The Early Bird Gets $175 discount on 25th National Space Symposium Registration until Feb. 27

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 23, 2009) — Just five days remain to take advantage of the special Early Bird Registration rate for the 25th National Space Symposium. The Symposium, scheduled to take place at The Broadmoor Hotel, March 30 – April 2, 2009, is the premier gathering of the global space community and draws leaders from all sectors of space to detail, discuss, and dream about the future of space.

Individuals who register and pay in full by midnight Feb. 27 will receive the Early Bird Registration rate, a $175 savings off standard industry registration. Secure registration is available online at www.NationalSpaceSymposium.org/register or by calling (800) 691-4000.

Presented by the Space Foundation, the symposium brings together all sectors of space – civil, commercial, national security, new space entrepreneurship, and finance – to highlight accomplishments and address opportunities and issues facing the global space community today. With its theme The Next Space Age, this year’s program focuses on major shifts in the economies, philosophies, and mechanics of the global space industry.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Francois Auque, CEO, EADS-Astrium;
• Anousheh Ansari, private space explorer and space ambassador;
• Jean-Jacques Dordain, director general, European Space Agency;
• Mary Glackin, deputy under secretary for Oceans and Atmospheres, NOAA;
• Lt. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, USAF (Retired);
• Lt. Gen. Larry D. James, USAF, commander, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Air Force Space Command and commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, United States Strategic Command;
• Gen. C. Robert Kehler, USAF, commander, Air Force Space Command;
• Scott Large, director, National Reconnaissance Office;
• Maj. Gen. William T. Lord, USAF, commander, Air Force Cyberspace Command (Provisional)
• Steve MacLean, Ph.D., president, Canadian Space Agency
• Vice Adm. Carl V. Mauney, USN, deputy commander, U.S. Strategic Command;
• Elon Musk, chairman and CEO, SpaceX;
• Lt. Gen. John T. “Tom” Sheridan, commander, Space and Missile Systems, Center of the Air Force Space Command;
• David W. Thompson, chairman and chief executive officer, Orbital Sciences Corporation;
• Alvin Toffler, futurist and author;
• Paul L. Weissenberg, Ph.D., director and coordinator for Aerospace, Security and Defence, European Commission;
• A panel representing 20+ years of U.S. Space Command leadership; and
• A panel featuring the newest generation of young space leaders.

The 25th National Space Symposium features a spectacular Opening Ceremony; Congressional Luncheon; Corporate Partnership Dinner; presentation of the Space Foundation’s highest honor at the General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award Luncheon; and the Space Technology Hall of Fame Dinner, which honors technologies, organizations, and individuals for transforming space technology into commercial products that improve life on Earth.

The symposium also includes extensive programs for selected teachers and students, a space technology career fair, and the Boeing Exhibit Centers representing more than 140 organizations and companies.

More than 7,500 registrants, guests, speakers, exhibitors, and media representatives from around the world are expected to attend the 25th National Space Symposium. Participants come from civil space and government agencies, including NASA and NOAA; the aerospace, commercial space, and satellite broadcasting industries; the Department of Defense and military space commands; entrepreneurial space ventures; and universities and academia. Together, they represent the future and history of the $251 billion space industry.

Co-sponsors of the symposium include The Aerospace Corporation, Aerojet, a.i. solutions, Analytical Graphics, Inc., ATK, ARES Corporation, ASRC Federal, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boeing, Braxton Technologies, Cisco Systems, Inc., Cobham, General Dynamics, Hitachi Consulting, Honeywell, IBM, Infinite Links, Intelsat General Corporation, International Space University, ITT, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, The Mitre Corporation, Northrop Grumman, Pikes Peak Workforce Center, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Raytheon, Regis University, SAIC, SEAKR Engineering, Inc., SERCO, Stellar Solutions, United Launch Alliance, United Space Alliance, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Webster University. Media partners are Aviation Week, Space News, and Via Satellite.

Online registration and more information, including an updated program agenda, confirmed speaker list, and exhibitor list, are available at www.NationalSpaceSymposium.org.

About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is an international nonprofit organization advancing space-related endeavors to inspire, enable, and propel humanity. A leader in space awareness activities, major industry events, and educational enterprises that bring space into the classroom, the Space Foundation is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo. It conducts research and analysis and government affairs activities from its Washington, D.C., office and has field representatives in Houston, Texas, and Cape Canaveral, Fla. In addition to the 25th National Space Symposium, the Space Foundation, along with partnering organizations, will also conduct Space Business Forum: New York on June 4, 2009, in New York, N.Y., and Strategic Space and Defense 2009 from Oct. 6 – 8, 2009, in Omaha, Neb. For more information, visit www.SpaceFoundation.org.

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