As a space station designer and futurist visionary, Jim has been shaping the future of space exploration since 1978. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to pushing the boundaries of possibility in space architecture and design. His journey with the National Space Society (NSS) began in 1986, with original membership in the National Space Institute. Over the years, Jim has contributed to the society’s mission, advocating for innovation and progress in the field of space exploration. Jim holds an AA Eng Sci degree from St. Louis Community College and a BSEE degree from Washington University – St. Louis.
Other Conference Speakers at ISDC
Jared Isaacman
Mission Commander Polaris Dawn & Inspiration4
Dr. Martine Rothblatt
Chairman & CEO, United Therapeutics Corporation
Jessy Maria Aguilar
Attorney-At-Law
Justin C. Ahasteen
Executive Director of the Navajo Nation Washington Office
Robert Aillon
CEO, Leviathan Space Industries & Guayaquil Space Society & Ambassador Milo Space Science Institute
Stevan Akerley
Space Ambassadors Program Director National Space Society
Dr. Andrew Aldrin
President, Aldrin Family Foundation
Dr. Leon Alkalai
CEO and Founder, Mandala Space Ventures
Al Anzaldua
National Space Society Board of Directors
Isaac Arthur
President of the National Space Society
Adriano V. Autino
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Dr. Greg Autry
Clinical Professor and Director, Thunderbird Initiative for Space Leadership, Policy, and Business
Phnam Bagley
Partner and Creative Director at Nonfiction
Gary Barnhard
President & CEO, Xtraordinary Innovative Space Partnerships, Inc
Kevin Barry
Business Analyst
Larry Bartoszek
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Dr. Sherry Bell-Wakefield
Dean of Psychology, Kepler Space University
Howard Berger
Co-owner, KNB EFX Group
Gerald Blackburn
Aerospace Legacy Foundation
R Andrew Bond
Student, Member of NSS and AIAA
Savanna Box
Graduate Student, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Finn Braun
High School Student, Mars Institute
James Burk
Executive Director, The Mars Society
Dr. Hao Cao
Assistant Professor, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
David Caponio
Senior Vice President, Product & Business Development, Vast
Joe Carroll
Retired Aerospace Engineer
Timothy Cassidy-Curtis
Aerospace Legacy Foundation
Ellen Chang
Vice President Ventures, BMNT
David Cheuvront
Founder, Earth-Space Demonstration and Conservation Center
Annamaria Chilimintris
Music Teacher
Damian Clogher
Aerospace Engineer, Planetary Sunshade Foundation
Eileen M. Collins
Former NASA Astronaut
Samuel Coniglio
Author, Space Futurist, Space Tourism Society
Teviet Creighton
Professor & Theoretical Astrophysicist
Hoyt Davidson
Founder and Managing Partner, Near Earth LLC
Alyson Decker
Chief Executive Officer, Alyson Claire Law, Prof. Corp.
Dr. Don Deever
County Agriculture Extension Agent, University of Nevada-Reno, College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources
Benjamin Dickow
President & Executive Director, Columbia Memorial Space Center
Jonah Dijoux
Undergraduate College Student, Butte College
Leah Cheli Doolittle
Managing Director & Secretary, The EarthLight Foundation
Caleb Dorris
University Student, University of Mississippi School of Law
Dave Dressler
Director of Information Systems, NSS
Dr. Bonnie Dunbar
Retired NASA Astronaut, Engineer and Educator
Steve Durst
Director, International Lunar Observatory Association
Jerry Eddy
Dual Space Access Strategy
David Epstein
United States Foreign Service Officer (U.S. Diplomat), United States Department of State
Megan Eskey
Founder and CEO, Reloquence
Chris Ferguson
Former NASA & Boeing Astronaut
José Pedro Ferreira
Doctoral Researcher, University of Southern California
William W. “Bill” Gardiner
Laboratory Director, Analytech Division of Laboratory Consulting Sources, Inc.
Robert "Hoot" Gibson
Former NASA Chief Astronaut
Richard Godwin
Founder and President, Space Technology Holdings LLC
Anna Golendukhina
Graduate Student, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Author
Dr. Aidyl Gonzalez-Serricchio
CalTech Scientist and Outreach Director, International Institute of Astronautical Sciences
Steven Griggs
President, Space Railway Corporation
Loretta Hall
Author, NSS Space Ambassadors
Michelle Hanlon
Executive Director, Center for Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi
Art Harman
President, The Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration
Maria Harney
MD, Scientist, Business Owner, NSS
Dr. Gregory Harrison
CTO, Gravitronics
Krista Heinemann
High School Student, Mars Institute
José M. Hernández
Former NASA Astronaut
Tyler Horvath
University of California, Los Angeles
Chris Huie
Astronaut, Aerospace Engineer, Astro Chuie
Aidan Hurley-Kalici
Programming Intern, International Space Elevator Consortium
Janet Ivey
Host of Janet's Planet
Fredrick Jenet
National Space Society Board of Directors
Karlton Johnson
Chairman, National Space Society Board of Governors
John Jossy
Chief Web Content Designer, Space Settlement Progress
Elizabeth Kennick
President, Teachers in Space, Inc.
