Symposium addresses role of space in everyday 21st century life.(The Gazette)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo._It's been more than 30 years since Arthur C. Clarke penned the futuristic novel "2001: A Space Odyssey."

And with 2001 here, humans are still light years from the science-fiction writer's vision of space exploration at the turn of the millennium.

We don't have the technology or knowledge to create a rationalizing, self-sufficient computer like the fictional HAL 9000.

And we haven't made significant enough strides to send humans soaring across the solar system, as the story predicts astronauts would be doing by now.

But the essence of Clarke's vision - that space would play an important role in the everyday lives of Americans in the 21st century - was right on target.

That's the theme of the 17th annual National Space Symposium, an event that's expected to attract more than 3,000 government, military and industry officials to Colorado Springs for four days of discussions on space policy.

The theme of this year's symposium is "Space 2001: An Earth Odyssey," which reflects the achievements America has made in space technology since Clarke wrote his book.