Celebrating ten years of the International Space Station

The symposium will bring together an international panel of industry and agency leaders to focus on the history and development of the International Space Station (ISS), the world's biggest ever cooperative scientific and technological undertaking. The participants will also look at what will be achieved over the coming years as ISS assembly nears completion, examining the legacy with an eye to future exploration of the Moon and Mars.

ISS crew members will take part in a special panel discussion, describing from first-hand experience what it is like to live and work onboard this Earth-orbiting outpost.

Among those taking part will be Lynn Cline (NASA), Alexey Krasnov, (Roscosmos), Yoshinori Yoshimura (JAXA), William H. Gerstenmaier (NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations) and Jean-Jacques Dordain (ESA Director General).

Key figures from the past will include Margaret Finarelli (NASA), Mac Evans (CSA), Frederik Engström (ESA) and Giuseppe Giampalmo (ESA).

Media representatives planning to attend this event should notify the IAF Secretariat by sending an e-mail to Rocio Caparros, IAF International Relations & Communication Officer, at rocio.caparros@iafastro.org stating first name, last name, Media affiliation, phone numbers and e-mail address. Those unable to participate will be able to watch video recordings of the presentations on the IAF website http://www.iafastro.org. The Federation will also subsequently publish a report summarising the proceedings.

The programme for the event is as follows:

First Session: Wednesday 9 July, afternoon (14:30-19:00)

Welcoming address Marcio Barbosa, Deputy Director General, UNESCO, and James V. Zimmerman, President, International Astronautical Federation.

Keynote address “Celebrating the International Space Station”, Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General, European Space Agency.

Panel discussions

- “How It Started”, discussion between negotiators of the first ISS Memorandum of Understanding (1984-1988): Margaret Finarelli (NASA, retired), Mac Evans (CSA, retired) and Fredrik Engström (ESA, retired).

- “Expanding the Partnership”, discussion between negotiators of the second ISS Memorandum of Understanding (1994-1998): Lynn Cline (NASA), Alexei Krasnov, (Roscosmos), Giuseppe Giampalmo (ESA, retired), Yoshinori Yoshimura (JAXA) and Heinz Gindl (CSA).

Keynote address “The Amazing Technical Achievement”, William H. Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator for Space Operations, NASA.

Panel discussion “Living and Working Onboard the Space Station”, discussion between ISS Expedition crew members: Jean-François Clervoy (ESA), Léopold Eyharts (ESA), Satoshi Furukawa (NASDA) and Michael-Lopez Alegria (NASA).

Second Session: Thursday July 10, morning (09:00-12:30)

Panel discussions

- “Today’s View of the Partnership”, discussion between members of current ISS Multilateral Coordination Board: William H. Gerstenmaier (NASA), Benoît Marcotte (CSA), Simonetta Di Pippo (ESA), Shin Aoyama (MEXT) and Alexey Krasnov (RSA).

- “Industry Delivers on the International Challenge”, discussion between leading ISS industrialists: Mike Parfitt (MDA), Brewster Shaw (Boeing), Michael Menking (EADS), Luigi Quaglino (TAS), Nobuhiko Fukuda (MHI).

Feature presentations

“Medical Challenges for Humans in Space”, Dr Ronald J. White (USA), Universities Space Research Association, Board of Trustees/International Academy of Astronautics.

“ISS as an Observing Science Platform”, Martin Zell, Head of Research Operations Department, ESA Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity & Exploration.

“Commercial Success on the ISS”, Eric Anderson, President and CEO, Space Adventures.

“The US ISS National Laboratory Initiative”, Jeff M. Bingham, Senior Adviser on Space & Aeronautics, Republican Staff Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, US Senate.

For further information:

Rocio Caparros
IAF International Relations and Communication Officer
Phone (+33 1)/01 45 67 42 60