Susan Kilrain
Former NASA Astronaut
King Kumire
Student, UNISA
Lisa La Bonté
Principal, Carnegie Ventures
Andrea Lani
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Alexander Layendecker
Director, Astrosexological Research Institute (ASRI), SpaceBorn United Inc. (SBU)
Dr. Pascal Lee
Co-founder and Chairman, Mars Institute
Dr. Claire Leon
Director, Space Systems Integration Office, Space Systems Command, U.S. Space Force
Dr. Dana Levin
Medical Director, Flight Surgeon, Vast & OSMED
Matthew LeVine
Director of the Gerard K. O'Neill Space Settlement Contest, National Space Society
Allison Lewis
Program Manager, Center for Air and Space Law
Michael Lewis
Government and Legislative Affairs Associate, The Navajo Nation
Mike Lewis
Chief Technology Officer, Voyager Space Exploration
Patrick Lin
Director, Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group / Cal Poly
Dr. David Livingston
Founder and Host, The Space Show®
Sergio Lucero
Operations Officer for Stellar Access
Bruce Mackenzie
NSS Director Elect, Mars Society, Mars Foundation
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Alla Malko, PhD
NSS Awards Committee
John Mankins
President, Mankins Space Technology
Rob Manning
JPL Chief Engineer Emeritus, Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA/Caltech
Brian McManus
Founder, Junto Media Ltd
Cliff McMurray
Freelance Writer
Nahum Melamed
Project Leader, The Aerospace Corporation
Holly Melear
CEO & Founder, STEAMSPACE Education Outreach
Bryce Meyer
NSS Space Ambassador, Space Farms, St Louis Space Frontier
Christian B. Meza
CEO and Director of Exothermic Films
Matthew Monahan
Aerospace Legacy Foundation
Spoorti Nanjamma
Graduate Student, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Melissa Navia
Actor & ISDC 2024 Host
Larry Niven
Science Fiction Writer
Mohamed Njah
Vice President, XYZ Landing
Jordan Noone
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Bekar Oikashvili
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O'Raphael Okoro
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Thomas Andrew Olson
Board Chair, Center for Space Commerce and Finance
Haroon Oqab
Co-Founder and President, Kepler Space University
Ayse Oren
Architect, DesignArt
Dr. Shawna Pandya
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Dr. Paul Phister
Adjunct Professor, ISEC
Doug Plata
President & Founder, The Space Development Network
Jim Plaxco
President, Chicago Society for Space Studies
Ned Popovich
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Seth Potter
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Rod Pyle
Editor-in-Chief, Ad Astra magazine, Author of 20 space books, Host of "This Week in Space"
Volker Quetschke
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Saba Raji
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Danielle Roosa
Founder of Back to Space, Back to Space
Alex Rosalez
Director of Product, Inclusion, Snap and Amazon
Ken Ruffin
NSS Space Ambassador, NSS Director, Region 3
Michael Runnels
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Kevin Russell
Simulation Innovation Strategist, The Human Space Program
David Schrunk
President, Science of Laws Institute
Ericka Isabella Scuderi
Postdoctoral Associate at George Washington University
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Jane Shevtsov
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Alexander Simmonds
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Camisha Simmons
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Kevin Simmons
CEO, BLUECUBE Aerospace
Dr Eric Smith
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Aldo Spadoni
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Jeff Stepp
TV Producer, Freelance
Dr. Alan Stern
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Dennis Stone
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Mary Christine (M.C.) Sungaila
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Dr. Peter A. Swan
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Phil Swan
Director of Infrastructure, The Atlantis Project
Dylan Taylor
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Madhu Thangavelu
Department of Astronautical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
Bryan Versteeg
Conceptual Designer, Spacehabs.com
Dr. Leslie Wickman
Research Scientist & Engineering Consultant
Adam Williams
PhD Student, University of Minnesota
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Nancy C. Wolfson
The American institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
Dennis Wright
Vice President, International Space Elevator Consortium
Melodie Yashar
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Minghao Zou
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Robert Zubrin
President, Pioneer Astronautics
