Now in its 11th year, the annual International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) will unite the global space community for two, high-impact days of programming, collaboration and networking on Oct. 7-8 in Las Cruces, N.M. As the preeminent commercial space industry event, ISPCS gathers commercial space industry leaders and international representatives, along with academia, state and federal government officials to discuss topics relevant to personal and commercial spaceflight. Powered by this year’s theme, “Making a Difference,” noted keynote speakers and panelists will explore the relevance and impact behind the broadening acceptance of the commercial space approach.

“The measure of our lives is the journey to discover our purpose and to use that purpose to make a difference – in our personal pursuits, our jobs and in our communities,” said Patricia C. Hynes, Ph.D., curator of ISPCS. “Today, the impact of the global commercial space industry demonstrates broad, tangible relevance to companies, investors and taxpayers across the globe. We provide government customers with new domestic sources for technologies and systems. We leverage resources to accelerate private development.”

At this year’s ISPCS, 40 speakers will provide a fast-paced conversation in a focused series of plenary discussions. These speakers are the influencers of today. They are the contractors and suppliers; partners; and entrepreneurs who are making a positive difference in the personal and commercial sectors of our global space industry. Topics will span from policies to support pioneering commercial space to how art and culture define commercial space to the power of public-private partnerships. Click here to view the conference agenda.

Different than most commercial space conferences, ISPCS aims to set an industry standard by providing an annual call to action to increase access to space for mankind. The event is complemented by a first look at cutting-edge technologies with commercial applications. Additionally, ISPCS is revered for its ability to deliver intimate-setting meetings, where industry leaders and their customers have the opportunity to cultivate relationships and shape future partnerships. You will find colleagues, peers and competitors rolling up their sleeves, diving into deep conversation and connecting on common ground to benefit the commercial and personal space industry as a whole.

To further enhance the networking aspect of the conference, ISPCS 2015 will offer a new feature called ISPCS Connect. It is a list of conference attendees that enables registered attendees to connect with other attendees. Beginning Sept. 1, registered attendees can log into their accounts and connect with other attendees prior to the event. Networking is an essential part of making a business conference successful. ISPCS organizers hope attendees will take this opportunity to connect prior to the conference as they plan to make the on-site experience as rewarding as possible.

“At ISPCS, work gets done,” Hynes said. “Making a Difference is an important part of any industry, ISPCS 2015 is the place to discuss this impact on the space industry.”

Other regular ISPCS events include the AIAA Opening Reception and the silent auction, which raises funds to support student/teacher STEM initiatives.

ISPCS 2015 will take place at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces, N.M. Early bird registration is available through Aug. 21, allowing attendees to save $200 on full conference registration. The one-click registration process is also more personalized, designed to connect like-minded ISPCS attendees in order to spur partnerships and collaborations. Sponsorships and exhibitor packages are still available. Contact Susan Raitt at (575) 646-6414 or sraitt@nmsu.edu.

About ISPCS

Since 2005, the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) has set the industry standard for commercial space conferences offering an intimate setting that fosters unrivaled networking, an agenda rich in content and is the only conference focused on the commercial space industry. Each year, the leaders and international representatives of the commercial space transportation industry, government agency officials and academia gather at ISPCS to discuss topics relevant to personal and commercial spaceflight. ISPCS is a partner with New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, a member of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. For more information, visit www.ispcs.com.