(HOUSTON) – Sharing the ongoing story of human space exploration is about to get a major boost with a new Space Shuttle visitor experience coming soon to Space Center Houston. The full-scale Shuttle Orbiter replica is set to arrive on June 1, kicking off “Shuttlebration Weekend” to celebrate the opening of a new era in space exploration, outreach and education.

“NASA’s Space Shuttle changed the way we all think about space, making it more accessible, understandable and useful,” said Richard Allen, president of Space Center Houston. “It is our intent to continue that legacy with this exciting new attraction, which will offer a one-of-a-kind visitor experience that will engage, educate and inspire the next generation of explorers.”

Once it is fully installed and prepared for visitors, the public will be able to go inside the full-size replica as part of a behind-the-scenes look at life inside the Space Shuttle, an experience that will only be available at Space Center Houston.

“Shuttlebration Weekend” begins on the afternoon of Friday, June 1, when the replica will arrive by barge at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) NASA Road 1 dock on Clear Lake near the Nassau Bay Hilton hotel. This will be the largest item to arrive at the dock since the Saturn V arrived for display in 1977.

The public is invited to a free street party between the dock and the hotel to witness and celebrate the historic arrival. The street party will include exhibits and static displays of new technologies and space vehicles that are being developed for the future of exploration, as well as local marching bands, food and entertainment.

On Saturday, June 2, the Space Shuttle replica will be loaded onto a mobile transfer vehicle for transport to Space Center Houston. The lakeside load-out will take a full day to complete. No public events are planned.

Early in the morning on Sunday, June 3, the replica will make a three-hour trek down NASA Parkway from the Hilton to its permanent home at Space Center Houston. It will receive a futuristic VIP escort from JSC’s prototype planetary rovers for future solar system exploration. Upon the replica’s arrival, Space Center Houston, along with the Johnson Space Center, will host a free public celebration in its parking lot from 9 a.m. to noon. The family-oriented event will include more opportunities to see the Shuttle attraction up close, and to get a look at the latest ongoing developments in space exploration taking place at JSC.

“The arrival of the Space Shuttle attraction is the result of a great community-wide effort,” said Michael Coats, Director of the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC). “Once open, the attraction will carry on the spirit of the Space Shuttle program by inspiring tomorrow’s space pioneers.”

Plans are still in progress for all of the “Shuttlebration Weekend” activities. Visit www.spacecenter.org for the latest information.

The Space Shuttle exhibit is currently under construction at Space Center Houston with an anticipated opening in Fall 2012. The long-term vision calls for a world-class education center to be built around the replica that provides historical context and a hands-on educational experience.

About Space Center Houston
As the Official Visitor Center for NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston is the only place on earth that gives guests an out-of-this-world journey through human adventures in space. Since 1992, this $75 million, 180,000 square foot complex has entertained and educated over 11 million guests from every corner of the globe. Space Center Houston features a multitude of permanent exhibits, attractions, theatres and exhibits. In addition, the venue presents an amazing array of traveling exhibits and astounding events created exclusively by SCH’s own creative exhibit team. Space Center Houston is open every day of the year, with the exception of October 8 and December 25. Space Center Houston is located at 1601 NASA Parkway Houston, TX 77058; approximately 25 miles South of downtown Houston in the NASA/Clear Lake area. Visit www.spacecenter.org.

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Media Note: There will be photo and interview opportunities associated with the arrival of the Space Shuttle replica in Clear Lake and a press conference to follow. Separate media advisories with more details will be forthcoming from Griffin Communications Group.

Virgin Galactic is currently accepting applications for the following six positions: operations engineer, seat mechanism designer, design engineer, IT manager, regulatory compliance manager and embedded systems software developer. In addition, the company’s space systems development division seeks a mechanical designer, mechanical lead, guidance/navigation/control (GNC) lead and chief engineer.

The majority of these positions are based in Pasadena and Mojave, Calif. A few others are located in Las Cruces, N.M., at Spaceport America, Virgin Galactic’s future headquarters.

