Space Foundation to Launch Women's Global Gathering at the 33rd Space Symposium

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 23, 2017) – A new event has been added to the Space Foundation’s Space Symposium for 2017. The inaugural Women’s Global Gathering will provide a unique opportunity to hear about the accomplishments and opportunities for women in the space industry, and is open to Space Symposium registrants and non-registrants.   
 
Scheduled for the last day of the 33rd Space Symposium on Thursday, April 6, from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m., at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, the featured speaker will be Gen. Ellen M. Pawlikowski, USAF, Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

The Gathering will include a luncheon, followed by a panel of senior leaders, sharing their insights into the important role of women in the exploration of space. The panel moderator is Dr. Alice Bunn, Director of Policy at the UK Space Agency and member of the Space Foundation Board of Directors. The panelists are:

• Maj. Gen. Nina M. Armagno, USAF, Director of Strategic Plans, Programs, Requirements and Analysis, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base
• Dr. Pascale Ehrenfreund, Chair of the Executive Board, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
• Maureen Ryan O’Brien, Manager, Strategic Alliances, Office of Communications, NASA Headquarters
• Susan Opp, President, Space & Power Sector, L3 Technologies
• Becky Yoder, CPA, Chief Executive Officer, Surrey Satellite Technology U.S.

“I am honored to be invited to be a member of the panel of experts for this luncheon. I look forward to sharing my many positive experiences as a woman in the industry, and interests in aerospace and satellite communications,” said Susan Opp, President, Space & Power Sector, L3 Technologies.

William Gattle, President, Harris Space and Intelligence Systems, also expressed his support for this new event. “We are pleased to sponsor the Women’s Global Gathering 2017 at the Space Symposium. At Harris, we encourage innovation born from diverse thinking. Our talented team shapes the future of space innovation. Harris provides capabilities for critical missions ranging from space exploration to defense to Earth remote sensing. The women and men of Harris are committed to globally connect, inform and protect.”

The Broadmoor is also supporting this new event. “Pioneers like Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson were among the first African-American women to work for NASA during the space race in the 1950s and 1960s; pilots Jerrie Cobb and Jacqueline Cochran were the first women to pass the same physical examinations in 1961 as part of NASAs astronaut selection process, paving the way for Sally Ride in space in 1983,” said Jack Damioli, ‎President and CEO at The Broadmoor. “As we host this 33rd annual Space Symposium gathering, I can’t think of a better way to honor the integral role today’s women play in the exploration of space than to be a sponsor of this important event.”

Registration for the 33rd Space Symposium, and for Women’s Global Gathering luncheon, is available at https://www.spacesymposium.org/register.

Sponsorship
Co-sponsors for the Women’s Global Gathering are Harris Corporation, L3 Technologies and The Broadmoor.

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.

# # #

Space Foundation contact:   
Carol Hively, Director – Public Relations & Team Communications
[email protected]