Defense Department officials and space industry executives gathered for a Washington conference on Thursday to discuss how to increase cooperation between the military and commercial space sectors.
The one-day conference, titled "Space at the Crossroads: Military Use of Commercial Space Services," was held by the Space Transportation Association and the Satellite Industry Association, both industry groups. Despite the title, the meeting also addressed commercial use of military assets, such as Air Force launch ranges at Cape Canaveral Air Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base.
In a keynote address, F. Whitten Peters, Secretary of the Air Force, said that government should retain ownership of these ranges but that private companies should have equal access. This statement was "refreshing," says Clayton Mowry, director of the Satellite Industry Association, who noted that the Air Force often has seemed to give priority to military over commercial launches at its facilities.
Panel discussions focused on satellite communications, remote sensing, and other topics. