National Plan for Next Generation Air Transportation System

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has established a Joint Program Office (JPO), to develop a national plan for the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Sometime this year, President Bush is expected to designate the transformation of the national airspace system as a national initiative for his administration.

For the past few years, ASME has been working with an Aviation Research and Technology Coalition to push for a National Aviation Research and Technology Plan; more collaboration among government, industry and academia; and robust and stable federal investments in aeronautics and aviation research and technology programs.

To that end, ASME held a Washington workshop on the issue in May. And an ASME-led steering committee will soon release a white paper on maintaining the long-term health of the nation's civil and military aviation and aeronautics technology enterprise.

For more information, contact Kathryn Holmes at holmesk@asme.org.

U.S. and China Reach Agreement on Nuclear Safeguard Measures

The U.S. Department of Energy and the Government of the People's Republic of China have reached agreement on safeguarding nuclear power technologies from nonproliferation. Lack of such an agreement had prevented greater participation by U.S. firms in China's growing nuclear power industry.

The agreement was signed by Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and the chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority, Zhang Hua-zhu.

The agreement establishes a process for determining what nuclear technologies require government-to-government nonproliferation assurances and sets forth procedures for exchanging the assurances, according to a press release issued by the Department of Energy.

"These understandings open the way for greater participation by the U.S. nuclear industry in China's growing nuclear power program," Abraham said after he and CAEA Chairman Zhang Hua-zhu signed a Statement of Intent in a ceremony at the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference in Vienna, Austria.

The understandings enable U.S. firms to use their authorizations under the Department of Energy to provide technology and services to the Chinese nuclear power program.
For more information, contact Francis Dietz at dietzf@asme.org.

NASA, GM and Lockheed Martin Join in Traveling Space Exhibit

In an effort to help increase the interest of America's youth in the mysteries and excitement of science and engineering, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has partnered with General Motors Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. to produce a traveling education exhibition on space exploration.

"Space: A Journey to Our Future" is a 12,000-square-foot exhibition designed to present educational elements in scenic environments to fuel the imagination of American schoolchildren in the future of space exploration.

"We hope this exhibit will help inspire the next generation of dreamers and explorers," said Adena Williams Loston, NASA's associate administrator for education. "We want to ignite the desire for discovery in the youth who'll be our next pioneers to explore the galaxy."

The exhibit, which begins its tour in Seattle on Nov. 22, examines amazing discoveries and explorations from the past, and introduces visitors to today's explorers who are shaping our future destiny in the universe. The exhibit will feature live performances, child-friendly interactives, and state-of-the-art projection and audio technology to bring space exploration to life.

For more information, including a list of tour cities, visit www.spaceevent.com.

— Melissa Murray
ASME Government Relations

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