International Space Development Conference
Encyclopedia
The International Space Development Conference (ISDC) is the annual conference of the National Space Society
(NSS). Now in its 30th year, these conferences connect the general public and the NSS membership with leaders of contemporary space efforts. The ISDC provides a nexus for industry, government, scientists, advocates, and the public to meet and discuss the latest issues in space technology, science, policy, commerce, medicine, exploration, settlement and much more.
The first ISDC was held in Los Angeles in 1982. The CoChairmen were Jerry Pournelle and Milton Stevens, and most of the convention staff were volunteers from the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS), although it was emphasized that the conference was professional in nature, and would not be a science fiction convention. The Professional Guest of Honor was Fred Haise of Apollo Thirteen, then CEO of Grumman. Attendees included Buzz Aldrin, Max Hunter, General Daniel Graham, Dick Rutan, and a number of space oriented professionals. Science Fiction author Robert Heinlein was the "fan guest of honor". It was intended as a one of a kind convention, but was successful enough that the attendees acclaimed it the "First Annual" Space Development Conference and voted to hold the second meeting in Houston with Art Dula as Chairman.
Although the northern Alabama region was hit by tornadoes April 27, resulting in widespread damage and many deaths and injuries, ISDC planners found that local electrical power had been restored to the Von Braun Center and Embassy Suites venues in Huntsville, and restored to the rest of the area within a week or two. Therefore, ISDC will occur as scheduled. Robert Bigelow
, founder and president of Bigelow Aerospace, will be the ISDC's Honored Keynote speaker at the Governors' Dinner and Gala. Mr. Bigelow will also be receiving the NSS Space Pioneers award for Space Development. The Space Pioneer Award for Science and Engineering will be presented to the X-51A WaveRider Team while the prestigious Wernher von Braun award will go to the JAXA Hayabusa Team. The von Braun award will be presented by Dr. Curt von Braun.
The theme for ISDC 2007 was "From Old Frontiers to New: Celebrating 50 Years of Space Flight" and was hosted by The National Space Society of North Texas chapter of Dallas, Texas
over the Memorial Day weekend of May 24–28, 2007
For the third straight year the presenting sponsor for ISDC '07 was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 2007's ISDC held two pre-conference events; the Symposium on Space Venture Finance on Thursday, May 24 and the bi-annual meeting of the Aerospace Technology Working Group (ATWG) from May 22 – May 24.
ISDC 2007 included programs, presentations and exhibits focused on space exploration and settlement, astronomy and scientific research, commercial space ventures, space tourism, and other exciting topics.
The conference also featured displays of real spaceflight hardware, such as Armadillo Aerospace
’s historic 'Quad' rocket vehicle. The Quad vehicles were built by space entrepreneur John Carmack and his Armadillo Aerospace team from Mesquite
, Texas. One of the Quads, named "Pixel," recently competed in the Wirefly
X Prize Cup
in Las Cruces
, New Mexico
.
ISDC 2007 was held in Addison, Texas (metro Dallas area) at the Intercontinental Hotel. Speakers included NASA Johnson Space Center director Michael Coats
, U.S. Congressmen Nick Lampson
and Ralph Hall
, Apollo 17 astronaut and former U.S. Senator Harrison Schmitt
, Alex Tai
, chief operating officer of Virgin Galactic
, local space entrepreneur John Carmack, NASA astronaut Dr. Shannon Lucid
, Mars Exploration Rover project leader Dr. Steve Squyers, Mars exploration visionary Robert Zubrin
, lunar advocate Dr. Paul Spudis
, Space Adventures
CEO Eric Anderson
, and legendary science fiction author Ben Bova
.
Events included speaker tracks on Frontier Transport, Moon and Cislunar (between Moon and Earth) Space Development, The Martian Frontier, International Space Station
(ISS) Science, Space Business & Law
, Space Medicine
, Space Sociology, Space Settlement
, Education, faster than light travel
, and Solar Power Satellites.
Other conference events included DPRG robot challenges, a game room, the premiere of "Postcards from the Future" and other space movies, filk singing
, a kids program, book signings, a space art show and sale, and space-related exhibits. Some exhibits and the space art show were free to the public. For more information see the official website: http://www.isdc2007.org
over the TV broadcast tower graphic entitled "Shows" and clicking the "On the Air Now!" link. Archived files of past ISDC conferences can also be reviewed via the IslandOne website.
Although typically held over the Memorial Day
holiday weekend, ISDC '06 was moved up to the first weekend in May to coincide with Space Day activities sponsored nationwide by Lockheed Martin
.