The Spaceship Company, which is building the world’s first fleet of commercial spaceships and carrier aircraft for Virgin Galactic, has eight open positions at its Mojave, Calif., location. These include: aircraft mechanical systems engineer, senior integration engineer/WhiteKnightTwo, engineering manager/aircraft systems, composite stress analyst engineer, pneumatic & hydraulic engineer, structural test engineer, structural design engineer, and computer numerical control machine operator and programmer.

“Through both companies, we offer people to be a part of something that has never been done before – building and operating the world’s first commercial spaceline,” said George Whitesides, president and CEO of Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company. “This requires passionate people with inventive minds dedicated to opening space up to all. We look forward to offering qualified professionals the opportunity to join us on the ground floor as we carry out this bold and exciting mission.”

Interested applicants should visit the careers section of both companies’ websites – Virgin Galactic careers and The Spaceship Company careers – to learn more and submit applications. New positions are always on the horizon, with both sites regularly updated with additional information.

About Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic, owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Aabar Investments PJS, is on track to be the world’s first commercial spaceline. The new spaceship (SpaceShipTwo, VSS Enterprise) and carrier craft (WhiteKnightTwo, VMS Eve) have both been developed for Virgin Galactic by Mojave-based Scaled Composites. Founded by Burt Rutan, Scaled developed SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 claimed the $10m Ansari X Prize as the world’s first privately developed manned spacecraft. Virgin Galactic’s new vehicles share much of the same basic design, but are being built to carry six customers, or the equivalent scientific research payload, on sub-orbital space flights, allowing an out-of-the-seat, zero-gravity experience and offering astounding views of the planet from the black sky of space for tourist astronauts and a unique microgravity platform for researchers. The VSS Enterprise and VMS Eve test flight program is well under way, leading to Virgin Galactic commercial operations, which will be based at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

About The Spaceship Company
Headquartered at Mojave Air and Space Port, The Spaceship Company is the aerospace production company, founded by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites, which is building the world’s first fleet of commercial spaceships (SpaceShipTwos) and carrier aircraft (WhiteKnightTwos) intended to make regular, commercial, manned space travel a reality. 

 Related Links:

•  Virgin Galactic – www.virgingalactic.com
•  The Spaceship Company – www.thespaceshipcompany.com
•  Spaceport America – www.spaceportamerica.com
•  Virgin Galactic careers – www.virgingalactic.com/careers/
•  The Spaceship Company careers – www.thespaceshipcompany.com/careers
•  Virgin Group – www.virgin.com
•  Aabar Investments PJS – www.aabar.com
•  Scaled Composites – www.scaled.com

“I am proud to announce MEIT has obtained the stringent AS9100 Revision C certification.  This certification reflects our company culture of strong ethics, technical excellence, innovative improvement, and agile responsiveness, which sets the foundation for our 20 years of success,” said Deputy CEO Stephanie Murphy.

This aerospace standard revision, AS9100C, emphasizes process effectiveness and a Quality Management System that is customer focused on providing safe and reliable products/services and meeting or exceeding customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

“We had a vision to take the cutting-edge design services provided in Maryland for over five years and consolidate them into a single cohesive design center. The driving function was for MEIT to provide our NASA/DoD customers the highest quality designs at the lowest cost and optimum schedule,” shared General Manager, Capital Region, Dwight Yoder. “Our goal was to establish The Design Center and obtain AS9100 certification within one year.   I am excited to report we achieved this goal, meeting the standard we expect of ourselves.”    

The Design Center provides MEIT with direct access to a collocated group of packaging engineers and printed wiring board designers with an outstanding ability to maintain technical continuity between customer programs. The center offers its customers quick reaction to design solutions, exceptional background in Space Heritage products and a design team with a combined experience in Space Product Design of over 100 years.

In addition to the company’s AS9100C recertification, MEIT is ISO9001:2008 certified and earned a CMMI ® Maturity Level 3.

