Space legend Buzz Aldrin to give Global Aerospace Summit keynote address

Buzz Aldrin, the world-famous American astronaut and one of the first men to walk on the moon, will be attending the Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi as one of the keynote speakers this year.
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He will be giving an address on the second day of the summit, April 8, providing industry leaders with insight into his vision for space exploration, mission to mars legacy and his views on the latest developments in aerospace and space technology.

Aldrin is known globally as an advocate for the continuing quest to push the boundaries for space technology and advancement. A pioneering astronaut, Aldrin set foot on the moon during mankind’s first landing of Apollo 11 on July 21, 1969. He is famous for his work as an aerospace engineer, who designed an orbital rendezvous technique critical to future planetary landings.
As part of his involvement at the Global Aerospace Summit, Aldrin will be explaining his vision for the future, and the path that he proposes for humans to travel to Mars by 2030s.
“I see the larger advances in humanity here on planet earth will come when decisions are made to move earthlings from one planet, where we’ve evolved for thousands and thousands of years, to the enormously historic beginning of a settlement and the colonization of another planet,” Aldrin explained. “It is a big objective, but I would wish to see the nations collaborate and make a commitment within a definite time period of leading an international permanence on Mars.”
Aldrin will also explain in his address at the summit the importance of international cooperation, encouraging the global community towards new and permanent human exploration and settlement of space. Aldrin believes that with the right partnerships, constancy of purpose, policy consistency and the continuation of robotic mission to Mars throughout the 2020s, successful human mission to Mars can be achieved.
“The United States should be helping to motivate the national efforts of other countries in space activity, bringing together our resources with other countries, and using our knowledge to help further their goals and achievements. By carefully providing assistance, without consuming all our space activities, we can develop the stepping stones that will lead us to advancements in space exploration,” added Aldrin.
Buzz is also a strong supporter to the private sector’s involvement into space missions. He believes that it is a step forward to commercialize access to space, for both civil space and for the emerging space tourism business.
“Private sector’s involvement in space access is leading the path towards the creation of a new and important industry. It’s been 100 years since the first commercial flight took place and see how that has transformed travel and change our lives. Despite the nearly fifty years of Human Space Flight experience and nearly thirty years of the Space Shuttle operations, we still have a long way to go to make space travel available to everyone and at an efficient cost, but with collaboration it is achievable,” added Buzz.
The Global Aerospace Summit will run from 7-8 April 2014 at the St. Regis Hotel, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. It will focus on the challenges of driving industrialization and growth across aviation, aerospace, defence and space
The wide ranging themes covered by the Summit will include new events for CEOs, dedicated, sector-specific strategy seminars, Defence Industry Closed Door Briefings and a Military, Satellite and Communications session. It will bring industry experts together to answer the challenges faced by the sectors and shape future growth strategies.
Leaders from companies in both established and emerging markets will share their experiences of supporting industrialization, improving supply chain standards and creating value-added jobs for highly skilled individuals.