(November 2, 2006, New Orleans, La.) – The Boeing Company, in association with the University of New Orleans, Greater New Orleans Inc., and the Louisiana Economic Development group, will hold two events on Wednesday, November 8, to highlight Boeing’s plans to work with the small business and education communities of Louisiana in helping NASA take astronauts back to the moon. An invitation-only small business conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel, 555 Canal Street, in downtown New Orleans. At 2:30 p.m., the grand opening ceremony will be held for the Boeing Space Exploration Office at UNO’s Center for Energy Research Management. State and local officials, education leaders, Boeing executives, and small business suppliers will be available for media interviews.

The catalyst for Boeing opening an office and working in New Orleans is NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration. This is the agency’s effort to build the programs and spaceflight hardware that will take America back to the moon, then to Mars and beyond. Boeing and Louisiana are linked in space heritage by the legendary Saturn rocket program that first sent men to the moon. The small business conference and new office will help Boeing identify resources to support NASA’s space exploration pursuits, such as the Ares 1 and Ares V launch vehicles. These vehicles are the two primary rockets NASA will use to take astronauts and cargo to the moon and eventually Mars.

Media interested in attending the events or arranging interviews should contact Mike Rein at 321-693-6250 or Johanna Schindler at 504-280-6939.

Boeing Space Exploration is a division of the company’s Integrated Defense Systems Unit. Space Exploration supports NASA’s Constellation Program initiatives, to return humans to the moon and onto Mars and beyond. Boeing has nearly a 50-year partnership with NASA and has led to advancements in enabling technologies for robotics, satellites and human transportation systems.

The University of New Orleans (UNO), the urban research University of the State of Louisiana, provides essential support for the educational, economic, cultural, and social well-being of the culturally rich and diverse New Orleans metropolitan area. It was established in 1956 as part of the Louisiana State University System “to bring public-supported higher education to Louisiana’s largest urban community.” Today, UNO offers 121 degree programs, of which 50 are undergraduate, 58 are master’s, and 13 are doctoral programs. The 340-acre main campus sits on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain, offering easy access to all parts of the metro area.

Contacts:

Johanna M. Schindler
Director of Public Relations
(504) 280-6939
fax (504) 280-1080
jschindl@uno.edu

Michael Rein
Boeing Communications Manager
321-264-8580 (p)
321-693-6250 (c)
michael.j.rein@boeing.com