About MEI Technologies, Inc.
MEI Technologies, Inc. (MEIT) is a nationwide award-winning technology company providing best-value services and development support in systems design and development, applied engineering, IT/cyber security, and research and development to public and private sector companies worldwide. MEIT employs over 700 employees in six states with 2011 revenues exceeding $150 million.

Skybox plans to use the capital to complete development and launch of its first two high-resolution imaging microsatellites, SkySat-1 and SkySat-2. It will also use the funds to grow its team of software engineers and data scientists. SkySat-1 is slated to launch in fourth quarter of 2012 aboard an International Space Company (ISC) Kosmotras Dnepr rocket.

“We will also use this capital to expand strategic alliances, position Skybox for initial commercial operations, and to accelerate the development path towards the full constellation of microsatellites,” said Skybox CEO Tom Ingersoll. “Canaan Partners’ and Norwest Venture Partners’ commitment to the Skybox vision gets us one step closer to reaching all of these milestones.”

Current satellite systems sporadically capture still images of various regions of the earth. The Skybox constellation will enable much more frequent monitoring of an increased portion of the planet’s surface. Skybox is the first to offer high-definition video, as well as still imagery, and will utilize Hadoop to build a combined hardware and software chain capable of processing, extracting, and interpreting large amounts of pixel and derived data. The value of capturing repeat images and video, coupled with the power to mine that data for trends, gives industries unprecedented information to support decision-making. There are numerous practical applications, spanning sectors from business intelligence and financial trading to disaster response and humanitarian relief.

“Imaging satellites have the potential to deeply impact the day-to-day experiences of both businesses and consumers,” said Deepak Kamra, general partner, Canaan Partners, who will be joining the Skybox board. “Until now, only governments and militaries have been able to use the valuable data gained from analyzing these images. With this analytic capability now becoming available and affordable to mainstream users, we can expect to see a dramatic and permanent shift in how business and consumers operate,” he added.

About Skybox Imaging
Skybox Imaging (Skybox) is a commercial, remote sensing start-up revolutionizing access to information that describes daily activity on our planet. Founded in 2009 and backed by leading venture firms, the company is designing, manufacturing, and operating the world’s first coordinated constellation of high-resolution microsatellites. With its constellation, Skybox will deliver timely, global imagery and video as well as an analytics platform capable of creating new sources of value from such data. Skybox is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and was named to MIT Technology Review’s “Top 50 Most Innovative Companies” for 2012. For more information, visit www.skyboximaging.com and follow Skybox Imaging on Twitter.

About Canaan Partners
Canaan Partners invests in entrepreneurs and works alongside them to turn visionary ideas into valuable companies. Since 1987, the firm has catalyzed the growth of disruptive technology startups and healthcare companies revolutionizing the practice of medicine. With $3.5 billion under management and more than 85 acquisitions and 53 IPOs to date, Canaan has funded technology companies such as SuccessFactors (NASDAQ: SFSF), DoubleClick (acquired by Google), Match.com (acquired by IAC), Acme Packet (NASDAQ: APKT), Active Network (NYSE: ACTV) and SandForce (acquired by LSI), as well as notable healthcare companies such as Advanced BioHealing (acquired by Shire); Advance PCS (acquired by Caremark), BiPar Sciences (acquired by Sanofi); Calixa Therapeutics (acquired by Cubist); Cerexa Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Forest Labs) and Peninsula Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Johnson & Johnson). Current technology investments include Tremor Video, KABAM, Lending Club, blip.tv, Zoosk and Blurb in the US; BharatMatrimony, LoyaltyRewardz, Naaptol and UnitedLex in India; and PrimeSense, LiveU and N-trig in Israel. The Canaan healthcare portfolio includes emerging leaders such as Liquidia Technologies, Theraclone Sciences, Durata, Civitas Therapeutics, Elevation Pharmaceuticals and DICOM Grid. Canaan maintains a presence in the global innovation hubs of New York, SiliconValley, India and Israel . For more information visit www.canaan.com or www.facebook.com/canaanpartners.

