ISPCS UNVEILS 2009 THEME: “DELIVERING ON THE PROMISE OF SPACEFLIGHT FOR MANKIND"
International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) Chair Patricia Hynes today unveiled the theme for the organization’s October 21-22, 2009 Symposium: “Delivering on the Promise of Spaceflight for Mankind.”
“Our theme basically wrote itself this year,” said Hynes. “There have been so many significant announcements and important leaps forward for our industry in recent months. It is clear that personal and commercial spaceflight is here to stay. Just take a look at what was achieved in December alone,” Hynes said.
Recent industry highlights include:
• Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo conducted its first successful hour-long flight departing the runway at roughly 8:17 a.m. PST on December 21st, safely touching down at the Mojave Air and Space Port at approximately 9:17 a.m. PST. Designed to carry space tourists, the craft will ultimately fly to approximately 50,000 feet with a spaceship suspended beneath its wing.
• New Mexico announced that Virgin Galactic signed a 20 year lease agreement with the state. Virgin Galactic’s world headquarters will be established in New Mexico and its operations will be located at New Mexico’s Spaceport America (NMSA), the nation’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport.
• The Federal Aviation Administration issued a launch license to the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA). The lease agreement with an anchor tenant was the final requirement set by the New Mexico Legislature to deliver the next level of funding for Spaceport America; construction could begin as early as this month.
"The SpaceX team is honored to have been selected by NASA as the winner of the Cargo Resupply Services contract," said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO, SpaceX. This is another significant accomplishment for our industry and our country. SpaceX has met development goals and has been awarded the next phase in the COTS program.
“Our theme is designed to support the vehicle developers and entrepreneurs who are persisting through this economy, staying on their timelines and delivering on their promises to their customers.” Hynes said. ISPCS 2009 has emerged as a focal point for the leading organizations and high level achievers in the personal and commercial spaceflight industry.
ISPCS is the industry’s leading gathering for the visionaries and builders delivering the promise of spaceflight for mankind. ISPCS features informative sessions, networking opportunities and provides attendees with the latest news, trends, best practices, and case studies that demonstrate personal and commercial spaceflight is a emerging sector within the aerospace industry.
Held each October in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA, ISPCS is organized by the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, a member of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
For more information on ISPCS 2009, please go to www.ispcs.com.