Coalition for Space Exploration Offers Industry Experts as Nasa Celebrates Its

50th Anniversary

WHAT: NASA turns 50 -- This year marks the 50th anniversary of

NASA, established on Oct. 1, 1958.

In anticipation of coverage for this milestone in U.S.

history, the Coalition for Space Exploration

(http://www.spacecoalition.com/) is pleased to

offer numerous space industry icons who can provide detailed

accounts and reflection on the past 50 years of U.S.

space exploration and insight into the next 50. Specific

topics may include:

-- U.S. space exploration plan of returning to Moon,

traveling to Mars and beyond

-- NASA budget issues

-- Importance of a robust space exploration program

-- Upcoming gap in American spaceflight, access to

International Space Station

-- Importance of exploration to education

-- Technologies and products derived from space

-- Gen Y perspective on future of space exploration

WHO: Board of advisors:

-- Dr. Guy Bluford Jr. -- first African American to fly in

space in 1983; mission specialist on four space shuttle

missions (STS-8, STS-61A, STS-39, STS-53); currently

president of The Aerospace Technology Group (aerospace

technology and business consultation firm)

-- Bob Crippen -- pilot of first space shuttle mission

(STS-1); commander of three other space shuttle missions

(STS-7, STS-41C, STS-41G); former director of the Kennedy

Space Center in Florida

-- Roger Crouch -- scientist and payload specialist on two

space shuttle missions in 1997; served as a program

scientist on five different Spacelab flights; helped

organize and has served as co-chair for Microgravity

Science Working Groups between NASA and space agencies

from the European Union, France, Germany, Japan and Russia

-- The Honorable Jake Garn -- first member of Congress to fly

in space (former U.S. Senator from Utah); chairman of

Global Space

-- Gerald "Gerry" Griffin -- former NASA flight director for

Apollo program; former director of the Johnson Space

Center in Houston; former deputy director of both the

Kennedy Space Center and Dryden Flight Research Center;

associate administrator for external relations and

assistant administrator for legislative affairs at NASA

headquarters

-- Dr. Bernard Harris -- first African American to walk in

space; mission specialist (STS-55) and payload commander

(STS-63); former vice president/chief scientist of

SPACEHAB Inc.; vice president of business development for

Space Media Inc.; currently president/CEO of Vesalius

Ventures Inc. (a venture capital accelerator for Medical

Informatics and Technology); founder of the Harris

Foundation

-- Gene Kranz -- former flight director for NASA through

Apollo program (including Apollo 11 and 13), as well as

the Gemini and Skylab programs; former director of Mission

Operations at Johnson Space Center

-- Jim Lovell -- former NASA astronaut; most famous as the

commander of Apollo 13, which suffered an explosion en

route to the Moon but safely brought back to Earth;

command module pilot of Apollo 8, the first Apollo mission

to enter lunar orbit; recipient of the Congressional Space

Medal of Honor

-- Dr. Glynn Lunney -- 27 years with NASA as flight director,

program director of Apollo spacecraft office, program

manager for Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and Space Shuttle;

more than 20 years of private sector experience with

aerospace companies (including United Space Alliance)

-- Dr. Paul Spudis -- geologist and lunar scientist; former

principal investigator in the solar system exploration

division/planetary geology program at the NASA Office of

Space Science; currently senior staff scientist at Johns

Hopkins University

Educator board members:

-- Crystal Bloemen -- educator for more than 27 years;

spearheaded the addition of an aerospace and aeronautics

elective course at Euclid Middle School and facilitated a

partnership of the Littleton school district with Lockheed

Martin to support Space Day; received Civil Air Patrol's

Aerospace Education Award four times; Crown Circle winner

for her accomplishments in aerospace education

-- Penny Glackman -- elementary school teacher with nearly 40

years of experience; participated in the Science Training

for Enhancing Leadership and Learning through

Accomplishments in Research (STELLAR) program at NASA Ames

Center, as an Associate Teacher; part of the National

Space Biomedical Research Institute Teacher Academy

Project; participated in Students On-Line Atmospheric

Research (SOLAR) program at NASA Langley Research Center

in 2002

Gen Y board members:

-- Kelly Billon -- student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical

University; team leader for 2007 NASA Means Business

competition, in which her team tied for first place; Deans

List; peer mentor; named Who's Who Among American College

Students

-- Joshua Neubert -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology

(MIT) graduate with a Master and Bachelor of Science;

currently the X PRIZE CUP event coordinator for the X

PRIZE foundation; current member of the National Space

Society and the Space Frontier Foundation.

-- Damaris Sarria -- employed by The Boeing Company at

Kennedy Space Center in the Orbiter's Thermal Protection

Systems division; holds a Master and Bachelor of Science

from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Texas A&M

University, respectively; details her dream of becoming an

astronaut on her blog, "How I Am Becoming an Astronaut"

-- Audrey Schaffer -- earned Master of Arts degree in

international science and technology policy at George

Washington University's Elliott School of International

Affairs; earned Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace

engineering from MIT; attended the International Space

University's Space Studies Program in Beijing

-- Alexander Stimpson -- University of Florida graduate with

a Bachelor of Science in biological engineering; presently

participates in a Mars greenhouse study for plant growth

in pressure-controlled environments; conducts tours of lab

experiments for 4-H, middle and high school students to

raise interest in engineering

-- Erika B. Wagner -- doctoral student in the Harvard/MIT

Health Sciences and Technology program; holds a master's

degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT and a

bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from

Vanderbilt University; science director for the Mars

Gravity Biosatellite

BACKGROUND: The Coalition for Space Exploration is a collaboration of

space industry businesses and advocacy groups whose mission

is to educate and inform the public on the value and benefits

of space exploration and to help ensure the United States

will remain a leader in space, science and technology -- key

factors that will benefit every American, strengthen our

nation's economy and maintain our national security.

CONTACT: Jaime Napoli

Griffin Integrated Marketing

(281) 335-0200

(281) 413-7062 (mobile)

jaime@griffinmktg.com

-or-

Deanna Wilke

Griffin Integrated Marketing

(281) 335-0200

(281) 881-2981 (mobile)

deanna@griffinmktg.com SOURCE Coalition for Space Exploration

-0- 05/05/2008 P

/PRNewswire -- May 5/

/Web site: http://www.spacecoalition.com /