Space Foundation Seeks Nominations for Distinguished Space Awards

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sep. 27, 2011) — Who has made a lasting impact in the space industry? The Space Foundation annually recognizes outstanding accomplishments in three categories: space exploration; creating a positive public environment for space; and space achievement — and is seeking nominations from the general public.

The Space Foundation will award these honors at the 28th National Space Symposium, to be held April 16-19, 2012, at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. The nomination deadline is Oct. 31, 2011.

The John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration
The John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration honors astronaut Jack Swigert, a Colorado native who served with retired U.S. Navy Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., and Fred Haise on the legendary Apollo 13 lunar mission, which was aborted en route to the Moon after the perilous rupture of an oxygen tank.

The award is given to an individual or organization for extraordinary accomplishment in the field of space exploration. To be eligible, the nominee must have either accomplished or completed the activity or completed the analysis of the activity during the 2010-2011 timeframe.

The Space Foundation, founded in 1983 in part to honor Swigert’s memory, created the Swigert Award in 2004 in tribute to his lasting legacy of space exploration. Previous recipients include NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander Team, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), The California Institute of Technology, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA’s Mars Exploration Team from JPL, President George W. Bush and the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission team.

The Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award
The Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award’s namesake was an Academy Award® winning writer and producer, space advocate and Space Foundation Board member.

The award recognizes an individual or organization that has created a positive public environment for space and increased understanding, awareness and interest in space to a significant segment of the general populace, either through a specific activity or a body of work.

The Morrow Award has a long list of distinguished recipients: astronaut Eileen Collins, actor/director Tom Hanks, the X PRIZE Foundation, LIFE magazine, space artist Robert T. McCall, Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Popular Science magazine, the crew of Space Shuttle Mission STS-95, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Cable News Network (CNN), actor/director Leonard Nimoy and in 2011 three space journalists: Jay Barbree, Marcia Dunn and William Harwood.

The Space Achievement Award
The Space Achievement Award is presented annually to an individual or organization for significant contributions in advancing the development or utilization of space. To be eligible, the nominee must have made a major contribution to space, such as releasing a new technology, significantly improving the performance or capabilities of an existing technology, creating new opportunities for space employment or advancement, or significantly advancing or improving space policy within the 2010-2011 timeframe.

Previous recipients include China’s Shenzhou 7 Manned Space Flight Team; the United States Air Force; Bigelow Aerospace; the U.S. Titan Launch Vehicle Team; the Inertial Upper Stage Team; the SpaceShipOne Team; the Ariane 4 Launch Team; the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Teams; the NASA/Industry Galileo Space Probe Team; the men and women of United States Space Command and its component organizations; the Hubble Space Telescope Team; Sea Launch; NASA-Boeing International Space Station Team; Gen. Thomas S. Moorman, Jr., USAF (Retired); Capt. James A Lovell, Jr., USN (Retired); the American Astronautical Society; Air University; the Hubble Space Telescope Repair Mission; and in 2011 SpaceX and Télécoms Sans Frontières.

To Submit Nominations
Submit nominations by Oct. 31, 2011, to [email protected], and include why the nominee should be considered as well as your own contact information.

About the 28th National Space Symposium
The annual Space Foundation National Space Symposium brings together all sectors of space to highlight accomplishments and address opportunities and issues facing the global space community today. The 28th National Space Symposium will feature forums, panels, presentations, speeches, special events and ample opportunity to hear from and network with the space community’s most influential leaders.

About the Space Foundation
The Space Foundation is a global, nonprofit organization and the foremost advocate for all sectors of the space industry – civil, commercial, military and intelligence. Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a leader in space awareness activities, educational programs that bring space into the classroom and major industry events, including the National Space Symposium, 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 publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity and provides three indices that track daily performance of the space industry. Through its Space Certification and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, the Space Foundation recognizes space-based technologies and innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, the Space Foundation conducts research and analysis and government affairs activities from its Washington, D.C., office and has a field office in Houston, Texas. For more information, visit www.SpaceFoundation.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and read Space Watch.

Pictured: Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham and Board Chairman Dr. William F. Ballhaus, Jr., present awards during the 27th National Space Symposium.