Marianne Dyson
Marianne Dyson was one of the first ten women to work in NASA Mission Control Ms. Dyson has her degree in physics and with a lifelong interest in space, she fulfilled one of her many space dreams with her NASA Mission Control position. After working the first five space shuttle flights, she left NASA to raise her children and began sharing her passion for space through writing and speaking. She is the author of the award-wining, Space Station Science, originally published by Scholastic, that is now available in paperback from Windward. Home on the Moon, published by National Geographic, is a must-read for future lunar pioneers. The Space Explorer’s Guide to Stars and Galaxies is part of Scholastic’s Space University book club (www.scholastic.com/space) series, and comes with a cool science kit. Ms. Dyson has appeared on BookTV/C-SPAN2 and Reading is Fundamental and has spoken to thousands of children and their parents in schools, libraries, and at conferences across the nation. She has published dozens of articles, short stories, poems, and activities in national magazines and is a frequent contributor to Odyssey, a technical editor for Enslow Publishing, and a science consultant for Scholastic. She prepares the souvenir program book for the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation, and identifies web resources for myreportslinks.com. She is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, on the Board of the National Space Society, and a member of many other space organizations. She welcomes new space-related speaking, writing, and consulting assignments. For more information, she can be contacted through her website: www.mariannedyson.com. Her new book, "Space and Astronomy" is available from her website.

Eli Goldberg
Eli Goldberg is the proprietor of Prometheus Music, a San Francisco Bay Area independent music label specializing in albums about space exploration, science-fiction, and fantasy. His label's most recent release is "To Touch the Stars". Produced in partnership with the Mars Society and the National Space Society, "To Touch the Stars" is the first-ever anthology CD of songs that celebrate the history and future of space exploration. This project's widespread media attention has included coverage in the San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Times, Ad Astra magazine, CBC Radio One's "Here & Now", Science-Fiction Weekly, and two front-page articles on the widely-read SPACE.com website.

Dr. Jordin Kare
Dr. Jordin Kare is with Intellectual Ventures (www.intven.com) as a staff inventor and program manager. He is also the Chief Scientist for LaserMotive (www.lasermotive.com). Dr. Kare received his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1984. From 1985 to 1996 he was a member of the Special Projects Group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. At Livermore, he became involved in a number of space-related projects, ranging from mission planning for the Clementine lunar mapping mission to designing Mockingbird, a miniature reusable launch vehicle with a dry weight of 150 lbs. Since 1997, he has operated an independent consulting service, Kare Technical Consulting, providing technical support to large and small aerospace companies interested in applying new technology to space missions. In 1986, while at Livermore, Dr. Kare became interested in the concept of laser launch [, the main subject of our program today]. In 1986, he organized a national Workshop on Laser Propulsion, and from 1987 to 1991 he ran the Laser Propulsion Program for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO). Since then he has continued to work on laser propulsion, and recently served on the Program Committee of the First International Symposium on Beamed Energy Propulsion (the Fourth Symposium was recently held in Japan). Dr. Kare is also a writer and performer of songs about space, science, and science fiction; his song, "Fire In The Sky" was quoted by Buzz Aldrin on national television in the wake of the Columbia disaster.

Kristoph Klover
Kristoph Klover is the engineer of Flowinglass Music, a 24-track recording studio in Oakland, California, which he owns and operates with his wife and business manager Margaret Davis. He is the leader of Celtic-rock band Avalon Rising, and is a founding member of Celtic ensemble Broceliande. For "To Touch the Stars", Kristoph served as producer/musical director, engineer, and lead vocalist on four tracks.