2017 AIAA Space and Astronautics Forum and Exposition to be Held in Orlando, Florida Sept. 12-14 Written 28 August 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: John Blacksten
703.264.7532
johnb@aiaa.org

Five Frontiers in Planetary Exploration, Transformation of the Space Coast, On-Orbit Servicing, Industry Perspectives on Space Commercialization, an Evening of Astronaut Stories Highlight Agenda Items

August 28, 2017 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will hold its Space and Astronautics Forum and Exposition (AIAA SPACE Forum), September 12–14 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando, Orlando, Florida.

“Central Florida is home to a wealth of aerospace history and innovation and is the nation’s busiest gateway to space,” said Ray Lugo, director of the Florida Space Institute and 2017 AIAA SPACE Forum general chair. “This year’s SPACE Forum will expose attendees to perspectives and topics they won’t find anywhere else.”

Featuring more than a dozen plenaries, Forum 360 sessions, and lectures, and almost 400 technical presentations, the 2017 AIAA SPACE Forum is an international gathering that will bring together the aerospace community and industry leaders to exchange insights and collaborate on strategies for meeting the challenges of a rapidly evolving space industry, including key technologies for on-orbit servicing and manufacturing and deep space exploration.

The forum will kick off at 7:45 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, September 12, with an opening keynote by NASA Acting Administrator Robert M. Lightfoot Jr., followed by an important panel discussion on “Dealing with Complex Systems: How the Pendulum Has Swung from Apollo Through Today,” featuring Robert Lightfoot; Michael Ryschkewitsch, sector head, Space Exploration Sector, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory; Richard Cook, associate director, Flight Projects and Mission Success, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; David Giger, senior director, Dragon Development Engineering, SpaceX; and Jess Sponable, special assistant to military deputy, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology, and Engineering.

Additional plenary topics for the 2017 AIAA SPACE Forum include: "Industry Perspectives on Space Commercialization," and "Exploration Pioneers—A Langley Perspective on Past Challenges and Future Solutions.”

The Forum 360 panel discussions comprise: “Transformation of the Space Coast,” “NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate Strategic Framework,” “Commercial Crew Program Update,” “On-Orbit Servicing, Robotic Assembly, and Manufacturing,” “Global Partnerships in Space Exploration and Innovation,” “U.S. Launch Vehicles in the 2020s,” “Analogue Research,” and “Five Frontiers in Planetary Exploration.”

The forum will showcase two lectures: the von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics, featuring Samuel C. C. Ting, Thomas Dudley Cabot professor of Physics, MIT, who will present, “The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station: Unlocking the Secrets of the Cosmos”; and the William H. Pickering Lecture, featuring Edward C. Stone, David Morrisroe professor of Physics, and Voyager Project Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, who will discuss: “The Voyager Journey to Interstellar Space.”

On Wednesday, September 13, the AIAA Foundation will host an inspiring and exciting evening of astronaut stories, in which former astronauts Chris Ferguson, Steve Frick, Winston Scott, Tony Antonelli, and Sandy Magnus will share many of their experiences from their missions in space.

Other speakers for the forum include: Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager, Advanced Programs Division, Space Systems Group, Orbital ATK; Simonetta Di Pippo, director, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs; Stephen Jurczyk, associate administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA; and Justin Kugler, Business Development, Advanced Projects, Made In Space, Inc., among many more.

For more information on the 2017 AIAA SPACE Forum, please contact John Blacksten at 703.264.7532 or johnb@aiaa.org. Forum registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the press who must register here.

About AIAA
AIAA is nearly 30,000 engineers and scientists, and 95 corporate members, from 85 countries who are dedicated to advancing the global aerospace profession. The world’s largest aerospace technical society, the Institute convenes five yearly forums; publishes books, technical journals, and Aerospace America; hosts a collection of 160,000 technical papers; develops and maintains standards; honors and celebrates achievement; and advocates on policy issues. AIAA serves aerospace professionals around the world—who are shaping the future of aerospace—by providing the tools, insights, and collaborative exchanges to advance the state of the art in engineering and science for aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, or follow us on Twitter @AIAA.