NASA Officials Speak At Space Station And Mars Conference

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill
Gerstenmaier and other NASA officials are scheduled to speak April 6
and 7 at the International Space Station and Mars Conference.
Gerstenmaier is scheduled to speak during a dinner that begins at 7
p.m. on April 6.

The conference will explore the links between research, operations and
technology development aboard the space station, human spaceflight
and exploration beyond low Earth orbit, with the ultimate goal of
reaching Mars.

Explore Mars is hosting the conference April 6-7 at the Jack Morton
Auditorium at George Washington University in Washington. Explore
Mars is a non-profit group that promotes science and technology
innovation and education related to Mars exploration.

"The International Space Station offers the only in-space platform to
expand our knowledge of human health and survival in space and reduce
the development and operational risk of the systems needed for future
missions," said Sam Scimemi, deputy for the International Space
Station Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington and a conference
speaker.

The program's objective is for a wide variety of experts to discuss
the opportunities and challenges of using the station to advance
human and robotic exploration and the science of Mars.

"The space station will be a central part of our human spaceflight
program for at least the next decade," said Chris Carberry, executive
director of Explore Mars. "We hope we can show that by setting
long-term goals for the space station and the space program, we will
be able to magnify the short-term benefits here on Earth."

Other agency speakers include James Garvin, chief scientist at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.; Dr. Richard S.
Williams, chief health and medical officer at NASA Headquarters; and
Bret Drake, architect for the Exploration Missions and Systems Office
at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. John Grunsfeld, former
NASA astronaut and current deputy director of the Space Telescope
Science Institute in Baltimore also will make remarks.

For registration and conference information, visit:

http://iss.exploremars.org

For information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Source: NASA

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