The "Silver Anniversary" conference was held May 4 through May 7, 2006 in Los Angeles
, California – coming full circle to the very first ISDC 25 years earlier. Held at the LAX Sheraton Gateway Hotel, this was also the first ISDC to be jointly co-sponsored with the Pasadena, California
-based Planetary Society
. Speakers and special guests included Buzz Aldrin
, Burt Rutan
, Elon Musk
, Hugh Downs
, Dennis Tito
, Gregory Olsen
, Bill Nye
, Kim Stanley Robinson
, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson
and dozens of others from various scientific, entrepreneurial and artistic fields.
For a listing of papers scheduled to be presented at the conference, access the ISDC Archives, ISDC2005: Your Ticket to Space, or the ISDC 2006 Call for Papers
Additionally, the National Space Society teamed up with the Space Tourism Society
to host the 2nd annual ORBIT Awards, celebrating leadership in space tourism on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Mr. Dennis Tito’s historic flight as the world’s first private space traveler, and the 25th anniversaries of STS-1
, the first space shuttle
mission and the ISDC.
chairman and former ABC-TV
"20/20" host Hugh Downs and the Honorable Norman Mineta
, Secretary of Transportation.
NSS members met and debated aerospace
pioneers like Burt Rutan, Elon Musk, and Peter Diamandis
, while hearing the latest on the explorations of Saturn
, Mars
and extrasolar planets. A few of the many highlights: Presenting sponsor Transformational Space brought a new twenty-foot mockup of its new space vehicle, the t/Space CXT.
The Spaceward Foundation erected a forty-foot model of its upcoming space elevator
competition. IMAX
director Mark Cowen wowed the crowd with the inside story of NSS Governor and Academy Award
winning actor-producer Tom Hanks
' latest IMAX film release, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D
. Apollo 9
astronaut Rusty Schweickart
announced a bold new plan to study the threat of Near Earth Object 2004MN4.
NASA
's Centennial Challenges
program announced a new prize competition for producing oxygen from Moon rocks. Virgin Galactic
's Will Whitehorn shared the latest plans for their new personal spaceflight experience. Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites
received the coveted Wernher Von Braun
award from German rocket
engineer
and Project Apollo
space pioneer Konrad Dannenberg
, then shared his personal vision of the future.
and Canada
in the following major cities:
National Space Society
The National Space Society is an international nonprofit 501, educational, and scientific organization specializing in space advocacy...
(NSS). Now in its 30th year, these conferences connect the general public and the NSS membership with leaders of contemporary space efforts. The ISDC provides a nexus for industry, government, scientists, advocates, and the public to meet and discuss the latest issues in space technology, science, policy, commerce, medicine, exploration, settlement and much more.
The first ISDC was held in Los Angeles in 1982. The CoChairmen were Jerry Pournelle and Milton Stevens, and most of the convention staff were volunteers from the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS), although it was emphasized that the conference was professional in nature, and would not be a science fiction convention. The Professional Guest of Honor was Fred Haise of Apollo Thirteen, then CEO of Grumman. Attendees included Buzz Aldrin, Max Hunter, General Daniel Graham, Dick Rutan, and a number of space oriented professionals. Science Fiction author Robert Heinlein was the "fan guest of honor". It was intended as a one of a kind convention, but was successful enough that the attendees acclaimed it the "First Annual" Space Development Conference and voted to hold the second meeting in Houston with Art Dula as Chairman.
2011
The International Space Development Conference covers several broad areas of study related to building a spacefaring civilization, including transportation to and through space, technology needed to live and work in space, and Earth-based activities to advocate for or educate others about space development. The overall theme for ISDC 2011 is "From the Ground Up," emphasizing the tools, resources, and social activities that must be accomplished to make a spacefaring civilization a reality. Participants are encouraged not just to describe an ideal "future state," but to think about the technical, economic, or advocacy steps that must be accomplished to achieve a specific goal.Although the northern Alabama region was hit by tornadoes April 27, resulting in widespread damage and many deaths and injuries, ISDC planners found that local electrical power had been restored to the Von Braun Center and Embassy Suites venues in Huntsville, and restored to the rest of the area within a week or two. Therefore, ISDC will occur as scheduled. Robert Bigelow
Robert Bigelow
Robert T. Bigelow is a hotel and aerospace entrepreneur. He owns the hotel chain Budget Suites of America and is the founder of Bigelow Aerospace....
, founder and president of Bigelow Aerospace, will be the ISDC's Honored Keynote speaker at the Governors' Dinner and Gala. Mr. Bigelow will also be receiving the NSS Space Pioneers award for Space Development. The Space Pioneer Award for Science and Engineering will be presented to the X-51A WaveRider Team while the prestigious Wernher von Braun award will go to the JAXA Hayabusa Team. The von Braun award will be presented by Dr. Curt von Braun.
