NASA, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department and Nike Inc. will host the fifth forum of the LAUNCH initiative at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Friday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Sept. 28.

This year's forum, LAUNCH: Systems Challenge, seeks to identify and accelerate solutions in futuristic materials that will help enable exploration beyond our atmosphere and reduce humanity's harmful footprint on our planet. Ten finalists were chosen to attend the forum to work with experts from government and industry.

During the forum, LAUNCH innovators will discuss their most pressing business and program issues with LAUNCH Council members, who represent the business, textile, investment, international development, policy, engineering, science, communications and sustainability sectors. The sessions are designed to identify key challenges and opportunities for the entrepreneurs' innovations in an effort to accelerate their solutions toward greater global impact.

Innovators were chosen for their groundbreaking technologies and programs. Considerations included the potential to revolutionize the future of fabrics and low-impact production; demonstration of a clear commitment to positive social and environmental impact and reducing the harmful consumption of planetary resources; and the potential to help unlock a new era of exploration.

A link to live video of the conference, along with additional information on the innovations, is available online at:

Welcome

Media interested in attending the forum should contact Molly Conroy at Molly.Conroy@nike.com.

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

Home Page

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.

Go here to read the rest:

NASA, Partners Announce LAUNCH: Systems Challenge Forum