For the first time, the Space Foundation’s New Generation team has joined forces with NASA iTech to create Ignite the Night, a fun new way for a potential startup to pitch an idea to a panel of judges at the 34^th Space Symposium. This exciting collaboration is co-sponsored U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

Ten startups will each have two minutes to pitch to five judges for the selection of one winner. Ignite the Night will take place on Tuesday evening, April 17, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., at The Broadmoor’s Colorado Hall. Learn more About Ignite the Night here.      

About U.S. Space and Rocket Center

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is home to Space Camp®, the Apollo 16 capsule, the National Historic Landmark Saturn V rocket and world-class traveling exhibits. USSRC is the Official Visitor Center for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and a showcase for national defense technologies developed at the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal. To learn more about the exciting programs and activities at the USSRC, visit www.rocketcenter.com and www.spacecamp.com.

Space Intel Report is a media partner for the Space Foundation's 34^th Space Symposium, to be held April 16-19, 2018, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo.

About Space Intel Report

SpaceInterReport.com delivers breaking news and analysis on the topics and trends that will define the future of the global space industry. Its editorial approach is to cover the people and forces shaping a new business era in the existing and emerging space industry. Learn more at: https://www.spaceintelreport.com. 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 21, 2018) - Given annually to recognize the most significant accomplishment in advancing the exploration of space during the previous year, the Space Foundation's John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration will be presented in 2018 to the Cassini Mission team.

Cassini's active mission of more than 20 years, and 4.9 billion miles traveled, provided a detailed understanding of the Saturn system, including its rings and moons. According to NASA: Cassini has revealed never-before-seen events that are changing our understanding of how planetary systems form.

Data and images from the mission will be analyzed for years to come and are expected to result in new discoveries and understanding of our solar system.

The 2018 Swigert Award will be presented April 16 during the opening ceremony of the Space Foundation's 34th Space Symposium at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA. The ceremony is co-sponsored by Northrop Grumman. See complete Symposium information at www.SpaceSymposium.org.

About the Cassini Mission
A joint endeavor of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency, Cassini launched on Oct. 15, 1997, from Cape Canaveral. The mission was named for 17th Century astronomer Giovanni Cassini.

After flying by Venus and Jupiter, Cassini reached its destination in June 2004. In 2005, the mission delivered the Huygens probe to Saturn's moon Titan. After its primary mission, the tour was extended twice.

The spectacular finale of the mission occurred on Sept. 5, 2017, and gained world-wide attention as the spacecraft, having expended most of its rocket propellant, was directed into the planet for destruction.

The Cassini mission provided a better understanding of Saturn, its rings and many moons and altered concepts regarding how planets form around stars.

About the Award
The John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration honors astronaut Jack Swigert, a Colorado native who served with retired U.S. Navy Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., and Fred Haise on the legendary Apollo 13 lunar mission, which was aborted after the perilous rupture of an oxygen tank en route to the Moon.

In 1982, Swigert was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but died of cancer before taking the oath of office. The Space Foundation, founded in 1983 in part to honor Swigert's memory, created the Swigert Award in 2004 in tribute to his lasting legacy of space exploration.

The Swigert Award was last presented in 2016. Recent recipients have included:
2016 Pluto New Horizons Exploration Team
2015 Rosetta Comet Exploration Team
2013 NASA Mars Science Laboratory Mission Team
2012 NASA Kepler Mission
2010 The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) Mission Team
2009 NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Team

34th Space Symposium Sponsorship
a.i. solutions, Aeroject Rocketdyne, Aerospace Industries Association, AGI, Aviation Week Network, BAE Systems, Ball Aerospace, Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, BWX Technologies, Inc.,Colorado Space Coalition, Cosmic AES, Defense One, Deloitte, El Pomar Foundation, Engility, European Union, Eutelsat America Corp, FedEx, Harris, Inmarsat, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, Maui Economic Development Board, Northrop Grumman, Orbital ATK, Orbital Systems, Peraton, Raytheon, Riverside Research, ROOM, National Security Services, SatNews, Secure World Foundation, SES Government Solutions, SpaceNews, SpaceX, Stellar Solutions, Stratasys, Tesat Spacecom, ULA, U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Via Satellite, Viasat.

