Space Industry Leaders Available to Discuss White House Panel’s Support for Commercial Acquisition of Transportation Services for NASA Astronauts to S

Final Report Expected to Detail Options on Future Priorities for NASA’s Human Space Flight Plans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oct. 14, 2009 – In the summary report released by the White House’s Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee on September 8, there was strong consensus for utilizing the commercial space industry for crew transportation to the International Space Station. The final report, scheduled to be released later this week, is expected to further discuss options for the future of U.S. human space flight and lay the groundwork for policy changes at NASA, which could lead to expansive new opportunities in space and potentially the creation of a new industry in low-Earth orbit.

The Space Shuttle is currently scheduled to be retired next year, at which time NASA will be reliant on alternative methods to send astronauts to space. An estimated 7,000 space program jobs could be lost by the end of 2010 due to the retirement of the Space Shuttle, a loss that can be alleviated, in part, by expanding commercial human space flight transportation.

Members of the Next Step in Space Coalition, a group of businesses, organizations, and people working to ensure the future of U.S. human space flight, are available for briefings and interviews. The following commercial space industry executives are available:

• Bretton Alexander, President, Commercial Spaceflight Federation
• Eric Anderson, President and CEO, Space Adventures
• Elon Musk, CEO and CTO, and Lawrence Williams, Vice President, SpaceX
• Mark Sirangelo, President, Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems Will Whitehorn, President, Virgin Galactic
• James Muncy, Advisor to XCor Aerospace

Members will be available to discuss:

• Current and future NASA partnership opportunities with the private sector;
• The growing space economy and its impact on jobs, economic growth and U.S. competitiveness; and
• Safety and reliability of commercial space transportation.

Please contact Jo Anne Yau at 512-659-0150 or jayau@phillipscompany.com to schedule a briefing or interview with a representative from Next Step in Space.

About the Next Step in Space

The Next Step in Space is a group of businesses, organizations, and people working toward making commercial human spaceflight a reality. Investment in commercial space will allow for full utilization of the International Space Station, enable NASA to focus its efforts beyond low-Earth orbit, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are reinvested in the United States and not spent overseas. Visit us at: www.nextstepinspace.com.