Spotlight

The nation’s second-highest-ranking military officer believes strongly in space as a warfighter tool. Gen. James Cartwright, USMC, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that, since 2000, no academy class has been noncombat. “We can never guess where wars will be, but we always know we’ll need precision, navigation and timing.” Cartwright said…

The global nature of space was underscored repeatedly during the 27th National Space Symposium with a number of speakers from space organizations around the world. Despite the devastating earthquake and tsunami just a few weeks earlier, Japan’s Hirofumi Katase, deputy secretary-general for the Cabinet Secretariat of the government of Japan’s Secretariat Headquarters for Space Policy,…

Lt. Gen. John “Tom” Sheridan, USAF, commander, Space & Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, speaking at the 27th National Space Symposium outlined eight obstacles that his organization is addressing: An increasingly contested space environment Warfighter thirst for increased capability, including greater and higher quality of data and more control over what they receive…

On April 13, the Space Foundation presented its highest honor, the General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award, to Dr. Charles Elachi, director of the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) and vice president of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif. The award was presented by Dr. William F. Ballhaus, Jr., chairman of the Space Foundation…

The 27th National Space Symposium and the companion Cyber 1.1 event, held April 11-14 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., was the biggest ever put on by the Space Foundation. The event was so large and information-packed, that coverage of the events and program will appear in both this issue and next month’s issue of…

The 27th National Space Symposium kicked off April 11 with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring inspiring entertainment and awards. The event, co-sponsored by Northrop Grumman, included remarks by Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham and Northrop Grumman Corporate Host Gary W. Ervin, corporate vice president & president, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, and presentation of prestigious…

Air Force Space Commander Gen. William Shelton, USAF, outlined three factors that currently dominate defense thinking about space: The highest-ever level of reliance on space, especially including GPS, weather, secure communications, missile warning, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness The highest-ever level of space vulnerabily, caused by increased numbers of space participants, growing numbers of small…

In her role as moderator, NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver kicked off the Global Leaders: National Programs – International Collaboration panel at the 27th National Space Symposium by referencing the NASA vision “to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all mankind,” saying that there is a…

National Space Symposium Featured Industry Speaker Wes Bush, Northrop Grumman chief executive officer & president, told the audience that the space industry is at a crossroads, facing a multi-dimensional threat. Quoting a recent GAO report that found that one in three major defense programs had overruns of more than 50 percent, Bush said the industry is…

Held on the 30th anniversary of the first orbital Space Shuttle launch, the Industry Salutes the Space Shuttle luncheon – a special one-time National Space Symposium event – focused on thanking and recognizing the organizations and people who contributed to the STS program. The luncheon featured a video tribute that captured the Space Shuttle program…