Conference 7.286::space

826.0. "NASA to hold town meetings across America" by PRAGMA::GRIFFIN (Dave Griffin) Mon Oct 26 1992 09:39

Terri Sindelar
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.


Sarah Keegan
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.



RELEASE:  92-181

        NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin announced details for a series of
town meetings across the nation to involve Americans in developing a shared
vision for the future of the U.S. civil space program.

        "The space program belongs to the American people.  For our space
program to be successful, we must have a shared vision," Goldin said.

        "The town meetings will give the public an opportunity to learn about
NASA's programs and to talk about what they believe should be the aspirations
of the civil space program.  We want every American to feel 'a pride of
ownership' in their civil space program," Goldin said.

        "In the cold-war era race to space, Americans clearly understood and
supported NASA's missions," Goldin said. "The world is undergoing tremendous
change, America is facing economic difficulties and we are reexamining our
priorities.  NASA wants to work closely with the public in realigning our
mission to create a national agenda for the agency."

Roles, Missions and Values

        This summer, review teams within NASA have been working to streamline
the agency's major ongoing programs.  The ultimate goal is to reshape all of
NASA's activities to produce more world-class science and technology with
greater efficiency and quality.  In the process, NASA hopes to free up the
resources necessary to push forward with new exploration projects.

        As currently drafted, NASA's vision states: "As explorers, pioneers and
innovators, we will boldly expand the frontiers of air and space for the
benefit of all."

        Elements of the emerging vision include sustaining human presence
beyond Earth; increasing knowledge of planet Earth, the solar system and
beyond; advancing aeronautics and astronautics through research; enhancing U.S.
competitiveness and enabling private-sector involvemment in aerospace through
cooperation with industry, academia, and other government agencies, and;
encouraging math and science education through discovery and example.

Town Meetings

        The town meetings are to acquaint the public with the emerging NASA
mission and vision, to reach businesses not involved with NASA and to gain
inputs on how to accomplish the agency's programs.

        As part of the process of consensus, NASA has reached out to employees,
to members of Congress and the White House, to professional societies and to
the aerospace industry.  Now, NASA is going to listen to academia -- both
scholars and students -- to non- aerospace industries and to the American
people.

        The town meetings will include presentations by top NASA officials, as
well as university researchers, members of the business community, educators
and individuals from aerospace associations.  Members of the audience will have
an opportunity to present their views and to ask questions.  Written
submissions also will be accepted.  NASA will have informational exhibits and
hardware mock-ups at each site.

        Town meetings are scheduled from 2 - 6:30 p.m. local time in the
following cities:

Nov. 9   Raleigh, N.C.              North Carolina State University
                                    Jane S. McKimmon Center

Nov. 17  Hartford, Conn.            University of Hartford
                                    Lincoln Theater

Nov. 20  Indianapolis, Ind.         Indiana University-Purdue University
                                    University Place Conference Center

Dec. 3   Pasadena, Calif.           California Institute of Technology
                                    Ramo Auditorium

Dec. 11  Tampa, Fla.                University of South Florida
                                    Theatre 1

Dec. 15  Seattle, Wash.             University of Washington
                                    Student Union Building Auditorium

Jan 1993                            Denver, Colo.
                                    TBD

        Town meetings will be carried live on NASA Select TV, Satcom F2R, 72
degrees West longitude, transponder 13.

        For more information, the public should phone 202/453-3006.

I rang 'em up and got a voice messaging system. I left a message asking for 
registration info and more detailed agenda. The Hartford site is only about two
hours away from the Maynard area. Anybody interested in going?

Mike H