Posted inOpinion

Transforming DoD Satcom Procurement

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has released its strategy to meet national security needs in the face of substantial budget reductions. The decade ahead will require significant modernization of front-line weapons systems that have endured the enormous stresses of long-term combat operations. At the same time, the department will need to acquire new weapons to support a smaller force structure capable of meeting continuing and emerging threats around the globe.

Posted inOpinion

Remembering the Challenger Accident

It came like a shock to the system on Jan. 28, 1986, 25 years ago, when the Space Shuttle Challenger was lost 73 seconds into its flight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 25th flight of the space shuttle, known by NASA’s intricate numbering system as STS-51L, was launched that morning. The launches had grown commonplace over the previous five years, an indication that the shuttle was beginning to fulfill its promise as a vehicle providing “routine” access to orbit. And NASA had started to fly the first European astronauts and two members of Congress — Sen. Jake Garn (R-Utah) and Rep. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) — as well as payload specialists from corporations, and even a Saudi prince.

Posted inOpinion

Human Spaceflight Myth-busting

“Urban myth,” Wikipedia tells us, “is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them.” More often than not, any kernel of truth at the core of the stories is somewhat exaggerated in their modern retelling. As we recede from the 40th anniversary of the first steps taken by humans on another world, it has become clear that the intervening time has allowed for many myths to arise in the exploration folklore. And those myths have now led us down a dead-end, almost certainly unsustainable, path back to where we started.

Posted inOpinion

OpEd: A 50 Year Trend: Entrepreneurs with a Vision

While it was government programs that supported the initial forays into space that began 50 years ago, many of today’s spaceflight advances were driven by visionary entrepreneurs who established commercial businesses based on satellite technology. Just like the pioneers of the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s who created so many services that are ubiquitous today, entrepreneurs are continuing to push the edge of what is possible in space and to recreate the satellite industry.