On Friday, March 18, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will host its first biennial Congressional Aerospace Policy Retreat. This inaugural event will brief Members of Congress, congressional staffers, and the media, on a wide variety of aerospace topics, including the role of the U.S. space program in the "post-shuttle" era.

The retreat is offered in partnership with the George Washington University Space Policy Institute, the Satellite Industry Association, the Space Enterprise Council, the Space Foundation, and the Space Transportation Association.

The event is free and open to the public, and will take place on Friday, March 18, starting at 9:00 a.m. in room 201-00 and room 209-08 in the Senate Visitors Center, located in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, East Capitol Street, NE and 1st Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20001.

Offering an overview of America's aerospace policy, speakers for the event include: Charles F. Bolden Jr., NASA administrator; George C. Nield, associate administrator for commercial space transportation, FAA; Ken Bowersox, SpaceX; Brewster Shaw Jr., The Boeing Company; Andreas Diekmann, European Space Agency, among many others.

AIAA President Mark Lewis stated: "As the American aerospace program moves into the post-shuttle era, it is critical that lawmakers understand the importance of America's aerospace program to our nation's continued economic vitality and strong defense, as well as the importance of emphasizing quality instruction in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in our nation's schools.

"The goal of our Congressional Aerospace Policy Retreat is to educate lawmakers, the media, and the public on the challenges facing America's aerospace program, while reminding everyone of the valuable role our nation's aerospace systems play in our day-to-day lives. Discussions like these are vital to renewing commitment among law and policy makers to a strong and vital aerospace program and industry."

The retreat offers two programming tracks for attendees. Track One features: The History of Space Exploration; U.S. Human Spaceflight: What's Next?; International Treaties and Obligations - What Are the Rules; International Partners and U.S. Space Policy; and Space Debris - Human Created Barriers to Space. Track Two offers: Commercial Satellite Industry - Remote Sensing to Daily Communications; Satellites, UAVs, and National Defense; Transformation of the Nation's Air Traffic Management Capabilities and the Next Generation Air Transportation System; The Space Economy; and Who Does What and How Much is in the Budget for That? Agency Roles and Budget Analysis. A luncheon will feature NASA administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. as the keynote speaker.