Under a deal announced in 2009 between Virgin Galactic and Aabar, the two companies agreed that Abu Dhabi would gain exclusive regional rights, subject to the receipt of regulatory clearances, to host Virgin Galactic tourism and scientific research space flights. Landeene’s appointment is an important step in bringing those plans to fruition, underscoring Abu Dhabi’s commitment to being an international destination of choice and a regional leader in tourism, advanced science, technology and higher education.

Landeene will be responsible for developing a roadmap for the proposed construction of a spaceport in Abu Dhabi. Starting from strategic and organizational business planning, and then, if the requisite regulatory approvals are obtained, moving through to spaceport construction management and finally to spaceport operations, Landeene will ensure that Spaceport Abu Dhabi meets the objectives of its investors and complies with all applicable laws and regulations.

Commenting on the appointment, Mohamed Badawy Al-Husseiny, CEO of Aabar said: “We are pleased that someone with Steve’s exceptional experience in aerospace and spaceport development has agreed to spearhead this exciting and important vision for the project. We are at the dawn of a new era in commercial space and are perfectly positioned with the world’s first spaceline, Virgin Galactic, to ensure that we are a prime beneficiary of the opportunities that will follow. This will become a regional hub for space tourism, as well as space-based science research and education. We look forward to working closely with Steve as he helps us to realize that dream.”

George Whitesides, CEO and President of Virgin Galactic added: “Steve’s appointment comes at a particularly exciting time for Virgin Galactic as we move into the final stages of test flights prior to commercial operations at Spaceport America. It also reinforces the strategic partnership we enjoy with Aabar. From the start, both companies have shared a common vision for the future of commercial space and for the opportunity it presents to Abu Dhabi. Virgin Galactic has a beautiful home at Spaceport America in New Mexico, due in no small part to Steve’s leadership during a crucial phase in its development. We are delighted that Steve is now bringing that learning and experience to bear on Spaceport Abu Dhabi and look forward to the day when Virgin Galactic spaceships are a regular sight in the skies above this vibrant and forward-looking city.”

One of the first tasks for this initiative will be to engage on regulatory requirements and then consider suitable potential spaceport sites in Abu Dhabi.

Underscoring the visionary nature of this appointment and reinforcing its commitment to Abu Dhabi, Virgin Galactic also announced a partnership with Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, to establish an intern program encouraging the next generation of leaders. Commenting on the partnership, Whitesides said: “We share a commitment to higher education with the city of Abu Dhabi. As Virgin Galactic extends its global footprint, we intend to support the communities in which we are involved, and are eager for this intern program to become fully established. We are working with the university on an application process for this unique opportunity.” This summer, the program’s first student will work in London at Virgin Galactic’s headquarters with its global brand team.

About Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic, owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Aabar Investments PJS, is on track to be the world’s first commercial spaceline. The new spaceship (SpaceShipTwo, VSS Enterprise) and carrier craft (WhiteKnightTwo, VMS Eve) have both been developed for Virgin Galactic by Mojave-based Scaled Composites. Founded by Burt Rutan, Scaled developed SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 claimed the $10m Ansari X Prize as the world’s first privately developed manned spacecraft. Virgin Galactic’s new vehicles share much of the same basic design, but are being built to carry six customers, or the equivalent scientific research payload, on sub-orbital space flights, allowing an out-of-the-seat, zero-gravity experience and offering astounding views of the planet from the black sky of space for tourist astronauts and a unique microgravity platform for researchers. The VSS Enterprise and VMS Eve test flight program is well under way, leading to Virgin Galactic commercial operations, which will be based at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

