Leaders in the science and engineering world will gather on March 4-6, 2014, to attend the 52nd Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium at the Greenbelt Marriott, Greenbelt, Md. This year’s theme, “Science and Exploration: Engineering the Future,” will both celebrate past accomplishments and discuss future space exploration priorities.

For more than 50 years, senior representatives from NASA and leaders in aerospace policy have attended the annual event to review the status of space exploration and discuss challenges that might lie ahead.

“These symposia continue the annual tradition of hosting aerospace leaders, policy makers and senior scientists to discuss some of the most important issues affecting space exploration,” said Harley Thronson, chairman of the symposium’s planning committee at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.

Several key leaders in the industry will speak at the event. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will deliver the initial keynote speech, and University of Maryland, Baltimore County President Freeman Hrabowski III will open the second day.

This year’s symposium will feature five “science snapshots” of some of the most exciting frontiers that NASA is exploring, from the possibilities of discovering life beyond the solar system to the latest on the exploration of Mars.

The event features several panelists from both NASA and the space industry. One panel focuses on “Enabling Science through Near-term Innovations,” while another focuses on “Human Exploration.”

The event will close with industry leaders looking into the future of the space industry.

Media interested in arranging interviews with NASA speakers should contact Rho Christensen in advance at 301-286-6836 or Rho.Christensen@nasa.gov.

For details of the Symposium, please visit:

http://astronautical.org/

For more information about NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/goddard