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AIAA Los Angeles section to host celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo XI lunar landing

Panel of experts on 'From Apollo XI to the First Human on Mars' and special screening of 'Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3-D' to be highlights of the event

July 9, 2009 – Reston, Va. – The Los Angeles section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will host a tribute to the 40th anniversary of the Apollo XI lunar landing from noon to 3:30 p.m., on July 23, at the California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Dr., Los Angeles, Calif. (Visitor parking at Figueroa and 39th/Exposition Park Dr.)

The celebration's cornerstone will be a distinguished panel of experts presenting the program "From Apollo XI to the First Human on Mars," from 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Moderated by Dr. Howard McCurdy, professor of public affairs at American University, Washington, D.C., with featuring panelists: Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Apollo XI astronaut; Dean Davis, chair of AIAA's Los Angeles section; Michael Sander, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory rover scientist; Richard Searfoss, former commander of space shuttle mission STS-90; Jim Stammereich, Vice President of Strategy at The Boeing Company; and Thomas Taverney, Senior Vice President of SAIC, the program will analyze the Apollo XI landing's place in history, and the possible future of space exploration.

The program will conclude at 2:30 p.m. with a special screening of the IMAX film Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D, featuring a special, live, introduction by Dr. Aldrin. The film, narrated by Tom Hanks, uses 3D effects technology to "place" the viewer on the moon, alongside the twelve astronauts that have walked its surface, allowing the viewer to experience the vastness of space, and the desolation of the Lunar surface from the comfort of their theater seats.

Prior to the panel and film presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to tour the California Science Center's SKETCH Foundation Gallery Air and Space exhibit, where they will be able to view Dr. Aldrin's moon rock, and an example of an actual Apollo Capsule, as well as other significant artifacts of America's early space exploration efforts – including the Gemini 11 capsule, and the Mercury-Redstone 2 capsule that took Ham, the chimpanzee, on a 15-minute suborbital flight, offering scientific evidence that humans could endure space travel.

Admission to the program is free for credentialed members of the media, $20.00 for the public, $15.00 for current members of the AIAA or the California Science Center Foundation, and $10.00 for students with valid student identification. For more information on the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo XI Moon Landing celebration, or to secure tickets to the event, please go to http://AIAA-LACelebratesApollo.eventbrite.com. Credentialed members of the media should contact Duane Hyland, AIAA Communications, at 703.264.7558, or duaneh@aiaa.org.

AIAA is the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and 90 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Suite 500, Reston, VA 20191-4344
Phone: 703.264.7558 Fax: 703.264.7551 www.aiaa.org

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