BEVERLY, Mass. – January 9, 2011 – Explore Mars, Inc. is pleased to announce a two-day conference called “The International Space Station and Mars” (ISSMars-DC). This conference will take place on April 6-7, 2011 at the Jack Morton Auditorium at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

ISSMars-DC will focus extensively on how the International Space Station can be used to advance exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit – specifically to Mars. Speakers and panelists will include some of the most prominent experts from NASA, industry, and the ISS international partnership.

“ISS will be a central part of our human space flight program for at least a decade more,” said Explore Mars Executive Director, Chris Carberry. “We hope through this discussion that we can help focus attention on utilizing ISS to advance space exploration beyond low Earth orbit.” ISSMars-DC topics will include:

* Policy and Programmatics for Using and Funding ISS Researcs
* ISS a research test bed for human factors of going beyond LEO
* ISS as a research and test bed and analog platform for Mars
* Technologies and Capabilities Needed for Human Mars Mission
* Technologies/Capabilities capable of being advanced on ISS
* ISS as an operational platform for Mars and other destinations beyond LEO
* Commercial Participation in ISS/Mars Efforts: What models might stimulate private activity?

ISSMars-DC is being generously sponsored by the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. ISSMars-DC is also being run in partnership with the National Space Society (NSS) and there will be a followup ISSMars program at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in Huntsville, Alabama in May 2011.

According to Rick Zucker, NSS Vice President for Public Affairs, “With the Congress and the Administration having reached consensus on a new direction for our space program, the ISS and Mars outreach programs will address issues that now face our nation’s space program as we explore beyond Low Earth Orbit. NSS is very excited about the opportunity to work with Explore Mars, Inc. in this endeavor.”

Speakers and panelists for ISSMars-DC already include:

* Lori Garver (Deputy Administrator – NASA) Tentative
* Dr. James Garvin (Chief Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
* Dr. John Olson (Director, Directorate Integration Office, ESMD, NASA HQ)
* William Gerstenmaier (Associate Administrator for Space Operations, NASA) Tentative
* Sam Scimemi (Deputy, International Space Station – NASA Headquarters)
* Michael Raftery (ISS Deputy Program Manager – Boeing)
* Dr. Edward Hodgson (Technical Fellow at Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems Unit – Hamilton Sundstrand)
* Bret Drake (Architect, Exploration Missions and Systems Office – NASA)
* Joe Cassady (Business Development Director for Emerging Exploration Technology)
* Richard Phillips (President, Phillips & Co.)
* Dr. Henry Hertzfeld (Research Professor of Space Policy and International Affairs, Space Policy Institute, Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington, University
* Dr. Steve McDaniel (Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Reactive Surfaces, LTD)

Registration and conference information can be found at http://exploremars.org/iss/

CONTACTS: Chris Carberry, Explore Mars Inc. 617-909-4425 Carberry@exploremars.org