NASA to sponsor 2005 international space development conference

Michael Braukus/J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington April 6, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-1979/5241)

George Whitesides/Jeremy Pyle
National Space Society, Washington
(Phone: 202/429-1600/415/713-6272)

RELEASE: 05-090

NASA TO SPONSOR 2005 INTERNATIONAL SPACE DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

NASA will sponsor the National Space Society's International Space
Development Conference (ISDC), May 19-22, in Washington.

"We are honored to have NASA join us at this year's ISDC," said George
Whitesides, the society's executive director. "With NASA joining a lineup of
leading scientists, entrepreneurs and visionaries, we can together best
describe the importance of space exploration," he said.

Driven by the theme "Your Ticket to Space," the conference will examine how
commercial and government space efforts are enabling citizens to participate
and engage in space in unprecedented ways.

"Sponsoring the society's conference gives NASA a tremendous opportunity to
speak with people about the Vision for Space Exploration and the many
benefits generated by space exploration in health and medicine, industry and
environmental protection," said Craig Steidle, NASA's associate
administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.

NASA will run a "Benefits of Space Exploration" track during the conference
that will include specialists from in and outside of NASA. NASA speakers
include Steidle, Dr. James Garvin, NASA's chief scientist; and Mary Kicza,
NASA associate deputy administrator for Systems Integration.

Speakers from many walks of life will present stories of how space
exploration led to products that benefit people on Earth, such as:

- Space suit technology that has given children afflicted with an unusual
disease a new lease on life.
- Technology used to monitor astronaut health in space that has been used by
doctors to help treat people in remote regions across the globe.
- Microspheres that have been used by industry to clean up major oil spills.
- Digital implantable hearing aid technology that has restored hearing to
over 60,000 people.

The conference will take place at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington,
Va. For more information about the conference, including online
registration, hotel information and a call for papers on the Internet,
visit:

http://isdc.nss.org/2005/

For more information about NASA on the Internet, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/

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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info