2007
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
over the Memorial Day weekend of May 24–28, 2007
For the third straight year the presenting sponsor for ISDC '07 was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 2007's ISDC held two pre-conference events; the Symposium on Space Venture Finance on Thursday, May 24 and the bi-annual meeting of the Aerospace Technology Working Group (ATWG) from May 22 – May 24.
ISDC 2007 included programs, presentations and exhibits focused on space exploration and settlement, astronomy and scientific research, commercial space ventures, space tourism, and other exciting topics.
The conference also featured displays of real spaceflight hardware, such as Armadillo Aerospace
Armadillo Aerospace
Armadillo Aerospace is an aerospace startup company based in Mesquite, Texas. Its initial goal is to build a manned suborbital spacecraft capable of space tourism, but it has stated long-term ambitions of orbital spaceflight. The company was founded by John Carmack.On October 24, 2008, Armadillo...
’s historic 'Quad' rocket vehicle. The Quad vehicles were built by space entrepreneur John Carmack and his Armadillo Aerospace team from Mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
, Texas. One of the Quads, named "Pixel," recently competed in the Wirefly
Wirefly
Wirefly is an online retailer of wireless services and devices, operated by parent company SimplexitySimplexity assumed control of in November 2007, after 2006 purchasing the assets of InPhonic. Inphonc filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code....
X Prize Cup
X PRIZE Cup
The X Prize Cup is a two-day Air & Space Expo which was the result of a partnership between the X Prize Foundation and the State of New Mexico that began in 2004 when the Ansari X-Prize was held. This led to plans to build the world's first true rocket festival. Three X-PRIZE Cups have been held:...
in Las Cruces
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
ISDC 2007 was held in Addison, Texas (metro Dallas area) at the Intercontinental Hotel. Speakers included NASA Johnson Space Center director Michael Coats
Michael Coats
Michael Lloyd Coats is an engineer and former NASA astronaut, raised in Riverside, California...
, U.S. Congressmen Nick Lampson
Nick Lampson
Nicholas Valentino 'Nick' Lampson is an American politician from the state of Texas and was a Congressman representing the 22nd Congressional District of Texas. He was defeated by Pete Olson on November 4, 2008 in his re-election bid....
and Ralph Hall
Ralph Hall
Ralph Moody Hall is a United States Representative from . First elected in 1980, Hall is the chairman of the Science Committee and a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee...
, Apollo 17 astronaut and former U.S. Senator Harrison Schmitt
Harrison Schmitt
Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt is an American geologist, a retired NASA astronaut, university professor, and a former U.S. senator from New Mexico....
, Alex Tai
Alex Tai
Alexander Mark "Alex" Tai is the former team principal of Formula One team Virgin Racing.-Career:Tai was named as the Team Principal of Virgin Racing at the team's launch in December 2009...
, chief operating officer of Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites...
, local space entrepreneur John Carmack, NASA astronaut Dr. Shannon Lucid
Shannon Lucid
Shannon Matilda Wells Lucid is an American biochemist and a NASA astronaut. At one time, she held the record for the longest duration stay in space by an American, as well as by a woman...
, Mars Exploration Rover project leader Dr. Steve Squyers, Mars exploration visionary Robert Zubrin
Robert Zubrin
Robert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer and author, best known for his advocacy of the manned exploration of Mars. He was the driving force behind Mars Direct—a proposal intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission...
, lunar advocate Dr. Paul Spudis
Paul Spudis
Paul D. Spudis is an American geologist and lunar scientist.In 1976 he earned a B.S. in geology at the Arizona State University. Following his graduation he performed an internship at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, during the Mars landing of that year. The following year he went to Brown University...
, Space Adventures
Space Adventures
Space Adventures, Ltd. is a Virginia, USA-based space tourism company founded in 1998 by Eric C. Anderson. , offerings include zero-gravity atmospheric flights, orbital spaceflights , and other spaceflight-related experiences including cosmonaut training, spacewalk training, and launch tours...
CEO Eric Anderson
Eric Anderson
Eric Anderson may refer to:* Eric Anderson , British educator* Eric Anderson , English soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross* Eric Anderson , American basketball player...
, and legendary science fiction author Ben Bova
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
.
Events included speaker tracks on Frontier Transport, Moon and Cislunar (between Moon and Earth) Space Development, The Martian Frontier, International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS) Science, Space Business & Law
Space law
Space law is an area of the law that encompasses national and international law governing activities in outer space. International lawyers have been unable to agree on a uniform definition of the term "outer space," although most lawyers agree that outer space generally begins at the lowest...
