AIAA to Present Premier Lectureships and Technical Excellence Awards During ASCEND Written 5 November 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the premier lectureships and technical excellence awards to be presented during ASCEND, AIAA’s space ecosystem event, which will be held online 16–18 November. Register now for full access at the best available rate.
von Kármán Lectureship in Astronautics
Thomas H. Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, has been awarded the 2020 von Kármán Lectureship in Astronautics. Named in honor of Theodore von Kármán, a world-famous authority on aerospace sciences, the lectureship honors an individual who has performed notably and distinguished themselves technically in the field of astronautics.
Zurbuchen will deliver his lecture “NASA's Science Program: Civilization Class Science with Societal Benefits” on Monday, 16 November, 1500–1600 hrs ET. This lecture will be recorded and available on demand.
David W. Thompson Lectureship in Space Commerce
The 2019 David W. Thompson Lectureship in Space Commerce awardee recipient, Eddy Hartenstein, founding CEO of DirecTV and current lead independent director of Sirius XM Radio, will deliver his postponed lecture on the topic of “Communications Satellites — Then, Now, and Where Next?” on 16 November, 1200 hrs ET. This lecture will be recorded and available on-demand.
Hartenstein is a visionary business leader with a distinguished career in the satellite and media industries. In addition to his 40 years of expertise in satellite communications, he served as chairman of Tribune Publishing and President and CEO of the Los Angeles Times. He currently serves as a board member at Broadcom (where he is also lead independent director). Hartenstein is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Consumer Electronics Association Hall of Fame. He received an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for lifetime achievement.
The Thompson Lectureship in Space Commerce recognizes a prominent industry leader or senior management team (up to three individuals) who have created or grown a space-related business and generated substantial economic benefits and market value. The award is sponsored and endowed by Orbital ATK Inc., to commemorate the long and distinguished career of commercial space pioneer, David W. Thompson.
The following aerospace professionals will be recognized for their outstanding contributions in their field having been chosen by their peers from related AIAA technical committees.
AIAA Space Systems Award
InSight Flight Team at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory is being presented with the 2020 AIAA Space Systems Award for “excellence in development and operations of the InSight mission to Mars, the first mission to explore the deep interior of Mars.” This award will be accepted by Thomas Hoffman and Bruce Banerdt of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
AIAA Space Science Award
Cold Atom Laboratory Team is being presented with the 2020 AIAA Space Science Award for “developing and delivering the highly innovative Cold Atom Laboratory to the ISS and for seminal scientific achievements.” This award will be accepted by Robert J. Thompson, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Eric Cornell, University of Colorado.
AIAA von Braun Award for Excellence in Space Program Management
Parker Solar Probe Program Management Team at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is being presented with the 2020 AIAA von Braun Award for Excellence in Space Program Management for the “daunting science mission that demanded exceptional program management skills to balance science requirements, budgets and launch window, and engineering development.” This award will be accepted by Andy Driesman, Patrick Hill, and Kim Cooper, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
Media contact: Rebecca B. Gray, RebeccaG@aiaa.org, 804.397.5270
Updated November 16, 2020
About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.