Space Foundation Honors NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission Team with John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 14, 2013) – The mission that had the nation holding its breath as it tested an ingenious, but never-before-used landing technique, and continues to amaze with new discoveries about Mars has been selected as the 2013 recipient of the Space Foundation’s John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration.

“We are recognizing the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission Team for its aggressive and technologically advanced exploration of another planet,” said Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham. “This incredible mission will yield valuable science about conditions on Mars and enable critical technologies for future missions.”

The award will be presented April 8 during the opening ceremony of the 29th National Space Symposium at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. The award is given annually to the person or organization that has made the most significant accomplishments in advancing the exploration of space during the previous year.

About the Award
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 after the perilous rupture of an oxygen tank en route to the Moon. Before joining the Apollo program, Swigert was a combat pilot for the U.S. Air Force in Japan and Korea and an engineering test pilot for North American Aviation, Inc., and Pratt and Whitney. In 1982, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but died of cancer before taking the oath of office.

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, the LCROSS mission and, in 2012, the NASA Kepler Mission.

About the Space Symposium
Presented by the Space Foundation, the Space Symposium offers presentations and panels covering all aspects of space. It is slated for April 8-11 at The Broadmoor Hotel, and is offered in conjunction with a separate Space Foundation event, Cyber 1.3, to be held during the day on April 8, immediately preceding the Space Symposium’s opening ceremony.

The registration rate for active duty military and government personnel has been lowered to 2010 pricing, now $790 for the four-day Space Symposium. An Early Bird Discount rate is in effect until March 15 for standard industry Space Symposium registration.

Register now for both events at www.NationalSpaceSymposium.org/register. The secure online registration page includes a live chat tab for customer service questions.

Cyber 1.3 and 29th National Space Symposium Co-Sponsors
Confirmed co-sponsors include: a.i. solutions; Aeroflex; Arianespace, Inc.; Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.; Barrios Technology; Blue Ridge Networks; Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau; General Dynamics; Global Technology Resources Inc. (GTRI); EADS North America; Fluor; GMV USA; Government Executive Media Group; Lockheed Martin; Maui Economic Development Board (MEBD); Moog; Müller-BBM VibroAkustik Systeme, Inc; Northrop Grumman; Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne; Raytheon; Secure World Foundation; SES Government Solutions; Space Systems/Loral; SpaceX; Stellar Solutions; The Boeing Company; United Launch Alliance. Official media partners include Aviation Week, SatNews Publishers and Space News. For questions about sponsorship, email [email protected].

About the Space Foundation
The foremost advocate for all sectors of the space industry and an expert in all aspects of space, the Space Foundation is a global, nonprofit 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.” The Space Foundation publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity and provides three indexes that track daily U.S. stock market 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. The Space Foundation was founded in 1983 and is based in Colorado Springs, Colo. Its world headquarters features a public Visitors Center with two main areas – the El Pomar Space Gallery and the Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere®. The Space Foundation also 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.

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