About Aabar Investments PJS
Aabar Investments PJS is an investment company headquartered in Abu Dhabi with investments around the world.  It invests in various sectors including automotive, financial services, aviation, energy, manufacturing & technology and real estate, with many of its investments being made by way of international partnerships and alliances.  Its largest stakeholder is the International Petroleum Investment Company, which is wholly owned by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Fisher Space Pen Co. will co-sponsor of the Space Foundation Student Art Competition, in cooperation with the Ares Corporation. Students in grades Pre-K through 12 from around the world embraced the competition and submitted their work. The Space Foundation received more than 1,500 entries from 17 U.S. states, Turkey and Pakistan. Forty-one students received awards in 14 categories. The students will display their work at the Symposium and will be recognized at a ceremony on Thursday, April 19, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

Fisher is also sponsoring the New Generation Space Leaders Program at the Space Symposium. This program, which occurs April 16-19, is dedicated to space industry professionals under age 35 and was established by the Space Foundation to help foster and grow the next generation of leadership in exploration.

“Recognized as an American-made symbol of excellence, Fisher Space Pen represents the spirit of innovation required to take the next important steps in exploration,” said Cary Fisher, president of Fisher Space Pen Co. “At the core of the company is my father’s passion for innovation and creating better products. Our sponsorship of these events represents an investment in future innovators and industry leaders. It is a tribute to the legacy of my father who founded the company.”

Fisher recently sponsored the Conrad Foundation’s Innovative Teacher of the Year Award presented at the Spirit of Innovation Summit, hosted at NASA-Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. This award recognizes an outstanding coach, teacher and/or mentor who guides and encourages students’ development of new, game-changing technology throughout a team competition. In late March, Roger Kassebaum, teacher at Milken Community High School in Los Angeles, Calif., was the recipient of this new award.

“Fisher supports new generations of history makers, while the pen that went to the moon is still making history,” said Matt Fisher, ad specialties director, Fisher Space Pen Co. “When my grandfather created the first successful pressurized ball point pen, we now call the ‘Space Pen’, the country was training the original astronauts who had the ‘right’ stuff. Today, the company continues to be dedicated to honoring and encouraging the inventors and pathfinders who will ‘write’ the next chapters in exploration and to those who will take our next big steps for mankind.”

About Fisher Space Pen
Fisher Space Pen Co. was founded by inventor and entrepreneur Paul Fisher, who in 1953 invented the “Universal Refill” for ballpoint pens. In 1965, Fisher developed a unique ballpoint pen that could be used in the harshest of environments – microgravity, underwater, in extreme temperatures, upside down and at high speed. The company holds the distinction of being the last standing American pen manufacturer, as well as the preferred flight equipment for astronauts, pilots and explorers. The Fisher AG7 Space Pen^® flew for the first time during the Apollo 7 mission. Now, more than 40 years later, Fisher Space Pen Co. continues its proud history as one of the behind-the-scenes partners in the U.S. space program.   

Relevant Links:
The Space Foundation – http://www.spacefoundation.org/

The Conrad Foundation – http://www.conradawards.org/

National Space Symposium – http://www.nationalspacesymposium.org/home

Spirit of Innovation Summit – http://www.conradawards.org/

Fisher Space Pen Co. – http://www.spacepen.com/

I am really looking forward to seeing what Elliot and his talented team have in store for us all, next week.  I have no doubt that it will, as usual, exceed expectations as a first-class venue for taking on tough issues, presenting new ideas, and exploring possibilities. I’d love to see you there, and to hear your ideas for ways that we can all work together to create a rising tide of public awareness, enthusiasm and support. 

To seed that dialogue, I want to share a few things that I believe we can and should do, as an industry, to begin to shape and sustain positive public perceptions about space exploration and development, and to advance its relevance and status as a national imperative.  If the public could only know what we already know, perhaps our ongoing struggles for recognition, relevance and sustained support would have a fighting chance.  Effective advocacy requires a constant and consistent supply of information.  I think we do a pretty job of providing that. However, in our situation, it also requires compelling context – you can’t expect anyone to fight for something they don’t understand and appreciate.

