DATES: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 16 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 17, 2008.

EVENT: Universities and Space Exploration, a symposium to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Space Physics Research Lab (SPRL). Older than NASA, this lab has been involved in numerous high profile space missions. Its instruments are now at work across the solar system on the Mars Phoenix Lander, Cassini-Huygens at Saturn and its moons, Rosetta on its way to a comet, and MESSENGER, approaching planet Mercury.

Speakers in the symposium will discuss the future of space exploration, spaceflight technology development, and the role of universities in the space program, among other topics.

Speakers include:

? Charles Elachi, director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory

? Marc Allen, assistant associate administrator for strategy, policy, and international at NASA

? Chris Ruf, director of the SPRL and professor in the U-M departments of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences (AOSS), and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

? Tamas Gombosi, interdisciplinary scientist for magnetosphere and plasma science on the Cassini mission, chair of the U-M Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences and professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering

? Lennard Fisk, professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences and former associate administrator for space science and applications at NASA

For a full agenda and list of speakers, visit: http://www.sprl.umich.edu/sprlat60/agenda.php.

PLACE: Lurie Engineering Center, 1221 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor. For a map and parking information, visit: http://www.sprl.umich.edu/sprlat60/map-lurie-engineering-center.php

CONTACT: Mary Nehls-Frumkin, (734) 763-7305, maryln@umich.edu

WEBSITE: SPRL at 60: http://www.sprl.umich.edu/sprlat60/

Story in the University Record: http://www.ur.umich.edu/0809/Oct13_08/17.php

Space Physics Research Lab: http://www.sprl.umich.edu/