NASA astronauts and space leaders set for 2026 ISDC in McLean

By AI, Created 11:55 PM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The National Space Society says a slate of astronauts, planetary scientists and space executives will appear at its 44th International Space Development Conference in McLean, Virginia, on June 4-7, 2026. The event is aimed at space enthusiasts, industry participants and students, with the full speaker schedule posted online.

Why it matters: - The International Space Development Conference is a major gathering for the citizen space community, and the 2026 edition will bring together astronauts, mission leaders and policy voices in one place. - The speaker lineup spans Apollo, shuttle, commercial space, the United Nations and current NASA-linked missions, showing how broad the modern space ecosystem has become. - The conference is open to the public, which gives attendees direct access to some of the most recognizable figures in spaceflight and space policy.

What happened: - The National Space Society announced speakers for the 44th International Space Development Conference, set for June 4-7, 2026, in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metro area. - Featured speakers include Michael López-Alegria, Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Gerry Griffin, Jeffrey Manber, Aarti Holla-Maini, Robert “Hoot” Gibson, Astronaut Susan Kilrain and Steven Hawley. - The full schedule is available on the conference website at ISDC schedule. - NSS President Isaac Arthur said the organization is “thrilled” to host the speakers and said their experience and insights will be an inspiration.

The details: - Michael López-Alegria is a former NASA astronaut and chief astronaut at Axiom Space. He flew three space shuttle missions and commanded Expedition 14 to the International Space Station. - Harrison “Jack” Schmitt flew on Apollo 17, the last crewed lunar landing mission. He later served in the U.S. Senate and on committees covering commerce, banking, appropriations, intelligence and ethics. - Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton is the principal investigator for NASA’s Psyche mission to asteroid 16 Psyche. She is also vice president of Arizona State University’s Interplanetary Initiative and co-founder of Beagle Learning. - Gerry Griffin was director of NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and a Flight Director for all Apollo missions. He led flight operations for Apollo 12, 15 and 17. - Jeffrey Manber started as a space journalist, later helped form the Office of Space Commerce under the Reagan administration, founded NanoRacks in 2009 and now serves as a senior executive at Voyager Space Technologies. - Aarti Holla-Maini leads the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. She previously served as secretary-general of the Global Satellite Operators Association. - Robert “Hoot” Gibson flew five shuttle missions, four as mission commander, and completed the first shuttle rendezvous and docking with the Russian space station Mir in 1995. - Susan Kilrain was one of the first women selected to fly the F-14 Tomcat and became the youngest person, and one of only three women, to pilot the space shuttle. She flew STS-83 and STS-94. - Steven Hawley flew five shuttle missions, including work on the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory. His flights also set records, including the highest orbit flown by a space shuttle. - The conference says special discounts are available for seniors, students and National Space Society members. - The National Space Society describes ISDC as the oldest and largest citizen space conference in the world.

Between the lines: - The lineup mixes legacy Apollo and shuttle figures with leaders tied to commercial space, international governance and active planetary science. - That combination suggests the conference is positioning space development as both a historical movement and a current policy-and-business issue. - The public format and discount structure point to an effort to keep the event accessible beyond industry insiders.

What’s next: - The National Space Society will continue updating the speaker lineup and schedule on the conference website. - Attendees can register and review event details at the conference website. - The June 4-7 conference will serve as one of the year’s main in-person convenings for space advocates and professionals.

The bottom line: - ISDC 2026 is shaping up as a high-profile reunion of spaceflight history and current space leadership, with a public audience invited to hear from both.