Celebrate Colorado's Achievements in Space at the Colorado Space Heroes Hall of Fame Gala

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 21, 2016) - The public is invited to a new black-tie event celebrating all aspects of Colorado's contributions in space.

The first Colorado Space Heroes Hall of Fame Gala will be held Friday, Oct. 7, at Mile High Station in Denver. The gala will benefit science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in Colorado, and will honor the first inductees into the new Colorado Space Heroes Hall of Fame. The honorees are:

• General James V. Hartinger, USAF (Ret.), for his work as Commander in Chief, North American Air Defense Command, Commander in Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command, and as the first Commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command
• Ronald M. Sega, Ph.D., for his work as a NASA astronaut; Professor and Director, Systems Engineering Programs, Colorado State University; Director of Defense Research & Engineering; and leadership in the U.S. Air Force Reserve (retired Major General)
• Alan Stern, Ph.D., for leading NASA's New Horizons mission to the Pluto system and the Kuiper Belt, his work as a planetary scientist, space program executive, aerospace consultant and author; named to the Time 100 in 2007 and 2016
• The Honorable Peter B. Teets, for his work on space programs at Martin Marietta; for his leadership as President of Martin Marietta Denver Aerospace, and President of Martin Marietta Space Group; his global industry leadership as President and Chief Operating Officer of Lockheed Martin Corp.; and his service as 13th Director of the National Reconnaissance Office and Under Secretary of the U.S. Air Force

In addition to meeting the honorees, members of the public attending the gala will also have the opportunity to meet the Colorado-based astronauts who will attend, including: Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), former NASA astronaut and former Commander, U.S. Strategic Command; and Col. Gary Eugene Payton, USAF (Ret.), former NASA astronaut and instructor, U.S. Air Force Academy.

The Space Foundation, a global non-profit organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, created the Colorado Space Heroes Hall of Fame to inspire future space heroes, to celebrate those who have contributed most significantly to the development and success of Colorado's space economy and to highlight Colorado's role as as a hub for all things space, including:

• ranking first in the U.S. in number of aerospace employees;
• having the nation's third-largest aerospace economy; and
• serving as the U.S. center for military space.

See ticket information and sponsorship availability at Colorado Space Heroes.

The Colorado Space Heroes Hall of Fame will live virtually on the internet, and may later find a permanent physical presence at the Space Foundation Discovery Center space museum and education center in Colorado Springs.

About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is the foremost advocate for all sectors of space, and is a global, nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium, in support of its mission "to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable and propel humanity." Space Foundation World Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere® and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a Washington, D.C., office and field representatives in Houston and the Florida Space Coast. It publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification^TM and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit both of our websites -- www.SpaceFoundation.org and www.DiscoverSpace.org -- and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, Flickr and YouTube, and read our e-newsletter Space Watch.