Diverse Panel of Experts Selected to Serve as Space Technology Hall of Fame Judges

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sep. 21, 2009) — The Space Foundation’s 2010 Space Technology Hall of Fame® inductees will be selected by an impressive panel of judges that comprise a senior NASA advisor, U.S. and European space policy experts, executives of major aerospace companies, the superintendent of one of Colorado’s largest school districts, a famed aerospace journalist, and a senior member of Germany’s national research center for aeronautics and space.

The prestigious Space Technology Hall of Fame honors innovations by organizations and individuals who transform space technology into commercial products that improve life on Earth.

The 2010 judges, selected for their diverse and wide-reaching perspectives on space and technology, are:

• Jeff Carr, director of communications and public relations, United Space Alliance
• Jurgen Drescher, Ph.D., head of the Washington, D.C., office of DLR, Germany’s national research center for aeronautics and space.
• Nicholas Gledich, Ed.D., superintendent of Colorado Springs School District 11
• Alan Ladwig, senior advisor to the NASA Administrator
• Agnieszka Lukaszczyk, co-chairperson of the Space Generation Advisory Council and space policy consultant, Secure World Foundation
• Miles O’Brien, aerospace journalist
• Kay Sears, president, IntelSat General
• The Honorable Robert Walker, former congressman and executive chairman, Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates
   

The Space Foundation, in cooperation with NASA, established the Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1988 to increase public awareness of the down-to-Earth benefits that result from space exploration programs and to encourage further innovation. Since that time, 61 technologies have been inducted.

The judges select inductees based on economic benefit, public awareness, societal benefit, longevity, and public/private/partnership investment.

Inducted technologies include energy-saving technologies, life-saving medical devices, health improvement technologies, satellite and telecommunication technologies, and practical commercial devices. Some noteworthy examples are the automatic external defibrillator; non-invasive breast biopsy technology; MRI and CAT scan imaging; anti-shock garments; LASIK eye surgery; implantable pacemakers and hearing aids; and technologies that power cellular phones, terrestrial networks, and satellite broadcast television and radio communications.

The 2009 inductees were a life-saving food supplement derived from algae and space shuttle-based aerodynamic vehicle design that has revolutionized large trucks.

Award ceremonies for the 2010 inductees and honorees will be part of the 26th National Space Symposium, which will be held at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 12-15, 2010. Conducted by the Space Foundation, the symposium is the premier annual gathering of the global space community.

Additional information about the Space Technology Hall of Fame, including a complete list of inducted technologies, is available at www.SpaceTechHallofFame.org.

The Space Certification Program, a companion effort of the Space Foundation, further communicates the positive impact of spin-off technologies by providing special recognition to companies with products and services that are tied to space exploration. Qualified products display an official seal, clearly identifying them to the public as examples of how everyone benefits from space programs. For more information and lists of certified products representing the technology, education, and entertainment sectors go to www.SpaceConnection.org.

About the Space Foundation
The Space Foundation is an international, nonprofit organization and the foremost advocate for all sectors of the space industry – civil, commercial, and national security. Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a leader in space awareness activities, space-related educational programs, and industry events, all in support of its mission “to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable, and propel humanity.” An expert in all aspects of the global space industry, the Space Foundation publishesThe Space Report 2009: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity and provides three indices that track daily performance of the space industry. The Space Foundation will sponsor the Strategic Space Symposium with USSTRATCOM Nov. 2-4 in Omaha, Neb., and the 26th National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, April 12-15, 2010. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, the Space Foundation 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. For more information, visit www.SpaceFoundation.org. Follow us on Twitter: SpaceFoundation.

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