If you have never been to the International Space Development Conference before, you are not alone. Every year, a meaningful share of ISDC first-time attendees show up wondering exactly what to expect. Some are professionals from adjacent industries who have been curious about ISDC for years and finally cleared the calendar. Some are students attending their first major space conference. Some are longtime space enthusiasts who decided this is the year they show up in person. The conference is built to welcome all of them.
This guide is for you if ISDC 2026 will be your first. It walks through what the conference actually is, how the program is organized, who attends, and what to plan for. The goal is to help you arrive ready to make the most of four days in McLean, Virginia.
ISDC 2026 takes place June 4 to 7 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is hosted by the National Space Society and is the 44th annual edition.
What ISDC Actually Is
ISDC is the National Space Society’s flagship annual conference. It has been held every year for more than four decades and brings together between 800 and 1,000 attendees from the global space community. Past speakers have included Buzz Aldrin, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, Eileen Collins, Lori Garver, Jared Isaacman, Isaac Arthur, and Dr. Mae Jemison.
It covers space settlement, commercial spaceflight, space policy, planetary science, advanced propulsion, space architecture, and emerging technologies, with parallel session tracks running across all four days.
What sets ISDC apart from purely industry events like SATELLITE or AIAA SciTech is its breadth. It is not narrowly commercial, military, or scientific. It treats space development as a civilizational project and welcomes participants from every angle of that project, including those who are not aerospace professionals at all.
For a first-time attendee, that breadth is the most important thing to understand. You do not need to be in the space industry to belong here.
How the ISDC 2026 Program Is Organized
The ISDC program is organized into several parallel tracks running simultaneously across the four days. For 2026, the tracks include AI & Space, BioSpace, Interplanetary Infrastructure, Interstellar, Living in Space, Many Roads to Space, Mars, the Moon Symposium, Planetary Defense, Space Business, Space Health, Space Policy, Space Settlement, the Space Solar Power Symposium, Spaceports, and others.
Most attendees pick a few sessions per day rather than trying to attend everything. The full ISDC 2026 schedule lists every session, room, and speaker, and you can plan your day around the topics that match your background or interests. Most sessions include time for audience questions.
In addition to the tracks, ISDC includes several recurring program features:
The conference holds keynote sessions with featured speakers across the four days. The ISDC 2026 featured speakers include Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs; Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison “Jack” Schmitt; Michael López-Alegría, Chief Astronaut at Axiom Space; Apollo Flight Director Gerry Griffin; former NASA astronauts Hoot Gibson, Susan Kilrain, and Steven Hawley; and former NASA Chief Scientist James L. Green.
There is an exhibit floor, branded as Expo: Future’s Frontier, where space companies, advocacy organizations, NSS chapters, and educational programs set up booths.
There are several special events running alongside the main program, including networking receptions, the NSS Chapters Assembly, the Rothblatt Business Plan Competition, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Tour on Wednesday, June 3, and the Saturday Night Party that closes out the conference. Many of these are open to all attendees and are excellent for first-time attendees because they are easier to engage with than panel sessions.
Who Attends ISDC and Where First-Timers Fit In
ISDC’s attendee mix is unusually diverse for a major space conference. In any given session you might be sitting next to a NASA program manager, a propulsion engineer from a commercial launch company, a graduate student presenting a poster, a science fiction author, a retired aerospace executive, a high school teacher, or an enthusiast attending their fifth ISDC in a row.
This is partly by design. The National Space Society is an advocacy and education organization, not a trade group. ISDC reflects that mission by being deliberately open. The conference website states that ISDC is “open to everyone who’s excited about humanity’s future in space,” and the on-the-ground experience matches that framing.
Practical Tips for First-Time Attendees
A few approaches consistently work well for people attending ISDC for the first time.
Plan your schedule before you arrive, but stay flexible. Pick three or four sessions per day that you genuinely want to attend, and leave gaps. The hallway conversations between sessions are often where the most useful exchanges happen, and over-scheduling cuts those off.
Start at the exhibit floor. Walking the Expo on day one gives you a fast read of who is at the conference and which organizations align with your interests. It is also a low-pressure way to start conversations because exhibitors expect to talk to people who walk up to their booths.
Go to at least one networking reception. ISDC’s networking receptions and Stellar Socials are designed exactly for the kind of cross-sector mixing that makes the conference valuable. Receptions are usually less intimidating than they look. Most people there are also looking for someone new to talk to.
Bring business cards or a digital equivalent. Even informal cards work. The “what do you do” exchange happens dozens of times across four days, and a card or a quick LinkedIn handoff makes follow-up much easier.
Ask questions in sessions. First-time attendees sometimes hold back because they assume questions need to be sophisticated. They do not. A clear, honest question from someone new to a topic often produces the most useful answer for the whole room.
Pace yourself. Four days of dense programming is a lot. Skipping a session to recharge or to extend a hallway conversation is not a failure of attendance. It is how experienced attendees actually use the conference.
