Obama Space Vision May See 2012 Moon Landers, 2015 Intl Moon Astronauts, 2020 Intl Mars Astronauts -- Apollo 11, Forty Years and Counting; NewSpace 2009 Conference

On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 and its crew of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were launched to the Moon, where they would leave the first human footprints and forever shatter the perceived limits of human achievement. 40 years later, events throughout the world will be held to commemorate this monumental feat. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation will begin the festivities on July 15 with the 'Apollo 40th Anniversary Dinner with the Astronauts' in Cocoa Beach FL. On July 16, Buzz Aldrin will be in attendance for the opening of the new exhibit 'Apollo Treasures Gallery' at NASA KSC, while the 'NASA History Apollo 40th Anniversary Symposium' is being held in the nation's capital. 40th Apollo Observance events will continue throughout the week in such cities as Dayton OH, San Diego CA, Alamogordo NM, Cumbria, UK and Canberra, Australia. As the world is looking back at the 20th Century's crowning achievement, industry leaders and visionaries will convene at NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley on July 18-20 to look to the future of humanity's presence in space at the 'NewSpace 2009 Conference.' Speakers at the conference will discuss future space ventures, the corporate side of the NewSpace industry and future destinations. The proceedings will culminate on Moon Day, July 20, with the 'Apollo 11 Anniversary Gala,' featuring keynote speakers Peter Diamandis (BL), Rick Tumlinson and Robert Richards (BR). (Credit: NASA, Space Foundation, X Prize Foundation)

Jupiter Future Exploration Advances at Progressive Instrument Workshop

Scientists and engineers will converge at the 2nd Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) Instrument Workshop on July 15-17 at John Hopkins University in Laurel, Maryland to advance the exploration of Jupiter's moon, Europa, one of the few areas within our solar system likely to contain extraterrestrial life. The EJSM is a joint ESA / NASA space mission slated to launch NET 2020 for an in-depth exploration of Jupiter Moons, Europa and Ganymede, with the Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) being developed, launched and controlled by NASA. The workshop will address the current status of EJSM, plans for instrument selection, model payloads and technical challenges facing instrument providers. Europa, one of Jupiter’s 60 plus moons, is believed to contain a layer of ice and a subsurface ocean. It will prove difficult to explore since instrumentation must be able to withstand high radiation levels produced by Jupiter. Experts will evaluate the current state of technology including radiation-hardened components, services, facilities and general expertise to address the radiation challenges for the EJSM. JPL Senior Research Scientist Robert Pappalardo (B), who was an active affiliate member of the Jupiter Galileo mission and is now currently focusing on Europa research, will be one of the speakers on hand to share critical information on robust instrument development. (Credit: NASA)