The International Space Station

PR 34-2001. From 5 to 7 June, Berlin will become the focal point for the International Space Station (ISS) when more than 500 leaders of industry, government officials and scientists from 22 countries gather in that city at ISS Forum 2001, the first international conference on Space Station utilisation covering both research and commercial opportunities, to explore the Space Station’s potential and discover the opportunities available to them.

With the Space Station now in orbit, the gateway to R&D and commercial use of space is open. Scientists and some companies from around the globe have already begun to carry out research aboard this unique laboratory, the largest research and technology centre available to date. Businesses and entrepreneurs from the non-space sectors as well as the space industry are welcome on board.

The European Space Agency (ESA), together with the four other Space Station partners and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), invite media representatives to attend:

Opening session
Tuesday 5 June, 14:00-17:00

ISS Forum 2001
Estrel Convention Center
Berlin, Germany

Two key European ministers responsible for space, Germany’s Minister for Research and Education, Ms Edelgard Bulmahn, and France’s Minister of Research, Mr Roger-Gérard Schwartzenberg, will open the afternoon.

Top-level representatives of the five space agencies involved in the Space Station, namely NASA, Rosaviakosmos (Russia), NASDA (Japan), the Canadian Space Agency and ESA, will outline for the first time their approach to commercialisation of the Space Station.

The first crew to have inhabited the Space Station, from November 2000 to March 2001, will also be present, for the first time in Europe, to discuss their life and work on board and lead participants through “their Space Station” with the help of 3D virtual reality simulation.

Conference attendees will be able to meet the “builders” of the Space Station – the companies developing the modules and other hardware – and current “users” – companies in areas ranging from hi-tech to media that are already benefiting from being on board.

Press are welcome to attend the full three-day conference at no charge. For the complete programme, see the conference web site: www.ISSForum2001.com.

For more information and interview requests, please contact:

Clare Mattok
ESA Communication Department
Tel: +33 (0) 1.53.69.74.12
Mobile: +33 (0) 6.08.75.83.95

Vanadis Weber
DLR Press Office
Tel: +49 2003 601 3068

ISS Forum 2001 press centre (from 4-7 June)
Berlin, Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 30 6831 45134