, Space Medicine
Space medicine
Space medicine is the practice of medicine on astronauts in outer space whereas astronautical hygiene is the application of science and technology to the prevention or control of exposure to the hazards that may cause astronaut ill health. Both these sciences work together to ensure that...
, Space Sociology, Space Settlement
Space colonization
Space colonization is the concept of permanent human habitation outside of Earth. Although hypothetical at the present time, there are many proposals and speculations about the first space colony...
, Education, faster than light travel
Faster-than-light
Faster-than-light communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light....
, and Solar Power Satellites.
Other conference events included DPRG robot challenges, a game room, the premiere of "Postcards from the Future" and other space movies, filk singing
Filk music
Filk is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction/fantasy fandom and a type of fan labor. The genre has been active since the early 1950s, and played primarily since the mid-1970s. The term predates 1955.-Definitions:As the Interfilk What Is Filk page demonstrates, there is...
, a kids program, book signings, a space art show and sale, and space-related exhibits. Some exhibits and the space art show were free to the public. For more information see the official website: http://www.isdc2007.org
ISDC Public Webcasts
ISDC 2007 was broadcasted "live" from Dallas via streaming video from May 25 through May 28, 2007 – courtesy of the helloWorld website. Available to anyone with access to a computer and internet connection, the general public was able to follow key remarks and presentations by running their computer's mouse or cursorCursor (computers)
In computing, a cursor is an indicator used to show the position on a computer monitor or other display device that will respond to input from a text input or pointing device. The flashing text cursor may be referred to as a caret in some cases...
over the TV broadcast tower graphic entitled "Shows" and clicking the "On the Air Now!" link. Archived files of past ISDC conferences can also be reviewed via the IslandOne website.
2006
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
holiday weekend, ISDC '06 was moved up to the first weekend in May to coincide with Space Day activities sponsored nationwide by Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
.
The "Silver Anniversary" conference was held May 4 through May 7, 2006 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California – coming full circle to the very first ISDC 25 years earlier. Held at the LAX Sheraton Gateway Hotel, this was also the first ISDC to be jointly co-sponsored with the Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
-based Planetary Society
Planetary Society
The Planetary Society is a large, publicly supported, non-government and non-profit organization that has many research projects related to astronomy...
. Speakers and special guests included Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is an American mechanical engineer, retired United States Air Force pilot and astronaut who was the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history...
, Burt Rutan
Burt Rutan
Elbert Leander "Burt" Rutan is an American aerospace engineer noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient aircraft...
, Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is an American engineer and entrepreneur heritage best known for co-founding PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors. He is currently the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors and Chairman of SolarCity...
, Hugh Downs
Hugh Downs
Hugh Malcolm Downs is a long time American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer; and is perhaps best known for his role as co-host the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and...
, Dennis Tito
Dennis Tito
Dennis Anthony Tito is an Italian American engineer and multimillionaire, most widely known as the first space tourist to fund his own trip into space. In mid-2001, he spent nearly eight days in orbit as a crew member of ISS EP-1, a visiting mission to the International Space Station...
, Gregory Olsen
Gregory Olsen
Gregory Hammond "Greg" Olsen is an American entrepreneur, engineer and scientist who, in October 2005, became the third private citizen to make a self-funded trip to the International Space Station with the company Space Adventures....
, Bill Nye
Bill Nye
William Sanford "Bill" Nye , popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American science educator, comedian, television host, actor, mechanical engineer, and scientist...
, Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson is an American science fiction writer known for his award-winning Mars trilogy. His work delves into ecological and sociological themes regularly, and many of his novels appear to be the direct result of his own scientific fascinations, such as the fifteen years of research...
, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, a science communicator, the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space, and a Research Associate in the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History...
and dozens of others from various scientific, entrepreneurial and artistic fields.
For a listing of papers scheduled to be presented at the conference, access the ISDC Archives, ISDC2005: Your Ticket to Space, or the ISDC 2006 Call for Papers
Additionally, the National Space Society teamed up with the Space Tourism Society
Space Tourism Society
The Space Tourism Society was founded in 1996. It is the first organization specifically focused on the space tourism industry.Their stated goals, quoted from their :"To conduct the research,build public desire,...
to host the 2nd annual ORBIT Awards, celebrating leadership in space tourism on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Mr. Dennis Tito’s historic flight as the world’s first private space traveler, and the 25th anniversaries of STS-1
STS-1
STS-1 was the first orbital flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. Space Shuttle Columbia launched on 12 April 1981, and returned to Earth on 14 April, having orbited the Earth 37 times during the 54.5-hour mission. It was the first American manned space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project...
