NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

HAMPTON, Va. -- Whether it's enabling the nation to return to the moon, landing a spacecraft on Mars, monitoring Earth's atmosphere or improving the next-generation air traffic management system, NASA relies heavily on modeling and simulation capabilities and is a sponsor of the MODSIM World 2008 Conference & Expo Sept. 16-18 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

Headlining NASA's participation is former astronaut Dr. Charles Camarda, mission specialist on STS-114 in July 2005 who has logged more than 300 hours in space. He is currently assigned to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center. Camarda will speak on modeling and simulation from his experience as an astronaut and his work in structures and materials.

Additional NASA speakers will address:

• AviationSimNet, a NASA project with MITRE Corporation studying real-time, state-of-the-art, human-in-the-loop air traffic management
• NASA Langley Research Center's Flight Simulation facilities, where aircraft and spacecraft flight technologies are tested and validated
• NASA's Entry, Descent and Landing team that used simulation technology to guide the entry of the Phoenix Mars Lander
• NASA Education Program's Digital Learning Network that will be streamed live into SecondLife
• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's new massively multiplayer online learning game currently under development to help educate the nation's future astronauts, scientists and engineers

Advancements in computing power and the availability of PC-based modeling and simulation are bridging the gap between disciplines such as math, chemistry, physics, engineering and environmental science and allowing answers to the proverbial question: "What if . . . ?"

Modeling and simulation is a $365 million industry in the Hampton Roads area and has brought nearly 4,500 high-paying jobs. In addition to the aerospace sector, research clusters are already studying how modeling and simulation activities can benefit defense, transportation, telecommunication, medicine, materials science, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, education and numerous other areas.

Media who wish to interview any of the MODSIM World 2008 conference speakers should contact Paul Fosdick at 757-515-1612.

For more information on MODSIM World 2008, visit:

www.modsimworld2008.com

For more information on NASA programs, visit:

www.nasa.gov

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