We can and should launch an annual multi-media communications campaign that is not owned by any one advocacy organization or interest group, but supported by all.  Agree on a common message…one powerful idea, each year, delivered through multiple media channels, which will capture the imagination of Americans and compel them to dream, and more importantly, act.  Supply the big picture context that is missing in our advocacy efforts today, so that all ships may rise.  Develop partnerships with innovative space enthusiasts in tangential industries that offer cutting edge multimedia technologies and a variety of channels for engaging the public. Offer new and engaging opportunities for citizens to become and stay informed and for space enthusiasts to participate in activities that feed their hunger for seeing beyond the next horizon.

I want to know if we are up to the challenge, as an industry…I hope so.  Think about it. 

I also believe that we must all work harder to shift our industry’s culture to one of engagement and access.  There are things that every one of us can and should do on an ongoing basis to help with that. You can…

Celebrate every success…publicly.

Recognize the risks…publicly.

Respect every failure…publicly.

Share your hopes, dreams and fears…publicly.

Support and encourage your colleagues and competitors…publicly.

Encourage those ideas that aren’t quite ready for prime time…publicly.

Whether by social media, news media, public appearances or advertising…be accessible…share your story…join and help shape the conversation. Your stories won’t be told in one epic documentary, but in the day to day engagement and interaction with your audiences.

Our industry has been often criticized for doing a crummy job of promoting space and securing broad public support.  But it is not for lack of trying, nor even for lack of funding, really. Yet, in spite of Dr. von Braun’s vision for space advocacy 40 years ago, we still have not very effectively channeled the passion and expertise that we share as an industry, to reach and ultimately reside in the hearts and minds of the public.

We can do better. It won’t be easy, but it’s not rocket science, folks.

We, at Griffin Communications Group, believe in the power of space exploration and development to improve our world and to open new worlds for future generations. We are committed to working with the leaders and innovators of our space industry to advance that cause any way we can.  

Let’s talk.

Wernher von Braun and his colleagues had a really good idea…and I’m not talking about all that rocketry stuff.

You see, they realized back in 1972 (just about the time that Congress pulled the plug on Apollo) that, without public engagement and strong support, an easily distracted and increasingly dysfunctional government would find it difficult to maintain space exploration as a national imperative.

So, in 1974, he was easily convinced to become the first president of the National Space Association renamed, a few months later, the National Space Institute.  It was the first organization of its kind, chartered to advocate to the public the value and benefits of space exploration and development. 

Von Braun recognized the need to compete for the attention of the American taxpayer, saying, “I’m fully aware that public interest is a very fickle thing. One day, the word is ‘Moon or bust,’ and the next day it is ‘let’s clean up the rivers.’ People get so much information today that the priorities in [their] minds swing back and forth.”  While the primary focus of the Institute would be on manned spaceflight, it wasn’t so much on how to do it, but rather how to make it relevant and sustainable with the public and the congress.

And so space advocacy was officially born.

In 1987 the NSI merged with the L5 Society, to form the present-day National Space Society. The two organizations recognized the value of speaking with a common voice about the benefits of space pursuits in order to enhance public support and political leadership…an all ships rise approach.

Since then, more and more advocacy groups have emerged, merged and diverged, each with a unique slant on influencing our direction in space.  In addition to the National Space Society and The Space Foundation, we have  The Planetary Society, The Mars Society, The Moon Society, The Space Frontier Foundation, The Final Frontier Foundation, The Space Generation Foundation, The Coalition for Space Exploration and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation…just to name a few.  

One of the common arguments that I’ve heard in favor of this ever increasing potpourri of space advocacy groups, is that “the more voices that are heard, the better.”  That may be true if you are inciting a riot or orchestrating the Tabernacle Choir. But in terms of how we communicate with the public, with everyone talking at once to their own agenda, we are quite closer to the former than the latter.

I am absolutely NOT suggesting that joining and supporting these advocacy groups is not worthwhile.  In fact, we should all be grateful for their tireless efforts and accomplishments in keeping our dreams and aspirations funded over the past 40 years. Truly, we would be sunk without them. 

