NASA Highlights Space Station Research Benefits, Opportunities at San Diego Conference

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA astronauts, engineers and scientists will be joined by CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, retired astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly, and other special guests, for a three-day, in-depth conversation about the International Space Station (ISS) as a catalyst for discovery during the fifth annual ISS Research & Development Conference July 12-14 in San Diego.

The conference, hosted by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), in cooperation with NASA, brings together leaders from industry, academia and government. Attendees will explore innovations and breakthroughs in microgravity research, life sciences, materials development, technology development, human health and remote sensing, the potential applications for space-based research, and the economic benefits of increased commercial activity in low-Earth orbit.

CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, will delve into NASA's One Year Mission and Twins Study with former astronauts and twin brothers Scott Kelly and Mark Kelly. Scott Kelly's flight surgeon, Dr. Stevan Gilmore, and Twins Study principal investigator Dr. Andrew Feinberg also will provide insights into the valuable research.

NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan and Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, will discuss the future of digital medicine and the role of space science in genomics studies.

Other guest speakers include NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Josh Cassada; Julie Robinson, NASA's chief scientist for the International Space Station; Kirk Shireman, manager of NASA's International Space Station Program Office; Joel Montalbano, NASA's deputy manager of ISS utilization; Salvatore T. "Tory" Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance; Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR, LLC; Greg Johnson, president and executive director of CASIS; Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation; John Elbon, vice president, Boeing; and Robert Bigelow, president of Bigelow Aerospace.

NASA and CASIS, both which manage and fund research on the space station, will provide overviews of research applications, external and internal capabilities, and upcoming opportunities.

During the July 11 preconference day, NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will host a joint workshop covering the achievements and opportunities tied to cooperative use of unique JAXA experiment hardware for joint research.

NASA's Driven to Explore exhibit will be open to the public July 11 - 14 outside the conference at the Town and Country Resort, 500 Hotel Circle North in San Diego. The exhibit will be open at the following times:

July 11 -- Noon to 5 p.m. PDT
July 12 -- 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
July 13 -- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
July 14 -- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Media interested in interviewing NASA personnel should contact Hayley Fick at 281-483-5111 or hayley.m.fick@nasa.gov.

Watch the conference live stream at:

http://www.issconference.org

For more information about the International Space Station and research aboard the orbiting laboratory, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

SOURCE NASA

CONTACT: Tabatha Thompson, Headquarters, Washington, 202-358-1100, tabatha.t.thompson@nasa.gov; Hayley Fick, Johnson Space Center, Houston, 281-483-5111, hayley.m.fick@nasa.gov