Imagine waking up to find that everyday technologies we take for granted have gone dark. No Internet. No smartphones. No weather forecasts in the palm of your hand. Nightmarish flight delays thanks to a hobbled air traffic management system. A military that’s literally fighting blind: No satellite imagery. No reliable global communications. No precision-guided anything.
Our economic and national security have become increasingly intertwined as our reliance on satellite services has continued to grow.
Often overlooked and frequently taken for granted, many satellite services, particularly those enabled by the Global Positioning System, are a key multiplier for bedrock industries such as aviation and transportation, shipping and distribution, banking, communications and farming. Research conducted by Gary Oleson, a senior engineer with TASC’s space systems sector, shows that over the last decade, growth in the global space economy has consistently outperformed global economic growth. Yet, in national discussions that focus on key economic enablers, the space industry is rarely part of the equation. It’s not a stretch to say commerce as we know it would come to a screeching halt without our space capabilities… [View the full article at spacenewsmag.com]
This op-ed was written by David Logsdon, the executive director of the CompTIA Space Enterprise Council, for the June 6 Issue of SpaceNews Magazine.
A Day Without Space webinar
Brad Parkinson, the father of GPS, and retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Jim Armor, Orbital ATK’s staff vice president, will be taking questions during a June 28 “A Day Without Space” webinar moderated by SpaceNews in association with the CompTIA Space Enterprise Council and the Satellite Industry Association.
Visit bit.ly/daywithoutspace to register for this free webinar.
