Join us at the 2008 American Astronautical Society National Conference and 55th Annual Meeting, November 17-19 in Pasadena, California.  Online registration is now closed, but you may register on-site at the Pasadena Hilton.

We extend a special invitation to students to attend. Space industry conferences are largely dominated by the more experienced constituents in the industry. Rather than seeing this as a disadvantage, we encourage students to use this as a tactical advantage in networking. So we’ve invited Matt Cruce, an undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has led teams of students to past AAS events and will be leading another group to the National Conference in Pasadena, to describe his experiences.

When asked why he as his fellow classmates travel to AAS events, Matt says that he attends for “networking, a new career, and knowledge.”

“As a student at the University of Illinois and a member of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), I have organized trips over the last several years to the AAS Goddard Symposium. The conference has provided the unique opportunity to meet the NASA Director, Dr. Michael Griffin, several former astronauts, Vice Presidents of major aerospace companies and more. As a direct result of this networking, I have seen many of my peers find full-time or internship positions to gain the work experience necessary for a successful start to a career.”

In March, after the 2008 Goddard Memorial Symposium, the Illinois students took a tour of the Satellite Manufacturing Facility at Orbital Sciences Corporation, an AAS corporate member. Inside, Matt and the other students saw satellites in various stages of integration, from nearly-finished satellites set up for vibration testing to bare satellite frames with its components laid out on a table.

With so many AAS corporate members represented in southern California, and with so many interesting people attending the conference, AAS would like to extend the opportunity again to students to see their futures in action. Please go to astronautical.org/conference/students to let us know if you want to go on a tour or meet with other AAS members. Act fast — it takes some time to prepare for visits.

“Most importantly, the firsthand knowledge we have gained from the experiences of others will be information applicable to the spaceflight missions our generation conceives and will not be lost in time. Take the time and find a way to make it to this AAS National Conference and realize that it will be one of the best investments of your early professional career.”

Students, young professionals, experienced professionals, and everyone in between should also attend the Aerospace Leaders Networking Reception on the evening of Monday 17 November. Come to the reception to network, chat, share experiences, and meet peers and mentors. The networking reception is free to all, even if you are not attending the conference (of course, we encourage to attend the conference as well).

Matt and company are also attending the 2008 SEDS-USA National Conference at Texas A&M University on the weekend before the AAS National Conference. Students, be sure to check out this event as well.