About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and the world's premier organization to inspire, educate, connect, and advocate on behalf of the global space community. It is a nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs, and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium. Space Foundation headquarters is in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, and has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere® and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a Washington, D.C., office and field representatives in Houston and the Florida Space Coast. It publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification^TM and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit both of our websites – www.SpaceFoundation.org and DiscoverSpace.org – and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

# # #

Space Foundation Contact:   
Carol Hively, Director - Public Relations & Team Communications
media@spacefoundation.org

Bryan DeBates, Space Foundation Vice President - Education and alumnus of Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, has been named recipient of the University's Millicent M. Atkins School of Education Award. This prestigious award is given to graduates who have distinguished themselves through personal successes and civic contributions, while bringing a sense of pride to the college community. The award will be presented to DeBates at the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Banquet on May 4.

"I am deeply honored and grateful to be receiving this award and to join the long line of distinguished alumni from NSU who have helped shape its rich history," DeBates said. "I hope my story inspires others at Northern to believe that an education here can propel them to change lives around the world."

DeBates is also recipient of the 2014 Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal, a global education award presented by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).

DeBates leads the development and implementation of the Space Foundation's global education programs that support science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) education. He also oversees all aspects of the Space Foundation's Discovery Center space museum and education center in Colorado Springs. See DeBates' other awards and complete bio here.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 3, 2018) - For the fifth time since 2012, the Space Foundation has been designated by The NonProfit Times and Best Companies Group as among the 50 Best Nonprofit Organizations to Work For in the United States, ranking 18th best organization overall.

"The message throughout our organization is that our success depends on support from all team members, regardless of job description or seniority, from CEO to part-time employees and volunteers. Everyone embraces our common vision to be the world's premier organization to inspire, educate, connect and advocate on behalf of the global space community," said Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Thomas Zelibor.

The Space Foundation has made the Best Nonprofits to Work For list every time it has been screened, including in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

The Nonprofit Times partnered with Best Companies Group to identify nonprofit organizations that have excelled in creating quality workplaces for employees. This survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the 50 best employers in the nonprofit industry, benefiting the industry's economy, workforce and businesses.

To be considered for participation, organizations had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

*    Must be in business a minimum of one year
*    Must be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status
*    Have a facility in the United States
*    Have a minimum of 15 employees in the United States

Nonprofits from across the United States entered the two-part survey process to determine Best Nonprofits To Work For. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated organization's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75 percent of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top nonprofits and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process, analyzed the data and determined the ranking.

For more information on The Nonprofit Times' Best Nonprofits To Work For program, visit http://www.bestnonprofitstoworkfor.com/.

Learn more about Space Foundation programs and employment opportunities at www.spacefoundation.org.

About the Space Foundation
The Space Foundation has the support of hundreds of dedicated volunteers and currently employs 57 people nationwide, in addition to interns, Federal Work Study students and contractors. Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and the world's premier organization to inspire, educate, connect, and advocate on behalf of the global space community. It is a nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs, and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium. Space Foundation headquarters is in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, and has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere® and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a Washington, D.C., office and field representatives in Houston and the Florida Space Coast. It publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification^TM and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit both of our websites – www.SpaceFoundation.org and DiscoverSpace.org – and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

# # #

Space Foundation Contact:   
Carol Hively, Director - Public Relations & Team Communications
media@spacefoundation.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 5, 2018) -- Every April, parties are hosted around the world to celebrate the milestones in human spaceflight, Yuri Gagarin’s first human spaceflight on April 12, 1961, and the inaugural launch of the Space Shuttle on April 12, 1981.

On Sunday, April 15, the Space Foundation, too, will host a party celebrating humanity’s past, present and future in space.

Yuri’s Night is a fundraiser for STEM education at the Space Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and a kick-off to the annual Space Symposium. Recent economic studies have revealed that millions of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs are going unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates. The Space Foundation is dedicated to filling that gap and gives thanks to the generosity of Yuri’s Night premier sponsor CACI, as one hundred percent of the proceeds from ticket purchases and funds raised through Yuri’s Night will directly support Space Foundation STEM education programs, aimed at inspiring and preparing future STEM and space heroes.

Space Foundation Yuri’s Night begins at 5:30 p.m. on April 15 at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs and will feature an array of space-themed games, networking opportunities, a silent auction and meet-and-greets with former NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut.

The event is for those ages 21 and over only. Advance tickets are $55 per person and the event is expected to sell out.

