Space Foundation White Paper Is Well Received

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 19, 2009) -- A Space Foundation white paper on the benefits of space technology in developing countries was well received on Capitol Hill this week. Titled Space Applications for International Development, the paper recommends that governments in developing nations consider investing in affordable ground technology to provide satellite communication access in rural areas, particularly for clinics, schools, and other community centers. The technology would be used to directly address the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, as well as national goals in health, education, and other areas. There were 55 attendees, including staff from both the personal office of House and Senate members and professional committee staff from the House Science and Technology Committee and Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee. Other notable government officials represented NASA, GAO, and the Department of Commerce, plus industry representatives, and foreign representatives from China, Europe, and Russia.

There were also two-panel sessions: “Communications Satellite and Remote Sensing Applications,” and; “Capacity Building.” Participants included:

• Kalpak Gude, vice president, and deputy general counsel of Intelsat
• Daniel Irwin, NASA SERVIR project manager
• Emil Cherrington, manager of CATHALAC (Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean)
• Dr. Carlos Ganem, president of the Brazilian Space Agency
• Ken Hodgkins, the U.S. State Department’s director of the Office of Space and Advanced Technology
• Dr. Kai Uwe Schrogl, director of the European Space Policy Institute

“The audience members I spoke with gave us high praise for the presentation,” said Marty Hauser, vice president, of Space Foundation Washington operations, Research, and Analysis. “Several mentioned this is an area that needs more attention. They thanked us for increasing visibility.”

Mariel John, Space Foundation research analyst, presented the white paper and also acted as panel moderator. To read Space Applications for International Development, or download a copy, go to www.SpaceFoundation.org/research.

Pictured, left to right: Mariel John, Space Foundation; Kalpak Gude, Intelsat; Daniel Irwin, NASA SERVIR; Emil Cherrington, CATHALAC.