel discussions of show stoppers to human space settlement.
  • AIAA Space Colonization Technical Committee symposium, part II.
  • Luncheon event featuring Jeff Greason, President, XCOR Aerospace.
  • NSS will host a reception for its Space Ambassadors.
  • Dinner event featuring a special presentation by General Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator and former astronaut.
  • In the evening there will be a special program available to certify teachers to handle Moon Rocks.
• Saturday:
  • Presentations about Space solar power (non-symposium).
  • Living in Space symposium, from Kepler Space University.
  • Luncheon event featuring a special presentation by NASA Deputy Administrator and former NSS Executive Director Lori Garver.
  • A special luncheon for students, their parents and teachers with special guest Bruce Clark, Sr.
  • The NSS Governors Dinner will feature as the special guest dinner speaker Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
  • Following the NSS Governors Dinner there will be a special open program, How the Space Movement Began commemorating the 45th anniversaries of the L-5 Society and the National Space Institute (which merged to form NSS).
• Sunday:
  • Teaching and Space - special programming designed for teachers.
  • Special presentations by representatives from the LCROSS lunar water mission.
  • A Luncheon featuring John Marmie, LCROSS Deputy Project Manager, NASA.
  • Sunday Students' Lunch for students, their parents, and teachers with special guest speaker citizen astronaut Richard Garriott.
  • The NSS Awards Banquet highlighting the space community's labors during the prior year and its plans for promoting an exciting space policy in the next featuring special guest Freeman Dyson, renowned author and scientist
• Monday:
  • Teaching and Space - special programming designed for teachers.
  • Programming on breakthrough sciences and technologies.
  • NSS leaders will host the annual NSS Town Meeting, to update members on NSS activities and to answer questions from members about the Society.

A detailed preliminary ISDC program guide and schedule updated May 22 is available in PDF format:
ISDC Program Guide PDF