The 44th Annual International Space Development Conference is in McLean, VA, June 4-7, 2026

The National Space Society is pleased to announce a keynote by Bill Diamond at its annual International Space Development Conference, which will be held from June 4-7 in McLean, VA.

Diamond is the president and CEO of the SETI Institute, a nonprofit astrophysics and astrobiology research and education organization focused on the study of life in the universe.

NSS president Isaac Arthur said, “We’re thrilled to have Mr. Diamond join us at this year’s ISDC. Many of SETI’s interests and priorities align with our own.” Notably, Arthur has created extensive programming about SETI and extraterrestrial life on his YouTube channel, Science and Futurism with Isaac Arthur. The ISDC will also begin featuring an interstellar track this year, co-chaired by Arthur and SETI Institute planetary scientist Dr. Pascal Lee, which will include presentations on SETI. “The ISDC is the world’s largest space conference open to the general public, and SETI’s work is sure to be of great interest,” added Arthur.

“Few human endeavors are as awe inspiring, fascinating and challenging as the exploration of space,” Diamond said. “The sheer scale of the endeavor and the profound nature of the questions being addressed cut across all sectors of science, industry, and society. It is an honor to be selected as a keynote speaker this year for the National Space Society ISDC, which is the preeminent gathering of aerospace and space science professionals, educators, advocates, students, and enthusiasts.”

Prior to joining SETI in 2015, Diamond worked across three decades in laser photonics and optical communications networks, X-ray imaging, and semiconductor processing technologies. His corporate background ranges from venture-backed start-ups to Fortune 100 multinationals, including CEO positions at WaveSplitter Technologies, Denselight Semiconductor in Singapore, and Xradia, Inc, (now part of Zeiss). He was also President of COMET Technologies USA.

Diamond holds a B.A. in physics from Holy Cross College and an MBA from Georgetown University. He is a past member of the Advisory Board for the McDonough School of Business Administration at Georgetown and is a current member of the Optical Society of America, the International Astronomical Congress, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Science and Innovation Council, BASIC, in San Francisco.