The Space Show Presents The NSS ISDC 2026 with Aggie Kobrin, Rod Pyle & Dr. Pascal Lee

The Space Show Presents ISDC 2026 with Rod Pyle, Aggie Kobrin & Dr. Pascal Lee, Tuesday, 5-12-26Quick Summary:The Space Show hosted a discussion about the upcoming ISDC (International Space Development Conference) in McLean, Virginia, featuring Aggie Kobrin, Rod Pyle, Pascal Lee, Sherry Bell, and select members of The Space Show Wisdom Team. The participants discussed the conference’s location, schedule, key speakers including Apollo astronaut Jack Schmidt, and various tracks covering topics from AI in Space to Mars exploration. Pascal explained the current technical readiness levels for Mars missions, noting that while conceptually feasible, reliable systems for a round-trip mission remain challenging. The group also discussed the conference’s networking opportunities, student participation, and various awards to be presented, including the new NSS Apollo Legacy Award to Jack Schmidt. The conversation concluded with reflections on the evolution of space technology and the conference’s role in bringing together diverse perspectives in the space community.Detailed Summary:Our program focused on discussing the upcoming ISDC (International Space Development Conference) in McLean, Virginia. Aggie Kobrin provided details about the event, noting that approximately 400 students are registered to attend from various countries, with about 50% coming from Romania and 50% from India. The conference will feature keynote speakers, astronauts, and NASA representatives, along with multiple tracks and sessions over four days.The meeting discussed the upcoming space conference scheduled for June 4-7, featuring over 100 speakers including astronauts, NASA officials, and space industry leaders. Key speakers mentioned include Jack Schmidt from Apollo 17, Jerry Griffin, Michael Lopez Allegria, and science fiction author David Brin, who will receive the Clark Award. The conference will include plenary sessions, panel discussions, student tracks, networking events, and a Saturday night party with auction and DJ, though political representatives have not yet confirmed their attendance.The group discussed various tracks and speakers. They confirmed that Jarod Isaacman, who was previously invited, will not be attending due to a trip to Europe. Phil explained the focus of the interplanetary infrastructure track, which explores making space travel between planets more routine and cost-effective. Aggie described the “Launch Pads and Many Roads to Space” track as a way to accommodate student presentations that don’t fit into other tracks. The group also mentioned several competitions, including a student competition and the Rothblatt competition, where audience members vote on finalists. Philip confirmed that the interplanetary track is full, with the abstract submission deadline having passed on April 15th.Pascal joined the meeting to discuss his role as co-chair of the ISDC conference with Rod, highlighting new tracks including Interstellar, Mars, and AI in Space. Pascal announced that Jack Schmidt, an Apollo astronaut, would be honored with the new NSS Apollo Legacy Award at the conference, particularly in recognition of the upcoming Artemis II mission. The Mars track was noted to have a record number of contributions and speakers, with plans to discuss practical steps toward human Mars missions, including considerations around Starship and NASA’s current situation.The team discussed the current status of the conference program, noting that while most tracks are full, there is limited space available in “many roads to space” for additional presentations. They reported receiving about 300 abstract submissions this year, with around half being accepted. Pascal announced that the option to submit citable papers following presentations will be extended to all tracks this year, allowing papers between 2-20 pages. The group also confirmed details about meal speakers throughout the conference, including Arty Olimani, Jim Green, Jeffrey Manber, and others, and discussed that while some sessions may be taped for marketing purposes, the conference generally requires in-person attendance.The group discussed strategies for engaging younger audiences in space settlement topics, highlighting challenges in getting people below 35 to read comprehensive books like “High Frontier.” Rod shared that NSS published a Space Settlement Workshop book covering key steps in space development, while Pascal mentioned his student’s work on transitioning from the ISS to a station with artificial gravity. Aggie noted the success of engaging younger students at space events, mentioning hundreds of enthusiastic students from junior high to graduate level participating in poster sessions and other activities.The discussion focused on details about an upcoming space conference, including its location at the Hilton Hotel in McLean, Virginia, which