NRO Director Bruce Carlson Slated for 28th National Space Symposium

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 7, 2011) — National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Director Bruce Carlson, will be a featured speaker at the 28th National Space Symposium, to be held April 16-19 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Presented by the Space Foundation, the 28th National Space Symposium brings together all sectors of space to highlight accomplishments and address opportunities and issues facing the global space community today. The Symposium offers presentations and panels covering all aspects of space, plus special events and presentation of several prestigious space-related awards.

About Carlson
The 17th director of the NRO, Carlson directs the agency responsible for space reconnaissance systems, intelligence-related U.S. national security activities and collection from space.

Carlson’s career includes a broad range of military, space and intelligence assignments. He was commissioned as an Air Force officer after graduating with distinction from the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

A command pilot with more than 3,700 flying hours in ten different aircraft, his flying assignments included commanding the Air Force’s first stealth fighter wing, the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman AFB, N.M. His staff assignments included positions at Tactical Air Command, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and the offices of the Secretary of the Air Force and Secretary of Defense. He also served as the director of force structure, resources and assessment on the Joint Staff; commander of the 8th Air Force, Barksdale AFB, La.; and Joint Functional Component Commander for Space and Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.

Prior to his retirement from the U.S. Air Force, Carlson served as Commander Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, which is responsible developing, testing, acquiring, and sustaining Air Force weapons systems. He was promoted from Lieutenant General to General in 2005.

Among Carlson’s many awards and decorations are the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Order of the Sword, Air Force Materiel Command. He holds a master’s degree from Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.

About the NRO
Headquartered in Chantilly, Va., the NRO is a joint DOD-Intelligence Community organization responsible for developing, launching, and operating America’s signals, imagery, and communications intelligence satellites. Using NRO data, the NSA, NGA, and NRO mission partners produce intelligence products for the President, Congress, national policymakers, warfighers and civil users.

Carlson reports to both the director of national intelligence and the secretary of defense, for whom he is the principal advisor for overhead reconnaissance. The NRO was established in 1961 as a classified DoD department and was declassified in 1992.

Super Early Bird Rate Now Available
The Space Foundation is offering a Super Early Bird rate with up to $500 in savings for industry attendees who register before Jan. 13, 2012. 28th National Space Symposium details, including the initial agenda, how to get the Super Early Bird rate and how to register securely online can be found at www.NationalSpaceSymposium.org.

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 Foundation
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 indexes 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 Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and read about the latest space news and Space Foundation activities in Space Watch.