Colorado Springs, Colo. (March 4, 2004) The space industry will be seeing stars at the upcoming 20th National Space Symposium, as the superstars of civil, commercial and national security space converge in Colorado Springs to address topics ranging from “The Moon, Mars and Beyond” to “50 Years of Space & Missiles – From the Past to the Future.” From the titans of the commercial space industry to the explorers of deep space to the commanders of U.S. military space, they all come together for the Space Foundation’s signature event March 29 – April 1, 2004, at The Broadmoor.

Attendees at the 20th National Space Symposium can save up to $205 by registering by March 5, though registrations are accepted throughout the event. More than 5,000 industry leaders, and military and government officials from around the world are expected to participate in the premier U.S. policy and program forum, a “must attend” opportunity for information and interaction on all sectors of space – commercial, civil and national security. On-line registration and conference details can be found at www.spacesymposium.org or by calling the Space Foundation at 1-800-691-4000.

“The Moon, Mars & Beyond” panel on March 30th will address NASA’s new exploration/vision from a scientific point of view with Moon and Mars experts and NASA science leaders. Moderated by Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, director, Hayden Planetarium, Rose Center for Earth & Space, panelists include

  • Dr. John M. Grunsfeld, Chief Scientist, National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
  • Dr. Paul D. Spudis, Geologist, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University
  • Lt Gen Eugene Tattini, USAF (Retired), Deputy Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
  • Dr. Robert Zubrin, President, The Mars Society

On April 1st, the “50 Years of Space & Missiles – From the Past, to the Future” panel will honor space pioneers and leaders from the past 50 years with discussions on the development and evolution of ICBM Forces; the birth, maturation and evolution of Air Force Space Command; space system development and acquisition and space forces integration and employment. Panel moderator is Maj Gen Michael A. Hamel, USAF, commander, 14th Air Force, Air Force Space Command and commander, Space Air Forces, United States Strategic Command. The panelists are

  • Lt Gen Donald L. Cromer, USAF (Retired), Vice Chairman, board of directors, California Space Authority
  • Lt Gen Jay W. Kelley, USAF (Retired), President, Space Systems, ManTech International Corporation
  • Brig Gen William G. King, Jr., USAF (Retired), Consultant, Aerojet General
  • Gen Thomas S. Moorman Jr., USAF (Retired), Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Lt Gen Eugene D. Santarelli, USAF (Retired)

The 20th National Space Symposium’s Opening Ceremony is co-sponsored by Lockheed Martin Corporation; the Opening Night Reception is co-sponsored by Eastman Kodak Company; the Opening Night Fireworks and Dessert Reception is co-sponsored by Inmarsat; the Corporate Partnership Reception is co-sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce; the Corporate Partnership Dinner is co-sponsored by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.; the General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award Luncheon is co-sponsored by Spectrum Astro; the Space Technology Hall of Fame Reception is co-sponsored by Computer Sciences Corporation; the Space Technology Hall of Fame Dinner is co-sponsored by The Boeing Company; the exhibit center is sponsored by Northrop Grumman; the media center is sponsored by Sun Microsystems, Inc.; and the cyberspace center is sponsored by Hewlett Packard and Oracle Corporation. Additional sponsors include Air Force Research Laboratory, Analytical Graphics, Inc.,

AE Systems, Cisco Systems, CSP Associates, Inc., Harris Corporation, Honeywell Aerospace, Infinite Links, Inmarsat, Iridium Satellite System, ITT Industries, Penwal Industries, Raytheon Company, SI International, SPACE.com, Space News, Space Systems Loral, SpaceVest, and Stellar Solutions. A pre-conference law seminar is sponsored by Holland & Hart, LLP.

About the Space Foundation

The Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Space Foundation is a national non-profit organization, which vigorously advances civil, commercial, and national security space endeavors and educational excellence. In addition to the National Space Symposium, the Space Foundation annually conducts, along with its partnering organizations, Strategic Space 2004, scheduled Oct. 5-7, in Omaha, Neb.

This year the Foundation will host the second annual Space Career Fair for College Students at the 20th National Space Symposium; and recently created a Web site just for kids with fun space activities: www.discoverspace.org. The Foundation also manages an on-site NASA Educational Resource Center; offers two distinct Master’s in Space Studies Degrees in conjunction with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Regis University; and has trained more than 30,000 teachers since 1986 on Teaching With Space through Space Discovery graduate courses and national conferences. For more information, visit www.spacefoundation.org.