FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cassandra Bosco
NAA
(202) 415-2798
NAA ANNOUNCES THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AS WINNER OF THE ROBERT J. COLLIER TROPHY
Arlington, VA [March 3, 2010] – The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) announced at their Annual Spring Awards Luncheon that the International Space Station has been selected as the recipient of the esteemed Robert J. Collier Trophy, “For the design, development, and assembly of the of the world’s largest spacecraft, an orbiting laboratory that promises new discoveries for mankind and sets new standards for international cooperation in space.”
The Collier Trophy will be formally presented at the Annual Collier Dinner to be held on Thursday, May 13, 2010 beginning at 6:30pm at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. The International Space Station will be honored this spring of 2010 for their 2009 accomplishments.
“We had a remarkably strong list of candidates, one that visibly impressed the distinguished members of the Collier Trophy Selection Committee,” stated Walter Boyne, Chairman of NAA as well as Chairman of the Selection Committee. “I believe that the International Space Station is a wonderful example of what the Collier Trophy signifies: Accomplishment, vision, and advancement in aerospace.”
The Collier Trophy is awarded annually “…for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year.” The list of Collier winners represents a timeline of aviation, as most of the awardees mark major events in the history of flight.
“This was truly as professional and competitive set of deliberations as we could have hoped for,” said Jonathan Gaffney, President and CEO of NAA. “I believe that all the nominees will look back at this process as a valuable experience for themselves and their organizations. The Selection Committee did a wonderful job evaluating nominations that spanned almost the entire spectrum of our tremendous aerospace industry.”
The International Space Station Team nomination consisted of the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, The Boeing Company, Charles Stark Draper Labs, Honeywell Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, United Space Alliance, and United Technologies Corporation.
Other nominees for the 2009 Collier Trophy were: Aircell; Ares I-X Flight Test and Ares I Design Teams; C-5M Super Galaxy, Kandahar Airfield Operations Team; MC-12W Project Liberty Enterprise Team; SpaceX Falcon 1 Development Team; and John Warner and the Excalibur Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle.
For tickets or more information about the Collier Trophy awards dinner or for a complete list of previous recipients of the Collier Trophy, please visit the NAA website at www.naa.aero.
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