Ticket purchase includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and one (1) drink/activity ticket plus participation in stargazing, our underwater drone lab, a Bucket List Trips Auction and a silent auction. Additional activity tickets may be purchased throughout the evening.

Plan now to attend.  Purchase tickets in advance for Yuri’s Night at: http://bit.ly/SFYuri.

See more about the global celebration of human spaceflight at https://yurisnight.net

Unable to attend, but want to take part in the memorable evening? The silent auction features online bidding, and bidding opens today. Place your bid at www.biddingforgood.com/space and support the education of a child.

About the Discovery Center
Located only five minutes from Garden of the Gods Park, at 4425 Arrowswest Drive, Colorado Springs, the Space Foundation Discovery Center is the Pikes Peak region's only public space, science and technology center. Military discounts are available. For hours, pricing and other information, please visit www.discoverspace.org, or call the Space Foundation Discovery Center at 719.576.8000. 

About the Space Foundation

Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the world's premier organization to inspire, educate, connect, and advocate on behalf of the global space community. It is a leader in space awareness activities, educational programs, and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium. Space Foundation headquarters is in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, and has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere®, and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a Washington, D.C., office and field representatives in Houston and the Florida Space Coast. It publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification™ and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit both of our websites  - www.SpaceFoundation.org and DiscoverSpace.org– and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

#  #  #

Space Foundation Contact:
Colleen Parith, Coordinator -- Social Media & Public Relations
media@spacefoundation.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 9, 2018) – The Space Foundation announced today the addition of The Honorable Wilbur R. Ross, Jr., United States Secretary of Commerce, as a featured speaker at its 34th Space Symposium, to be held April 16 – 19 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr., Acting Administrator of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), will also speak at the Symposium, immediately following the talk by Ross on Tuesday morning, April 17.

Thousands of space professionals and space leaders from more than 40 countries are expected to participate as speakers, panelists, attendees and exhibitors in the largest Space Symposium to date.

For 2018, the Symposium's sold-out Ball Aerospace Exhibit Center and expanded Pavilion features 200 displays of the latest in space technology, products and services, with 29 exhibitors from outside of the U.S., including companies based in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Other highlights of the 34th Space Symposium will include:

• 34th Space Symposium Opening Presentation with Vice President Michael R. Pence
• Two classified programs, Cyber 1.8 and Space Classified
• Targeted workshops for New Generation space professionals, age 35 and younger, with multiple networking events
• The sold-out Technical Track, with experts sharing perspectives in their respective fields 
• The Women's Global Gathering Luncheon, focusing on the accomplishments of, and opportunities for, women in the space industry – open to the general public

Presentation of prestigious space awards on April 16, will include:

• The General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award, to Christopher Columbus "Chris" Kraft, Jr., the first U.S. human space mission flight director
• The Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award, to Diego Martinez, Science Mastery Specialist, Delphian School
• The John L. "Jack" Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration, to the Cassini Mission Team
• The Space Achievement Award, to the Space Security and Defense Program
• The Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award, to Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race

See the complete agenda and all of the exhibitors, speakers, panels and Symposium tracks by visiting www.SpaceSymposium.org for complete conference information.

About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and the world's premier organization to inspire, educate, connect, and advocate on behalf of the global space community. It is a nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs, and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium. Space Foundation headquarters is in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, and has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere® and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a Washington, D.C., office and field representatives in Houston and the Florida Space Coast. It publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification^TM and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit both of our websites – www.SpaceFoundation.org and DiscoverSpace.org – and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

# # #

Space Foundation Contact:   
Carol Hively, Director - Public Relations & Team Communications
media@spacefoundation.org

A revolutionary tool to enhance space operations

(April 4, 2018) -- The U.S. military must be able to quickly establish situational awareness and execute operations in space. This complex task requires the military to track and manage the many thousands of objects that are moving at extreme velocities within the space domain. The information gathered from these operations must then be fused with land, air, sea, cyber, defense, and intelligence data in order to make critical, time-sensitive decisions to protect space assets while supporting terrestrial missions.

With a complex space environment and the need for timely decision making, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) started the Hallmark program -- an effort that seeks to develop revolutionary tools and technologies to plan, assess, and execute U.S. military operations in space. To support this effort, DARPA awarded us a contract in 2017 to develop an innovative space evaluation and analysis testbed for the Hallmark program that would allow for tools to be developed and deployed to enable real-time space command and control.

