AIAA Calls on Administration and Congress to Establish Roadmap for Operational Global Climate Monitoring System

Strengthened Monitoring Capability a Focus of Upcoming "Inside Aerospace" Forum
RESTON, Va.--(Business Wire)--
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) today called upon
the administration and Congress to begin the urgent task of working with the
aerospace community to establish a viable roadmap to advance and sustain an
operational global climate monitoring system and pledged its expertise to assist
in that development.

AIAA President David Thompson stated: "Today, we join the celebration of Earth
Day with a pledge to increase our understanding of our planet`s climate. Toward
that goal, we call upon the administration and Congress to engage with the
private sector and the aerospace community, and begin the hard work necessary
for establishing a viable roadmap for an operational global climate monitoring
system. Such a system will not only further our understanding of the changing
planet, but also underpin a robust information infrastructure for climate, like
we have already for weather. We have seen successful missions and projects used
by researchers and scientists that provided critical, unbiased climate data. In
the future, such data are necessary also for guiding compliance with
international climate regimes, while also determining the effectiveness of those
regimes."

He continued: "Using aerospace technologies and systems, it is essential to
establish a viable framework for integrating critical space, air, ocean, and
land-based monitoring systems. The data gathered from these multiple systems
will be critical to providing a precise understanding of global climate change
rather than relying on our current outdated patchwork of monitoring networks."

The AIAA will discuss this topic, and the need for green aerospace systems, at
its upcoming conference, "Inside Aerospace: Aerospace Leadership for Energy and
Environmental Challenges," May 11-12, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City,
Arlington, Va. This two-day conference features notable speakers and prominent
climate scientists, reinforcing previous work toward a more efficient, precise,
and integrated set of Earth and climate monitoring systems.

For more information about "Inside Aerospace: Aerospace Leadership for Energy
and Environmental Challenges," or to register, visit
www.aiaa.org/events/insideaerospace or contact Duane Hyland at 703.264.7558 or
duaneh@aiaa.org. Media registration is complimentary for credentialed members of
the press.

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.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
Duane Hyland, 703.264.7558
duaneh@aiaa.org

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