The 44th International Space Development Conference closed on June 7 after four days at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, just outside Washington, D.C. Astronauts who flew in the Apollo and shuttle eras shared the program with the people now building commercial stations, planning the return to the Moon, and designing the first permanent settlements off Earth. For everyone who could not be in McLean, Virginia this year, this ISDC 2026 recap covers the moments that defined the week and the momentum the National Space Society now carries toward Los Angeles.
A Stage Shared by Apollo Legends and Today’s Space Leaders
Few conferences put this much spaceflight history in one building. Dr. Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, the Apollo 17 lunar module pilot and the most recent living person to have walked on the Moon, joined Apollo flight director Gerry Griffin, who ran mission control for Apollo 12, 15, and 17. Former NASA astronauts Robert “Hoot” Gibson, Susan Kilrain, and Steven Hawley brought their own flight experience to the program, alongside former NASA Chief Scientist James Green.
The people shaping the present and future of the field were just as present. Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, delivered a keynote on the next era of space, international cooperation, and the expanding space economy. Michael Lopez-Alegria, the six-time flown astronaut and Chief Astronaut at Axiom Space, sat down with NSS communications director Rod Pyle for a fireside chat on the shift from the Space Shuttle to commercial spaceflight. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, principal investigator of NASA’s Psyche mission and Director of the Space Sciences Laboratory at UC Berkeley, spoke on the boundary conditions facing any real space future. Jeffrey Manber of Voyager Technologies, SETI Institute CEO Bill Diamond, conference chair Pascal Lee, and NSS President Isaac Arthur rounded out a speaker lineup that moved easily between science, industry, and policy.
The Awards That Recognized a Landmark Year
The conference dinners are where the National Space Society honors the people and organizations moving spaceflight forward, and 2026 carried unusual weight. The NSS Space Pioneer Award was presented to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, accepted by Director Holla-Maini, in recognition of the international cooperation now shaping the space economy. A second Space Pioneer Award went to Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 team, honoring descent flight director Jesus Charles and flight controller Lauren Arkell for the first fully successful commercial soft landing on the Moon. David Brin received the NSS Arthur C. Clarke Award for his contributions as an astrophysicist and novelist.
The Friday Governors’ Dinner, sponsored by the Heinlein Prize Trust, added the NSS Chris Pancratz Activist of the Year Award, the NSS Excellence Awards, and the Distinguished Service Merit Award, recognizing the volunteers and advocates who keep the movement running between conferences.
The Conversations That Defined ISDC 2026
The clearest signal from any ISDC 2026 recap is how much ran at once. Attendees moved among parallel sessions on the Moon, Mars, space settlement, space solar power, planetary defense, space business, and space policy, often wishing they could be in two rooms at the same time.
ISDC inaugurated a new Interstellar session,opened by Isaac Arthur and Pascal Lee, that ran from generation ships to the materials problems behind light sails. The Planetary Defense program brought the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory DART mission team into the room for working sessions on asteroid 2024 YR4, the 2029 Apophis flyby, and the path toward an International Year of Planetary Defence. The Space Solar Power Symposium presented the results of the 2024 to 2026 Space Solar Power Study and drew contributions from JAXA and university researchers. In the Space Settlement session Dale Skran walked through updates to the NSS Rotating Space Settlement Design Project, and Melodie Yashar presented on building lunar and Martian settlements with in-situ resources.
The lunar sessions carried real urgency this year. Artemis II had flown its crew around the Moon and back only weeks earlier, in April 2026, the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. The Moon Symposium and the Many Roads to Space sessions turned that accelerating activity into working discussion rather than speculation.
This Week in Space, Recorded Live in McLean
One of the ISDC 2026 highlights was a live taping of the This Week in Space podcast. Rod Pyle, editor-in-chief of Ad Astra magazine, and Tariq Malik, editor-in-chief of Space.com, sat down with Gerry Griffin for a wide-ranging conversation about the Apollo program, the early space shuttle years, and a career that took him to the top of NASA’s field centers. Hearing an Apollo flight director talk through those decades in front of a live audience was the kind of moment ISDC is built for.
A Pre-Conference Tour to the Udvar-Hazy Center
The week opened before the first session. On Wednesday, June 3, attendees traveled to the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, home to the Space Shuttle Discovery and the SR-71 Blackbird. Standing beneath vehicles that defined an era of flight set the tone for a conference built around what comes next.
The Next Generation Took the Main Stage
ISDC has never been only a gathering of established names, and 2026 kept the spotlight on the students who will carry the work forward. The NSS Gerard K. O’Neill Space Settlement Contest and the Live in a Healthy Space Design Competition brought young teams from around the world to present their designs, with posters on display and finalists presenting from the main stage.
The NextGen Program gave students their own headline sessions, including Jennifer Rochlis and former astronaut Susan Kilrain on the lessons of a career that began in an F-14 cockpit.The Rising Stars session, hosted by Burt Dicht and Robert Katz, gave early-career researchers a full afternoon of presentation slots across policy, technology, exploration, and space health. That kind of access is what turns a first ISDC into a returning one.
Where ISDC Goes Next: Los Angeles in 2027
The energy in McLean did not feel like a finish line. The 45th International Space Development Conference moves to the West Coast next year, running May 27 to 30, 2027 at the Sheraton Gateway in Los Angeles.
For international attendees, the best time to begin is now. U.S. visa appointment waits can run several months in some countries, so starting early is the surest way to secure your place in Los Angeles. NSS is already preparing 2027 invitation letters, and the For International Travelers and invitation letter pages explain how to request the documentation your application needs.
👉 Save the date for ISDC 2027 in Los Angeles
This ISDC 2026 recap closes where the conference did, but the work it captured does not. The speakers have flown home, the students have new mentors, and the conversations that started in McLean are already pointing toward what gets built next. That chapter opens in Los Angeles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I submit an abstract for ISDC 2027?
ISDC runs an open call for presentations across its sessions, from technical research to space policy to settlement design. Submissions usually open several months ahead of the conference, so the smart move is to watch the ISDC 2027 page for the call and the abstract deadline once they post, then build your travel plans around an accepted slot.
What kind of passes does ISDC offer, and is it in person?
ISDC is an in-person conference. It has historically offered full-conference passes, single-day passes, and discounted student rates, so you can sample a single day or commit to the whole program depending on your goals and budget.
How can I stay connected to the space community between conferences?
Membership in the National Space Society includes its quarterly magazine, Ad Astra, plus an invitation to a network of local chapters that hold lectures and meetups throughout the year. NSS also runs events between conferences, including the Space Settlement Summit, for advocates who want to stay engaged once ISDC wraps.