51 technical paper sessions, with 24 panels, and 5 plenary sessions, will establish the context of how important space has become at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ Space 2005 Conference and Exhibition at the Long Beach Convention Center, 30 August – 1 September.

It has just been announced that The Honorable Dr. Ronald E. Sega, Under Secretary of the Air Force, will remark on the current status and future direction of the U.S. Air Force at 5:30 p.m. on 30 August 2005.

Space 2005, AIAA’s premiere annual space conference, serves as a venue for senior government and industry leaders to address critical space issues. More than 1,000 attendees are expected to participate in the three-day conference, which will feature leading industry executives and government officials as key speakers.

This year’s forum addresses a broad array of topics in areas where recent lessons learned in space and in other areas endeavor to “expand the envelope,” such as:

  • New space initiatives envisioned by the DoD to support the warfighter and to achieve space superiority
  • NASA’s continuing Space Exploration Initiative to explore and expand ourhuman presence in space
  • New missions and systems for exploring space and monitoring the Earth
  • Launch industry outlook and perspectives
  • Spacecraft industrial base and market demand
  • Unique management challenges associated with space programs
  • Space mission assurance
  • Technology advances and implications for military and civil space applications
  • Policy and regulatory issues driving international cooperation and competition
  • Commercial space initiatives and their long-term potential
  • Education and workforce development

Another key component is a major educational and community outreach called “Education Alley,” which will have the first-ever public demonstration of the latest lunar exploration technology, the “Lunar Penguin.”

Hollywood star Wilmer Valderrama (Fez on That 70’s Show) and Boston Celtics basketball legend Bill Russell are expected to attend, along with a live penguin family.