For dress code guidance, ISDC publishes a recommended attire page for students that gives a useful starting point for any first-time attendee.
Students and Early-Career Attendees
ISDC has a strong student presence and dedicated programming for early-career attendees. The conference offers discounted student registration, NextGen sessions geared toward students and young professionals, the Gerard K. O’Neill Space Settlement Contest, the Student Recognition Ceremony, and student space settlement poster sessions.
For students attending for the first time, the most valuable thing ISDC offers is access. You will be in rooms with senior engineers, agency leaders, and commercial executives who would otherwise be hard to reach. Most are receptive to short conversations with students who have specific questions.
International student travelers should review the international travelers page and request an invitation letter early if they need one for visa applications.
Logistics for First-Time ISDC Attendees: Hotel, Travel, and Getting Around
ISDC 2026 is held at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia. Both Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are within 13 miles of the venue. The Silver Line Metro connects the venue to downtown Washington, D.C. and to Dulles.
Detailed travel and accommodation information, including the conference room block and shuttle details, is on the hotel and travel page. Booking inside the official block is recommended for first-time attendees. It puts you in the same hotel as most other attendees, which expands the informal networking dramatically.
For attendees arriving early, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center houses the Space Shuttle Discovery and the SR-71 Blackbird. It is approximately 10 miles from the venue. ISDC organizes a tour to the center on Wednesday, June 3, the day before the conference begins.
Where the Conversation Continues: ISDC 2026
ISDC works for first-time attendees because the conference is structured to make participation easy regardless of background. The four days will give you a clearer picture of where space development stands in 2026 and who is driving it. You will also get a clearer sense of where you might fit in. For most first-time attendees, the ratio of useful conversations to time spent is the highest of any conference they attend that year.
👉 See the full ISDC 2026 schedule and what to expect
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to work in the space industry to attend ISDC?
No. ISDC is open to everyone interested in humanity’s future in space. The conference welcomes professionals from aerospace and adjacent industries, students, educators, researchers, advocates, and enthusiasts. First-time attendees come from all of these backgrounds.
When does the registration desk open at ISDC 2026?
The Registration Desk opens at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the day before the conference begins. All pre-registered attendees pick up their badges on-site at the desk during conference operating hours. An email confirmation is sent at registration; attendees should save or print it to show at the desk.
Are special dietary needs accommodated at ISDC 2026?
A vegetarian option is available at every meal event. ISDC also makes every effort to accommodate Kosher, vegan, and allergy-free meal requests.
What are the exhibit hours at ISDC 2026?
The Expo: Future’s Frontier exhibit floor is open Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with an open reception each evening from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Exhibitors set up after 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3 or starting at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 4.
Is ISDC 2026 worth attending for someone new to space conferences?
For most first-time attendees, ISDC offers strong value because the conference is built around access. Attendees can engage directly with NASA leadership, commercial executives, astronauts, and researchers in the same hallways and receptions. The breadth of topics also makes ISDC a useful introduction for anyone trying to understand how the space sector fits together.
How much does ISDC 2026 cost to attend?
Registration pricing varies by attendee category, with discounted rates for students, NSS members, and early registration. Current pricing and registration tiers are listed on the ISDC 2026 registration page.
How do I get to the ISDC 2026 venue?
The Hilton McLean Tysons Corner is within 13 miles of both Dulles International Airport and Reagan National Airport. The Silver Line Metro connects the venue to downtown Washington, D.C. and to Dulles. Driving directions, hotel booking details, and shuttle information are on the ISDC hotel and travel page.
Is parking available at the ISDC 2026 venue?
Yes. The Hilton McLean Tysons Corner offers self-parking at $20 per day, with complimentary overnight self-parking. Additional parking is available at nearby garages including Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria for attendees staying off-site.
How do international attendees get a visa invitation letter?
International attendees who need an invitation letter for a U.S. visa application can request one through the invitation letters page on the ISDC site. The visa approval process typically involves both biometrics and an interview, and ISDC recommends applying as early as possible. International contest students are advised by ISDC to wait until their visa is approved before completing conference registration.
What special events are part of ISDC 2026?
ISDC 2026 special events include networking receptions, the NSS Chapters Assembly, the Rothblatt Business Plan Competition, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Tour on Wednesday June 3, the Student Recognition Ceremony, student space settlement poster sessions, and the Saturday Night Party. The full list is on the ISDC special events page.
How should I prepare for ISDC 2026 as a first-time attendee?
The most useful preparation is to review the ISDC 2026 schedule before arriving and identify a handful of sessions that match your background or interests. Bring business cards or a digital equivalent, plan to walk the exhibit floor on day one, and book inside the official hotel block to maximize informal networking.
Where can I find more answers about ISDC 2026?
Additional questions are covered on the ISDC 2026 Frequently Asked Questions page, and the Contact Us page provides a direct way to reach the conference team.
ISDC 2026 in McLean, Virginia. June 4 to 7. 👉 Register now