Space Symposium in Colorado Springs opens ‘largest’ exhibit hall ever
Space Foundation CEO Tom Zelibor looked over the crowd of thousands gathered for the 37th Space Symposium’s opening ceremony Monday at the Broadmoor’s International Center and smiled.
It was the biggest crowd he’d seen there in three years, maybe ever.
“It’s so great to see 10,000-plus of my closest friends back to the Space Symposium,” Zelibor said.
He noted all the space industry milestones in the seven months since the last Symposium in August, including NASA’s launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and the numerous commercial missions carrying civilians to space.
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“The global space economy continues to grow and the importance of space and our shared national and economic security has never been greater,” Zelibor said. “It’s through gatherings like the symposium that we all better understand each other as well as the opportunities we can share and the challenges we can overcome together. This is the era of access and opportunity.”
He noted this year’s symposium has “the largest and most expansive exhibit hall we have ever had,” with more than 235 exhibits.
Zelibor also led a round of applause — not a moment of silence — for longtime board member P.J. O’Rourke, saying he would have wanted it that way. The author, satirist and journalist died in February at 74 years old.
Keeping with tradition, Space Foundation officials delivered awards before releasing the audience to the exhibition hall, which opened Monday night after the ceremony.
Award winners included:
- 2022 Athena Education Award: L3 Harris
- 2022 Space Achievement Award: International Astronautical Federation
- 2022 Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award: Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, SpaceX
- 2022 John L. “Jack” Swigert Jr. Award for Space Exploration: NASA and University of Arizona OSIRIS-REx Team
- 2022 General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award: Joanne Maguire, formerly of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.
“At the Space Foundation, we believe Space Symposium is no longer a single week in Colorado Springs, but rather a year-round means to inform, engage and connect with the entire global space community saying those three words: inform, engage and connect,” Zelibor said.
The symposium continues through Thursday.
