Meeting of the Minds

Leaders in the New Space Race--including Economic Development's own Cabinet Secretary, Rick Homans--converge on Los Angeles May 4 for the International Space Development Conference. It's an impressive line-up including the first space tourist Dennis Tito; officials from NASA like Shana Dale and Charles Elachi; astronaut Buzz Aldrin; entrepreneurs like Burt Rutan, Elon Musk, Will Whitehorn, and Amir Ansari; X Prize Chairman Dr. Peter Diamandis; astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson; and television personalities Hugh Downs and Bill Nye "the Science Guy". The conference lasts until May 7 and covers topics like exploration, tourism, science, technology, policy, and commerce.