NASA's JPL lands dual honors at 20th National Space Symposium

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Mar. 26, 2004) — The Space Foundation announced today that a stellar team from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will accept the first Jack Swigert Award for Space Exploration at the 20th National Space Symposium’s Opening Ceremonies, and another JPL team will be honored later in the week at the Space Technology Hall of Fame. The National Space Symposium takes place March 29 – April 1, 2004, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. More than 5,000 space professionals from around the world are expected to participate in the event, which draws the most senior executive leadership from NASA and other space agencies, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the commercial space and satellite broadcasting industry, research universities and academia, space tourism concerns, the Department of Defense, military space commands and the global space industry. Visit www.spacesymposium.org or call 1-800-691-4000 for registration or conference details. Accepting the Jack Swigert Award are Lt Gen Eugene Tattini, USAF (Retired), JPL Deputy Director; and several representatives from the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Team, including Richard Cook, flight systems manager; Dr. Joy Crisp, project scientist; Robert Manning, entry, descent and landing manager; Dr. Henry Stone, spacecraft/lander chief engineer; Peter Theisinger, project manager; and Jason Willis, flight director. The Jack Swigert Award for Space Exploration honors the memory and accomplishments of Apollo 13 astronaut John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr. The award is being presented to the Mars Exploration Team for NASA’s remarkable achievements on Mars with the Spirit and Opportunity Rovers. Both the JPL organization and several representatives will be recognized at the Space Technology Hall of Fame Dinner with the induction of their Precision Global Positioning System (GPS) Software System technology, which improves air travel safety for millions of travelers and is endorsed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Individuals representing the Jet Propulsion Laboratory include Dr. Yoaz E. Bar-Sever, supervisor, Orbiter and Radio Metric Systems Group; Dr. Willy Bertiger, principal engineer; Dr. Michael Heflin; Dr. Kenneth J. Hurst; Dr. Stephen M. Lichten, section manager; Ronald J. Muellerschoen, chief architect, NASA’s Global Differential GPS System; Dr. Frank H. Webb; Dr. Sien-Chong Wu; Dr. Thomas P. Yunck; and Dr. James F. Zumberge, deputy section manager, Tracking Systems and Applications. The Space Foundation, in cooperation with NASA, established the Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1988 to honor the innovators who have transformed space technology into commercial products, to increase public awareness of the benefits of space technology, and to encourage further innovation. For more information, visit www.spacetechhalloffame.org. 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.; the Proceedings and transportation to satellite hotels are sponsored by ITT Industries; and the cyberspace center is sponsored by Hewlett Packard and Oracle Corporation. Additional sponsors include Air Force Research Laboratory, Analytical Graphics, Inc., BAE Systems, Cisco Systems, CSP Associates, Inc., Harris Corporation, Honeywell Aerospace, Infinite Links, Inmarsat, Integral Systems, Iridium Satellite System, ITT Industries, Network Appliance, 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. For more information about JPL and the MER Team, visit www.jpl.nasa.gov. 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. The Foundation recently created a Web site just for kids with fun space activities. 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.