On Thursday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m., in room 385 of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., aerospace industry executives and analysts will discuss the current status of the commercial satellite remote sensing industry.  Satellite remote sensing technology has provided increasingly higher spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions.  However, market opportunities projected almost a decade ago have not yet come to fruition.  Yet, commercial versions of this technology, and its resulting data, are being used more and more by government and commercial end-users. Some believe that this industry is on the verge of explosive growth, while others maintain that commercial users will never outnumber those within the federal government.

Last year, the White House established a satellite policy that calls for the government to rely as much as possible on “commercial remote sensing space capabilities” to meet intelligence and military needs.  The policy was developed following a directive from the President to the National Security Council, with support of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, to review national space policies.  At this Women in Aerospace panel discussion, purposely scheduled to coincide with Earth Day, analysts will examine the past history and present status of the commercial satellite remote sensing industry, and discuss how the year-old White House policy and other factors are influencing its the future path.

What: Panel Discussion:  The Commercial Satellite Remote Sensing Industry: The promise, the reality, and the future

When: Thursday, April 22, 2004 (Earth Day!) 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Where: 385 Russell Senate Office Building

Who:

Moderator

  • Jason Bates – moderator (Space News, invited)

Speakers

  • Doug Brauer (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, confirmed)
  • Gil Klinger (National Security Council, invited)
  • Kevin O’Connell (RAND Corporation, confirmed)
  • Ray Williamson (George Washington University, confirmed)
  • Ryan Cast (Department of Homeland Security, confirmed)
  • Sandra Webster (National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency  confirmed)
  • Steve Jacques (U.S. Geospatial-Intelligence Foundation, invited)

Women in Aerospace (www.womeninaerospace.org) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit dedicated to expanding women’s opportunities for leadership and increased visibility within the aerospace community. Any person who supports WIA’s mission and goals is eligible for membership.