HAMPTON, Va. – One of “Woman’s Day” magazine’s 50 women changing the world, an author who could be the next JK Rowling, and a software developer who has an “app” for that – these are just some of the speakers at TEDxNASA, Nov. 4, at the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, Va.

All are people with big ideas about “What Matters Next,” the theme of TEDxNASA. This year’s event, which is sponsored by NASA’s Langley Research Center and the National Institute of Aerospace in Hampton, Va., will feature more than 20 top speakers who will share inspiring and thought-provoking stories.

Presenters already announced include NASA’s Chief Technologist Bobby Braun and Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Green will speak at the same time NASA’s EPOXI spacecraft is flying by and snapping close-up images of comet Hartley 2, more than 11 million miles away from Earth.

TEDxNASA is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but doors will open at 8 a.m. It is free and open to the public. Tickets are limited and available on a first come basis until Oct. 24. The event will be streamed live on the Internet. To register and find more information, go to: http://www.tedxnasa.com

“NASA is all about big ideas and enormous challenges – whether we’re finding other earth-like planets or resolving climate change issues,” said Steve Craft, NASA Langley’s TEDxNASA organizer. “At TEDxNASA we aim to bring together a variety of thought leaders, from numerous disciplines, with differing viewpoints. Our hope is that we will cultivate new thinking on what matters next and begin to make the world a better place.”

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that allow people to share a TED-like experience. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. Every year the world’s leading thinkers are invited to share what they are most passionate about at a national and international conference. To reach an even broader audience their talks are made available on the Internet at ted.com. The “x” in TEDxNASA indicates it is an independently organized TED event.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to “ideas worth spreading.” Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. Conference presentations are made available for free at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Sir Richard Branson, and many others.

For more information about NASA Langley, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/langley

For more information about the National Institute of Aerospace, visit: http://www.NIAnet.org