, the first space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
mission and the ISDC.
2005
ISDC 2005 was held in Washington, DC May 19–25, 2005 at the Sheraton National Hotel with the NSS Space Pioneers Awards banquet held at the National Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport, hosted by NSS Board of GovernorsBoard of governors
Board of governors is a term sometimes applied to the board of directors of a public entity or non-profit organization.Many public institutions, such as public universities, are government-owned corporations. The British Broadcasting Corporation was managed by a board of governors, though this role...
chairman and former ABC-TV
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
"20/20" host Hugh Downs and the Honorable Norman Mineta
Norman Mineta
Norman Yoshio Mineta, is a United States politician of the Democratic Party. Mineta most recently served in President George W. Bush's Cabinet as the United States Secretary of Transportation, the only Democratic Cabinet Secretary in the Bush administration...
, Secretary of Transportation.
NSS members met and debated aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
pioneers like Burt Rutan, Elon Musk, and Peter Diamandis
Peter Diamandis
Dr. Peter H. Diamandis , of Greek immigrant parents, is considered a key figure in the development of the personal spaceflight industry, having created many space-related businesses or organizations...
, while hearing the latest on the explorations of Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
, Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and extrasolar planets. A few of the many highlights: Presenting sponsor Transformational Space brought a new twenty-foot mockup of its new space vehicle, the t/Space CXT.
The Spaceward Foundation erected a forty-foot model of its upcoming space elevator
Space elevator
A space elevator, also known as a geostationary orbital tether or a beanstalk, is a proposed non-rocket spacelaunch structure...
competition. IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
director Mark Cowen wowed the crowd with the inside story of NSS Governor and Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
winning actor-producer Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
' latest IMAX film release, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D
Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D
Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D is a 2005 IMAX 3D documentary film about the first humans on the Moon, the twelve astronauts in the Apollo program.-Production:...
. Apollo 9
Apollo 9
Apollo 9, the third manned mission in the American Apollo space program, was the first flight of the Command/Service Module with the Lunar Module...
astronaut Rusty Schweickart
Rusty Schweickart
Russell Louis "Rusty" Schweickart aka Schweikart is an American former astronaut, research scientist, US Air Force fighter pilot, business and government executive...
announced a bold new plan to study the threat of Near Earth Object 2004MN4.
NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Centennial Challenges
Centennial Challenges
The Centennial Challenges are NASA space competition prize contests for non-government-funded technological achievements by American teams.-Current Challenges:...
program announced a new prize competition for producing oxygen from Moon rocks. Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites...
's Will Whitehorn shared the latest plans for their new personal spaceflight experience. Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites
Scaled Composites
Scaled Composites is an aerospace company founded by Burt Rutan and currently owned by Northrop Grumman that is located at the Mojave Spaceport, Mojave, California, United States...
received the coveted Wernher Von Braun
Wernher von Braun
Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun was a German rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during World War II and in the United States after that.A former member of the Nazi party,...
award from German rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and Project Apollo
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
space pioneer Konrad Dannenberg
Konrad Dannenberg
Konrad Dannenberg was a German-American rocket pioneer and member of the German rocket team brought to the United States after World War II.-Early years:...
, then shared his personal vision of the future.
Past conferences
Previous ISDCs have rotated around the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the following major cities:
- 1982 – Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - 1983 – Houston, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
- 1984 – San Francisco, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- 1985 – Washington, DC
- 1986 – Seattle, Washington
- 1987 – PittsburghPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... - 1988 – Denver, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- 1989 – ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... - 1990 – Anaheim, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- 1991 – San Antonio, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
- 1992 – Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
- 1993 – HuntsvilleHuntsville, AlabamaHuntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... - 1994 – TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... - 1995 – Cleveland, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
- 1996 – New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... - 1997 – OrlandoOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... - 1998 – Milwaukee, WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
- 1999 – Houston, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
- 2000 – Tucson, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
- 2001 – Albuquerque, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
- 2002 – Denver, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- 2003 – San JoseSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - 2004 – Oklahoma CityOklahoma cityOklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state... - 2005 – Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
- 2006 – Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - 2007 – AddisonAddison, TexasAddison is a city in Dallas County, Texas . The population was 14,166 at the 2000 census, and 15,737 according to a 2009 estimate. Addison is a northern suburb of Dallas...
, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... - 2008 – Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
- 2009 – OrlandoOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
2009 conference website - 2010 - Chicago, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...