Industry and Government Leaders to Explore Future of Commercial Space Transportation...

Industry and Government Leaders to Explore Future of Commercial Space
Transportation of Crew and Cargo

RESTON, Va., June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Industry and government
leaders will meet on June 18 to explore the promising future of commercial
space transportation -- of humans as well as cargo -- in meeting government
and private sector needs in low Earth orbit.

The special half-day event, "Innovations in Orbit: An Exploration of
Commercial Crew and Cargo Transportation," will feature panelists and speakers
from NASA, the FAA, and the private sector, discussing a broad array of
innovative commercial space transportation concepts. Organized by the
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the discussion is
free and open to the public, and takes place on Thursday, June 18, at 1:00
p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, Capitol Room A, Lobby
Level, 400 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.

After welcoming remarks by Klaus Dannenberg, AIAA's deputy executive director,
an industry panel will be moderated by aerospace consultant Patti Grace Smith,
a former FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation.
Featured panelists include: Mike Gold, director of the Washington, D.C. area
office of Bigelow Aerospace; George Sowers, vice president for business
development and advanced programs at the United Launch Alliance; Max Vozoff,
director of civil business development for Space Exploration Technologies; and
Frank L. Culbertson, senior vice president for human space programs at Orbital
Sciences Corporation.

A government panel will follow, moderated by Michael Beavin, senior program
analyst at the Department of Commerce Office of Space Commercialization.
Featured panelists include: Valin Thorn, deputy program manager of NASA's
Commercial Crew & Cargo Program; Ken Davidian, the "Encourage, Facilitate, and
Promote" program lead at the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation;
Chan Lieu, senior professional staff member at the U.S. Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Jeff Bingham, senior advisor on
space and aeronautics for the minority, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation.

Closing remarks will be made by Charles Miller, senior advisor for commercial
space in NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program.

AIAA President David Thompson stated, "This gathering provides an important
opportunity to discuss the future of commercial and government interaction in
space. As commercial firms and government agencies increase their use of
space, it is critical that we examine the needs of both enterprises, and the
designs for commercial crew sustainment and cargo transportation systems to
meet those needs. This gathering will give attendees a comprehensive look at
those needs and the systems which will meet them."

Although admission is free and open to the public and media, space is limited.
Please RSVP to commspace_panel@aiaa.org to register. Please indicate any media
affiliation for reserved seating. For additional information, please contact
Duane Hyland at 703.264.7558 or duaneh@aiaa.org.

AIAA is the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global
aerospace profession. With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and
90 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government
to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more
information, visit www.aiaa.org.

SOURCE American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Duane Hyland of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics,
+1-703-264-7558, duaneh@aiaa.org