Military and civilian experts from throughout the country have been invited to speak at the symposium, which will be held at the Embassy Suites Conference Center. The Air University Space Education Symposium 2007 aims to help educators address the challenges for building a shared, graduate-level educational foundation.

The Chinese government in January tested a missile designed to destroy satellites, and although the act was not one of aggression, it did take the world one step closer to the weaponization of space, according to an independent defense research group in Washington, D.C.

"Really, that (Chinese missile) served as a wake-up call to the nation," said Col. Sean McClung, the director of the National Space Studies Center. "We can no longer treat space as a sanctuary. We have to be aware of our dependencies and our vulnerabilities. We have to know how to protect our assets up there."

The symposium, the first of its kind at Air University, is geared toward military and civilian educators, as well as those interested in advancing the state of space education to a broader audience.

"This symposium is of interest to anybody who deals with space operations, be they military, inter-agency or civilian, and should especially be of interest to those who teach about space," Colonel McClung said.

Speakers at the symposium will include the deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command, the assistant director of the National Security Space Office, the presidents of the Naval Postgraduate School and the Marine Corps University, as well as the president and CEO of Universities Space Research Association, and the senior curator of the division of space history at the Smithsonian Institute.

"By bringing in these educators, we hope to start a dialogue so that people out in the community will become aware of our dependencies on space," said Dale Hill, a senior space analyst at the National Space Studies Center. "And not just the technology part of space and how we operate in space, but our vulnerabilities there and how to work around them."

"Not only will those attending the symposium gain a greater appreciation and awareness of shared dependencies on space and space capabilities, but they will also have an opportunity to broaden their network of space professionals with whom they can collaborate to promote future space issues, initiatives and educational venues," said Lt. Col. Sherry Stearns-Boles, the Air Force Space Command chair at Air University. "We also anticipate publication of the proceedings that will available to attendees at a later date."

Registration information is available online.

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