Opening Ceremony Features Entertainment, Awards

The 27th National Space Symposium kicked off April 11 with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring inspiring entertainment and awards.

The event, co-sponsored by Northrop Grumman, included remarks by Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham and Northrop Grumman Corporate Host Gary W. Ervin, corporate vice president & president, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, and presentation of prestigious Space Foundation Awards.

To see a video of the opening ceremony and to access videos of other key 27th National Space Symposium events, click here.

Awards Recognize Extraordinary Accomplishments
Charles County Public Schools (Maryland)  Superintendent James E. Richmond (pictured, top, with AMF President and CEO Dr. Stephen Feldman and Pulham), was presented the Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award, which is awarded annually by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Space Foundation in recognition of outstanding contributions to technology education by K-12 educators or district-level education personnel. The superintendent of a district with nearly 27,000 K-12 students, Richmond has launched multiple programs to help his students excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

SpaceX won a Space Achievement Award for becoming the first commercial company to re-enter a spacecraft from low-Earth orbit. Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer Elon Musk (pictured, second, with Pulham and Space Foundation Board Chairman Dr. William Ballhaus, Jr.) accepted.

Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) was recognized with a Space Achievement Award for its unique use of space to aid communications and save lives during natural disasters and emergencies. U.S. TSF Representative Paul Margie (pictured, third, with Pulham and Ballhaus) accepted.

Three space journalists, Jay Barbree of NBC News (pictured, fourth, with Ballhaus and Pulham),  Marcia Dunn of The Associated Press (pictured, bottom, with Ballhaus and Pulham) and William Harwood of CBS News, were honored with the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award for their long-time, insightful coverage of space, especially their coverage of the soon-to-be-retiring Space Shuttle. Dunn and Barbree were present to accept their awards; Harwood was unable to attend.

The opening ceremony was followed by the official opening of the Boeing Exhibit Center, which featured four display areas this year. The opening reception was co-sponsored by The SI Organization.

 

This article is part of Space Watch: May 2011 (Volume: 10, Issue: 5).