NASA representatives from the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., will participate with aerospace industry leaders and members of professional organizations statewide at Aero-Space Day, Thursday, Feb. 2, in Richmond. These aerospace advocates will meet with General Assembly members to discuss the importance of aerospace to the Commonwealth.

Over the past 20 years, the aerospace industry has contributed more than half a trillion dollars of positive balance of trade to the American economy. In Virginia, the aerospace industry provides more than 30,000 jobs with salaries ranging from $73,000 for an aerospace engineer to $34,000 for a systems assembler or rigger.

Media who wish to talk with NASA leaders, industry representatives or Virginia legislators may participate in the "Meet and Greet" session 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 2 at the General Assembly, 8 West Conference Room, 9th and Broad Streets, Richmond.

At this session, Langley's educational experts will demonstrate NASA's distance learning capability via an interactive videoconference with the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton, Langley's official visitor center. The demo will illustrate the value of technology to educators, parents, students and Virginians of every age.

In addition, Astronaut Patrick Forrester, who deployed Langley's Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) in 2001, will be on hand to discuss the Vision for Space Exploration. He will also accompany students from Martinsville Middle School, Martinsville, Va., on a tour the General Assembly. The students will speak with selected legislators about their experiences and enrichment opportunities as a result of being named a NASA Explorer School.

Finally, reporters are invited to attend the legislative session at noon where Virginia's aerospace community will be recognized.

- end -

text-only version of this release