The 25th National Space Symposium brings together all sectors of space, civil, commercial, national security, new space entrepreneurship, and finance, to highlight accomplishments and address opportunities and issues facing the global space community today. With its theme, The Next Space Age, this year's program focuses on major shifts in the economies, philosophies, and mechanics of the global space industry. With this theme the Phoenix Mars Lander Team wins the 2009 Jack Swigert Award for Space Exploration. The award, which honors the memory and enduring legacy of Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert, will be presented during the Opening Ceremony of the Foundation's 25th National Space Symposium March 30 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Mission Apollo 13 John L. "Jack" Swigert was one of three astronauts aboard the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, which launched on April 11, 1970. Originally part of the backup crew, he was assigned to the mission just days before launch, replacing astronaut Ken Mattingly because the prime crew had been exposed to German Measles, or Rubella. Mattingly alone had no immunity to the disease, and NASA did not want to risk the possibility of him falling ill during the mission. The mission was the third lunar landing attempt, but was aborted after the rupture of an oxygen tank on the spacecraft's service module. Swigert, along with fellow astronauts Jim Lovell and Fred Haise, returned safely to Earth on April 17 after nearly 6 days. The crew received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970. The statue is on permanent display at the National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol, which is comprised of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. Image Credit: Jim Wilson (Used by permission)

The Space Foundation chose the team, a collaboration among the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at The University of Arizona, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed Martin Space Systems and a number of international entities, for design, development, launch, landing, and operation of the Phoenix Mars Lander in its quest for and discovery of water on the Red Planet. 

"The Phoenix Mars Lander's confirmation of water on the Red Planet is perhaps of one of the most important discoveries of our time," said Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham. "The exploratory spirit of Jack Swigert is evident in the winning team's ceaseless and well-choreographed pursuit of this noble goal." The Phoenix Mars Lander is only the sixth successful landing of a spacecraft on Mars. By confirming the presence of water ice on Mars and characterizing the soil composition of the Red Planet, the highly successful mission significantly advanced the body of knowledge about Mars while validating NASA's "follow the water" strategy for extraterrestrial exploration. "In addition to acknowledging the outcome of the Phoenix Mars Lander mission, the award also recognizes the management of the program," said Pulham. "This is the first NASA mission to employ a management structure with a single lead scientist from an academic institution."

Principal Investigator Peter H. Smith of The University of Arizona is supported by a science team of co-investigators. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory provided project management, mission management, and technical collaboration with the science and spacecraft teams. Lockheed Martin Space Systems' responsibilities included spacecraft development, assembly, test, launch vehicle integration and flight system mission operations support. International contributions are provided by the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus Denmark; the Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

A Colorado native, Swigert served with Capt. James Lovell, USN (Retired), and Fred Haise, Jr., on the legendary Apollo 13 lunar mission. People around the world watched as NASA overcame tremendous odds to return the crew safely to Earth. Before joining the Apollo program, Swigert was a combat pilot for the U.S. Air Force in Japan and Korea and an engineering test pilot for North American Aviation, Inc. and Pratt and Whitney. In 1982, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but died of cancer before taking the oath of office.

The Space Foundation, founded in 1983 in part to honor Swigert's memory, created the Jack Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration in 2004 in tribute to his lasting legacy of space exploration. Previous recipients include the NASA Mars Exploration Team; President George W. Bush; the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; the astronomical observatories, scientists, researchers, and students of the California Institute of Technology; and the Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA).

The Symposium also includes extensive programs for selected teachers and students, a space technology career fair, and the Boeing Exhibit Centers representing more than 140 organizations and companies. More than 7,500 registrants, guests, speakers, exhibitors, and media representatives from around the world are expected to attend. 

Co-sponsors of the symposium include The Aerospace Corporation, Aerojet, a.i. solutions, Analytical Graphics, Inc, ATK, ARES Corporation, ASRC Federal, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boeing, Cisco Systems, Inc., Cobham, General Dynamics, Honeywell, Hitachi Consulting, IBM, Infinite Links, Intelsat General Corporation, International Space University, ITT, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, The Mitre Corporation, Northrop Grumman, Pikes Peak Workforce Center, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Raytheon, Regis University, SAIC, SEAKR Engineering, Inc., SERCO, Stellar Solutions, United Launch Alliance, United Space Alliance, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Webster University. Online registration and more information, including an updated program agenda, confirmed speaker list, and exhibitor list, are available at.