Lockheed Martin is partnering with NASA and the U.S. Air Force to bring the Space 2006 Conference and Exposition to Silicon Valley for the first time this September. Organized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the conference will be held Sept. 19 to 21 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif.

Conference co-chairs are: Lt. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, commander, U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif.; S. Pete Worden, director, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.; and Joanne Maguire, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Under the theme, "The Value Proposition for Space: Security, Prosperity, Discovery," the conference will explore the importance of space access and exploration for civil, commercial, security and scientific purposes, as well as the associated science, technology, logistics and economics. Panel discussions and technical sessions will address topics such as "The New Race for Commercial Value in Space," "Emerging Entrepreneurs and Their Business Cases," "Space Partnering Initiatives" and "Technologies to Enable Global Security."

Approximately 1,000 representatives from government, industry and academia are expected to attend the three-day event, and more than 50 organizations and companies are expected to exhibit.

During the conference, "Education Alley," a special interactive exhibit hall for local K-12 students and teachers, will feature educational science and technology exhibits, demonstrations and presentations. More than 3,000 students are expected to participate.

Lockheed Martin is the corporate sponsor for this year's conference. Space News is the official conference media sponsor. AIAA's premier annual space conference, Space 2006 serves as a venue for senior government and industry leaders and technologists. More information is available at www.aiaa.org/events/space.

Headquartered in suburban Washington, D.C., AIAA serves over 35,000 members in 65 regional sections and 79 countries. AIAA membership is drawn from all levels of industry, academia, private research organizations and government and focuses on emerging technologies in aviation, space and defense.

The Space and Missile Systems Center is the technical center of excellence for researching, developing and acquiring military space systems.

Founded in 1939, NASA Ames Research Center is one of the nation's premiere research laboratories. Located in California's Silicon Valley, NASA Ames is home to a dynamic cadre of world-class scientists and engineers conducting mission-enabling, cutting-edge research and technology development in support of NASA's missions and the Vision for Space Exploration.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion.

Contact: Lynn Fisher of Lockheed Martin, +1-408-742-7606, or lynn.m.fisher@lmco.com; or Mike Mewhinney of NASA Ames Research Center, +1-650-604-3937, or michael.mewhinney@nasa.gov; or JoAdail Stephenson of Space & Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, +1-310-653-2371, or joadail.stephenson@losangeles.af.mil; or Sharon Grace of AIAA, +1-703-264-7532, or sharong@aiaa.org.

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin