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AAAS Symposium: 50 Years of the Space Age: Looking Back, Looking Forward

50 Years of the Space Age: Looking Back, Looking Forward Symposium 180-084
Friday, Feb 15, 2008 8:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
Sheraton Boston Second Floor, Back Bay Ballroom A
In October 1957, the Soviet launch of Sputnik officially ushered in the space age. Nearly a year later, the Eisenhower administration created NASA, with the goal of accelerating the U.S. space program. The space race between two Cold War adversaries led to unprecedented levels of technological achievements and scientific advances. It also transformed math and science education and catalyzed the creation of a generation of scientists and engineers. Exploration of the outer reaches has taught us more about the universe, and Earth observations from space have taught us more about the earth than we could ever imagine. Over the past 50 years, space has become not only a place for science discovery but it has represented the pinnacle of international cooperation. All this time, the nature of space exploration has changed, involving more countries, and today, bringing in the private sector and individual entrepreneurs, who aim to make space accessible to all. Looking forward to the next 50 years, activities and discoveries in space will change, as will the nature and number of those involved in the enterprise of space.
Cherry Murray, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA Symposium Co-Organizer
Vaughan Turekian, AAAS International Office, Washington, DC Symposium Co-Organizer
Roger Launius, National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC Moderator
Roald Sagdeev, University of Maryland, College Park, MD It All Started With Sputnik
Gilberto Câmara, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Brazilia, Brazil Space as a Research Platform
Kathy Sullivan, Battelle Center for Math and Science Education Policy, Columbus, OH Perspectives from a Shuttle Astronaut
Andrew Aldrin, United Launch Alliances, Seal Beach, CA Role of the Private Sector In Space
Feb. 3, 2008