POLARIS DAWN ASTRONAUT JARED ISAACMAN TO RECEIVE AWARD AT THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Jared Isaacman. Credit: Polaris Program / John Kraus
The 43rd International Space Development Conference Will Be Held in Orlando on June 19-22, 2025
“We’re thrilled to have Mr. Isaacman keynoting at the ISDC,” said NSS president Isaac Arthur. “His path into private spaceflight bodes well for the developing commercial space market, and his potential as a NASA leader is incredibly inspiring.”
As a young man, Isaacman founded a credit card processing company called Shift4 Payments. He grew the company and later founded Draken International, a provider of tactical fighter aircraft training for military and defense industry clients. Isaacman is an accomplished pilot and is qualified on multiple military jet aircraft. In 2009 he set a new world record for circumnavigating the globe in a jet, clocking in at just under 62 hours, with proceeds donated to the Make-A-Wish foundation.
In September 2021 Isaacman flew into space as the commander of the Inspiration4 mission with SpaceX. The mission was dedicated to philanthropy, with the proceeds—including $100 million of Isaacman’s own funds—donated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. He then organized and flew the Polaris Dawn mission, also with SpaceX, in September 2024. Polaris Dawn flew in the highest Earth orbit of any mission since the last Apollo flight in 1972 and featured the first spacewalk by private astronauts.
In September 2024 he was nominated as the new NASA Administrator by President-elect Donald Trump, which was met with positive responses from the broader spaceflight community including multiple NASA astronauts. If confirmed, he will succeed interim NASA Administrator Janet Petro. Isaacman holds a bachelor’s degree in professional aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
The Wernher von Braun Memorial Award is the society’s highest honor and is bestowed every two years to recognize excellence in management and leadership for a space-related project. Previous recipients include NASA’s George Mueller, Burt Rutan, ULA’s Tory Bruno, and SpaceX’s Gwynne Shotwell and Elon Musk.
Isaacman will speak at the ISDC on Saturday, June 21, joining an impressive slate of space visionaries at the conference. This roster includes NASA astronauts Chris Ferguson, Robert “Hoot” Gibson, Susan Kilrain, and private astronauts Dr. Sian Proctor and Dr. Robert Ferl, as well as techno-visionary Dr. Martine Rothblatt, former NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Jim Green, planetary scientist Dr. Pascal Lee, and NASA Associate Administrator Dr. Nicola Fox. Space.com Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik, Ad Astra magazine Editor-in-Chief Rod Pyle, science fiction author Joe Haldeman, and space policy expert Dr. Greg Autry will also join the lineup. The full list of featured speakers can be found here.
The International Space Development Conference is one of the oldest and largest space conferences and invites people of all backgrounds to attend. It will be held at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida, on June 19-22. See the ISDC website for more information on programming, special meals, and tours of various Florida space attractions. Tickets for the ISDC and the awards dinner are available now.
ABOUT THE NSS
The National Space Society is the preeminent non-partisan citizens’ voice on space exploration, development, and settlement, reaching millions through its membership, numerous outreach channels, and media activities. The organization was founded in 1987 via a merger of the National Space Institute and the L5 Society. To learn more about the NSS and its mission to establish humanity as a spacefaring species, visit us on the web at nss.org.
Rod Pyle
National Space Society
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