Making the "Vision for Space Exploration" a long-term reality is the focus of the 2nd Space Exploration Conference, Implementing the Vision. The event will feature representatives from industry, academia, NASA and other government agencies and will be held Dec. 4-6 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The Vision for Space Exploration, announced by President George W. Bush in 2004, calls for humans to return to the moon by the end of the next decade as a step toward eventual journeys to Mars and beyond. "The conference brings together the people, technologies and ideas that will make the vision a long-term reality. It offers a special education focus to inspire the next generation of space explorers and engineers who will fulfill the goal of returning humans to the moon and exploring Mars and beyond," said Robert S. Dickman, executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), which is organizing the conference. The event begins with an opening reception hosted by United Space Alliance at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 4 in the main exhibit hall. The reception will feature NASA Rover displays from the Mobility and Robotic Systems Group. Brewster H. Shaw, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space Exploration, and general chair of the conference, will welcome attendees at the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Shana Dale, deputy administrator of NASA, leads off the lineup of speakers. Scott Horowitz, associate administrator of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, will provide the conference overview and introduction. Expert panels will address lunar exploration strategy, robotic and human collaboration, launch systems and operations, science, opportunities for international participation, and the range of business opportunities for private sector-government collaboration, among other topics. Panel moderators include: Rex Geveden, associate administrator, NASA; William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator, NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate; John Logsdon, Space Policy Institute, George Washington University; Paul Hertz, chief scientist, NASA's Science Mission Directorate; Paul Eckert, international and commercial strategist, Boeing Space Exploration; Doug Cooke, deputy associate administrator, NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate; Jeff Hanley, manager, Constellation Program, NASA's Johnson Space Center; Carl Walz, director, NASA's ESMD Advanced Capability Div.; and Pete Worden, director, NASA's Ames Research Center. The main exhibit hall will feature more than 100 organizations working in civil, military and commercial space that will demonstrate their capabilities in the space exploration arena. A special Small Business Forum and Exhibitor Roundtable have been developed by NASA and The Boeing Company to focus on opportunities for this key segment. Northrop Grumman, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Booz Allen Hamilton will host the Future Exploration Leaders Reception on Tuesday evening at 5:30 p.m. This networking event is designed to introduce industry representatives to those just entering or about to enter the workforce who will be implementing the Vision for Space Exploration. The 2nd Space Exploration Conference, Implementing the Vision, is sponsored by The Boeing Company and co-sponsored by NASA. For more information, visit: www.aiaa.org/events/exploration