National recording artist Jeff Kashiwa to perform at Florida Space 2005 Opening Ceremony

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.(Aug. 29, 2005) — The Space Foundation announced today that Jeff Kashiwa will open the inaugural Florida Space 2005 on Tuesday, November 15 with an exclusive performance in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Florida space professionals and those with interests in Florida will gather November 15-17 for the conference, which is expected to become the leading event serving the Florida space community and economy.

One of smooth jazz’s most popular performers over the last decade, Kashiwa played saxophone with the Rippingtons before becoming a solo artist in 1999. Peace of Mind, Kashiwa’s third Native Language album, is currently available, and he is working on a new album to be released in 2006. “The captivating sounds of Jeff Kashiwa amidst the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Kennedy Space Center Rocket Garden will capture the celebratory nature of this inaugural event. We are thrilled that Jeff is part of the new Florida Space,” said Elizabeth Wagner, vice president of Strategic Partnerships for the Space Foundation. Featured speakers at Florida Space include The Honorable Dr. Ronald M. Sega, Under Secretary of the Air Force, and Gen Lance W. Lord, USAF Commander, Air Force Space Command. Other confirmed speakers include Bretton S. Alexander, Vice President, Government Relations, Transformational Space Corporation LLC; Eric Anderson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Space Adventures, Ltd.; Francis A. DiBello, President & Chief Executive Officer, Florida Aerospace Finance Corporation; Dr. Samuel T. Durrance, Executive Director, Florida Space Research Institute, Inc.; James W. Kennedy, Director, John F. Kennedy Space Center, National Aeronautics & Space Administration; Adrian Lafitte, Director, Florida Government Relations, Lockheed Martin Corporation; CAPT Winston E. Scott, USN (Retired), Executive Director, Florida Space Authority; and Patricia Grace Smith, Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration. The event intends to draw attendees from throughout Florida’s diverse space community and from the space sector nationwide. Florida Space 2005 will build on the best features of Space Congress and the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Symposium, both long-time community space events now retired, and whose heritage will be honored at this inaugural event conducted by the Space Foundation. Early bird registration rates are available until Oct. 14.

About the Space Foundation Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, the Space Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that vigorously advances civil, commercial, and national security space endeavors and educational excellence. The Space Foundation has offices in Washington, D.C., and Cape Canaveral, Fla. In addition to Florida Space 2005, the Space Foundation annually conducts, along with its partnering organizations, Strategic Space 2005, Oct. 4-6, in Omaha, Neb., and the National Space Symposium, April 3-6, 2006, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. For more information, visit www.SpaceFoundation.org.