How can NASA ensure that the Space Shuttle remains the most reliable and versatile vehicle for exploring and developing space well into the next century?
Hundreds of engineers, managers, and executives from aerospace and high technology companies, academic institutions and government agencies will examine this question and propose solutions at the first Space Shuttle Development Conference, July 28-30 at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. The conference will be sponsored by United Space Alliance (USA), NASA's Space Shuttle prime contractor.
"The conference will provide a forum for the leading thinkers in human space exploration to openly exchange ideas," said USA President and CEO Russell Turner. "They will present the pioneering solutions they are developing to keep the Space Shuttle the safest, most reliable and most capable space vehicle for years to come. Seventy-five percent of the current Shuttle fleet's useful life is ahead of it. It's critical that we continue to improve and upgrade the Shuttle because the next generation of reusable launch vehicles is years away."
Participants at the Space Shuttle Development Conference will demonstrate and discuss new technology for virtually every major Space Shuttle subsystem, as well as new mission profiles and advances in ground-based support systems.
"Our Space Shuttle upgrades strategy parallels that of successful commercial businesses that have upgraded existing product lines with new technologies, ensuring their continued market leadership," said Turner.
Since 1981, NASA's Space Shuttle fleet has logged nearly one hundred missions in orbit, and has earned the title as the most reliable launch vehicle in the world. The Shuttle's unparalleled versatility has made it the preeminent vehicle for research and technology testing, satellite retrieval and repair, and large-scale assembly in orbit.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, USA is one of the world's leading space operations companies. Established in 1996 as a joint venture between The Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation, the company is responsible for the day-to-day operation and management of the U.S. Space Shuttle fleet.
