Senators John McCain and Barack Obama will send representatives to a space policy debate this week.
The presidential candidates’ representatives will meet Thursday to discuss how their administrations will fund, prioritize, and advance space policy over the next several years. “This will be a perfect opportunity for the campaigns to articulate their policies,” Mars Society Executive Director Chris Carberry said in an announcement. “The next president will be in a unique position to move the space program forward. Space policy could also be key in the election; many of the ‘space states’ are too close to call in recent polls.”
McCain will send Apollo VII astronaut Walt Cunningham and Obama will send former NASA Associate Administrator Lori Garver to speak on the candidates’ behalf.
The Mars Society will host the debate at the University Memorial Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Attendance is free and the event is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserved seating is available for groups.
The debate will take place during the 11th Annual International Mars Society Convention, which begins Thursday and ends Aug. 17. During the convention, industry leaders will review the latest developments from the Phoenix Mars Lander and recent data from the Cassini-Huygens mission orbiting Saturn.