The goal of the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight is to bring people together to help grow the industry. The people involved in this business are the commercial spaceflight industry’s first and best asset.

It’s the compelling people and what they do that make this conference a success. New companies are entering the market while large companies are exiting the market. The spaceflight industry is enabling companies to enter at a smaller scale, use more COTs, and become profitable sooner. “These are classic leading indicators of an emerging industry,” said Patricia Hynes, conference chair. “The U.S. government will gradually play a lesser role in the space business, as smaller commercial companies take over more of the work of getting humans and cargo to space. This a challenging time for the people involved, and yet, there is the inherent thrill of just beginning.”

The annual ISPCS conference brings together more than 300 leaders in this growing global industry. Content is the driver for two days of fast paced sessions, discussions, and business meetings. This year’s event will be held Wednesday and Thursday, October 20 & 21, of Space Week in New Mexico. ISPCS is organized by the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, a member of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, administered by the NASA.