Air Force Space Command Leader to Speak at 28th National Space Symposium

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 10, 2011) — Gen. William L. Shelton, USAF, commander, Air Force Space Command, will be a featured speaker at the Space Foundation’s 28th National Space Symposium, which is set for April 16-19 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. He is currently slated to speak Tuesday afternoon, April 17. Shelton joins a dynamic roster of speakers and leaders of the global space community confirmed for the 28th National Space Symposium, including:

• Bruce A. Carlson, director, National Reconnaissance Office 
• Jean-Jacques Dordain, director general, European Space Agency 
• Gen. C. Robert Kehler, USAF, commander, United States Strategic Command
• Letitia A. Long, director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency 
• Clayton Mowry, president, Arianespace, Inc. 
• Gwynne Shotwell, president, SpaceX
• William H. Swanson, chairman and chief executive officer, Raytheon Company

Full details and speaker biographies are available on the 28th National Space Symposium website and will be updated as additional speakers confirm their participation.

The National Space Symposium offers presentations and panels covering all aspects of space, plus special events and presentation of several prestigious space-related awards.

About Shelton
As commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., Shelton is responsible for organizing, equipping, training and maintaining mission-ready space and cyberspace forces and capabilities for North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Strategic Command and other combatant commands around the world. He leads more than 46,000 professionals, assigned to 88 locations worldwide and deployed to an additional 35 global locations.

He entered the Air Force in 1976 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has served in various assignments, including research and development testing, space operations and staff work. He has commanded at the squadron, group, wing and numbered air force levels, and served on the staffs at major command headquarters, Air Force headquarters and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Before assuming his current position, Shelton was assistant vice chief of staff and director, Air Staff, U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., and chief of warfighting integration and chief information officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in astronautical engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., a Master of Science degree in astronautical engineering, U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and a Master of Science degree in national security strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

See more about Air Force Space Command at www.afspc.af.mil.

28th National Space Symposium Co-Sponsors
Confirmed co-sponsors include: Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI); ATK; Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.; Blue Ridge Networks; Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB); Moog; Northrop Grumman; Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne; Raytheon; SES Government Solutions. Aviation Week and Space News are the official media partners. Sponsorship information can be found at: www.NationalSpaceSymposium.org.

About the Space Foundaton
The foremost advocate for the space industry and an expert in all aspects of space, the Space Foundation is a global, nonprofit leader in space awareness, 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.” 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. Founded in 1983 and 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 about the latest space news and Space Foundation activities in Space Watch.