Farnborough Airshow: Joint press conference by NASA and Siemens

Head of NASA Mars Program and Siemens Industry CEO to address essential role of cost-efficient product development in new era of space exploration

Washington and Munich -- NASA Director of the Mars Exploration Program Doug McCuistion and Siemens Industry Sector CEO Siegfried Russwurm, held a media briefing at 9:00 a.m. BST Tuesday, July 10, in the Hendon Room at the Farnborough Air Show in Farnborough, England. McCuistion and Russwurm discussed the importance of the space program and the essential role of cost-efficient product development in the aerospace industry and in the emerging new era of space travel and exploration.

The NASA Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is currently traveling through space carrying the latest Mars Rover "Curiosity" to land on the surface of the Red Planet on August 5, 2012 (U.S. Pacific time). With this historic mission well underway, NASA's McCuistion will outline how the global space industry is undergoing a transformation in which government space agencies are collaborating more closely than ever to optimize efficiency and minimize development costs while maintaining the highest standards of reliability and safety. Part of this transformation includes public-private partnerships and a constant drive to employ technology tools that will maximize productivity and shorten development times.

Siemens' Russwurm will provide an overview of how Siemens' technologies are used in the aerospace industry and other industries worldwide to optimize product development and production of some of the world's most sophisticated products, including the NASA MSL and Mars Rover.

Siemens' Industry Automation Division will be presenting aerospace solutions at the International Airshow, due to be held from 9 to 15 July 2012 in Farnborough, UK.