So, by all means, join forces with like-minded parties, and fight like hell to make sure that your particular space interests, businesses, technologies or programs get the funding you need.  But hedge your bets, and make sure you join all the right clubs…that’s how the system works.  Right? 

So how is it working for America? Is the public getting any smarter or more informed as a result?  Is there a growing majority of members of Congress carrying the flag for space exploration and development?  Are we on the verge of the next great economic leap on the back of game-changing space technologies and discoveries?  Is space becoming more relevant in the minds of Americans that are largely preoccupied with economic and social issues?

I fear the answer to such questions is that, despite our collective efforts, when it comes to affecting public opinion about and sustaining support for space exploration and development (read, “enterprise”), we may just be generating noise.

We, in the space industry, share something more in common than the fact that we collectively tend to fall short with this public advocacy stuff.   We care.   We are passionate about what we do.  Most importantly, we all share a strong sense of how the exploration and development of space can change our world and the quality of our lives.  And, so, we gather, annually, at the National Space Symposium to be with other people who share the same passion, to think big picture, talk about our future and do a little business

So, from my humble public relations and marketing knothole, I have to ask…

How good is all this big picture thinking if no one else gets it or cares?

Why do our public advocacy efforts fail to get traction or to sustain momentum?

Are we being heard as an industry?  Or are we cancelling each other out?

How can we communicate as an industry to awaken public interest…foster national pride and resolve?

I hope to have this discussion with as many of you as possible, next week, when we converge on the high frontier of space (The Broadmoor, of course).

In advance of that, I would like to suggest that it is, once again, time to examine how we communicate as an industry beyond our most immediate constituents, to achieve the kind of public engagement, awareness and support that will be needed to advance the cause of space exploration and development for the long term.

There are few things that I believe we can and should do, as an industry, to begin to shape and sustain positive public perceptions about space exploration and development, and to advance its relevance and status as a national imperative.  Only then will all ships truly rise. 

I’ll address those thoughts in part 2, coming tomorrow.

Officials with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) today announced the Federation has partnered with Griffin Communications Group to help increase awareness of the benefits and importance of commercial spaceflight among the public, media, government and other stakeholders.  As part of the partnership, Griffin Communications Group has joined the CSF as an Associate Member.

Griffin Communications Group firm will provide ongoing expertise to put “best practice” communications tools and processes in place to better serve the mission of the Federation and its members.

CSF Executive Director John Gedmark said, “Griffin Communications Group is well-known throughout the commercial spaceflight industry for its deep understanding of this sector.  We look forward to our partnership with this organization as the industry continues to advance.”

“We consider ourselves stakeholders in this industry as much as service providers,” said Jeff Carr, Griffin Communications Group’s Vice President, Aerospace Communications. “We share a strong desire to help advance the state of the space industry. We believe that lending our talents and experience in strategic communications and marketing to industry leaders who are shaping the marketplace is the best way for us to contribute.”

About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF)is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The CSF’s member companies – which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers and service providers – are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering.

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Griffin Communications Group is a full-service marketing communications firm. Since 1997, our strategic campaigns and outreach programs have continually delivered measurable, powerful results for our valued clients.

A marketing professional with eight years experience, Wren will play an active role in Griffin’s marketing and business development functions. She will work closely with the agency’s vice president of marketing & business development, as well as provide oversight of corporate administrative functions.

Prior to accepting the new position with Griffin, Wren worked with the Texas A&M University System as coordinator for Industry Alliances in the Office of Technology Commercialization assisting in their marketing and business development efforts.

“With Melissa’s recent position at Texas A&M, she brings new experience and fresh ideas to our agency,” said Griffin. “It is great to have her back in Bay Area Houston and as a valuable member of our team.”

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Griffin Communications Group is a full-service marketing communications firm. Since 1997, our strategic campaigns and outreach programs have continually delivered measurable, powerful results for our valued clients.