As part of this contract we utilized our vast experience in space domain awareness to design and develop a state-of-the-art, flexible, scalable, and secure enterprise software architecture that would become the backbone of technology development and experimentation.

Since the contract award, our Hallmark software testbed recently completed two test events, marking the development program's progress towards the goal of helping the military quickly evaluate and integrate technologies for space command and control. The evaluations completed full operational space scenarios through its applications.

"These evaluations established that the Hallmark testbed is capable of integrating applications on its framework," said Ricardo Gonzalez, director of Space Systems at BAE Systems. "These scenarios may someday assist military commanders in obtaining space domain awareness to quickly assess, plan, and execute operation in space."

Although the evaluation events mark the first steps in the Hallmark program, ultimately our testbed would support live data feeds from diverse sources and provide strong security and data protection for varying levels of classification, in addition to external interfaces to support air, cyber, land, and sea environments.

Our team will continue to host exercises to collect metrics for Hallmark's evaluation team to meet the goals of the Hallmark program, as well as identify new and improved tools and technologies for potential future use by the Joint Space Operations Center and the National Space Defense Center.

DARPA Distribution Statement A: Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 14, 2018) -- The Space Foundation is seeking nominations for induction into the prestigious Space Technology Hall of Fame® in 2019. This international program honors innovations by organizations and individuals who transform space technology into commercial products that improve life on Earth.

The Space Technology Hall of Fame recognizes the life-changing technologies emerging from global space programs; honors the scientists, engineers and innovators responsible; and communicates to the public the importance of these technologies as a return on investment in space exploration.

The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. Anyone may submit nominations of technologies developed anywhere in the world for use in space and then modified or adopted for use on Earth.

The newly developed online nomination process and list of selection criteria can be found at www.SpaceTechHallofFame.org. For more information or questions regarding the nomination process, contact STHOF@spacefoundation.org. Induction will take place during the Space Foundation's 35th Space Symposium, to be held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 8-11, 2019.

The 2018 inducted technologies are:

• High-Strength Wear-Resistant Aluminum Alloy (NASA 398); light-weight alloy technology with proven durability, longevity and reduced environmental impact
• Miniaturized Laser Terminals for Aircraft, UAVs and Satellites; reliable and affordable laser communication technology connecting the world

Other inductees have included energy-saving technologies, health improvement technologies, satellite and telecommunication technologies and practical commercial devices. Some examples are the automatic external defibrillator; non-invasive breast biopsy technology; anti-shock garments; LASIK eye surgery; implantable pacemakers and hearing aids; and technologies that power cellular phones, terrestrial networks and satellite broadcast television and radio communications; low-density, light-weight flexible aerogel insulating material; and a high-resolution optical sensing system that detects forest fires before they can cause serious environmental damage.

Judging
Each nomination is reviewed for completeness, assessed by technical experts and then ranked by a prestigious panel of judges who rate according to selection criteria -- public awareness, economic and societal benefit, public/private investment, and longevity.

Additional information about the Space Technology Hall of Fame, including a complete list of inducted technologies, is available at www.SpaceTechHallofFame.org.

About the Space Foundation
The Space Foundation has the support of hundreds of dedicated volunteers and currently employs 57 people nationwide, in addition to interns, Federal Work Study students and contractors. Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a 501(c)(3) and the world's premier organization to inspire, educate, connect, and advocate on behalf of the global space community. It is a nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs, and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium. Space Foundation headquarters is in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, and has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere® and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a Washington, D.C., office and field representatives in Houston and the Florida Space Coast. It publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification^TM and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit both of our websites – www.SpaceFoundation.org and DiscoverSpace.org – and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

# # #

Space Foundation Contact:   
Carol Hively, Director - Public Relations & Team Communications
media@spacefoundation.org

As soon as the Space Foundation's annual Space Symposium wraps up each spring, our in-house marketing team begins work on design to promote the next year's Symposium.

Those efforts were recently rewarded when the marketing team was named recipient of the prestigious Silver Key Award for Small Trade Show Campaign, recognizing work for its 34th Space Symposium. The category includes design for the Symposium website, email campaign, print ads, direct mail pieces, printed programs and large signage design.
 
The award is presented by the Colorado Business Marketing Association and American Marketing Association. See the award-winning 34th Space Symposium website here.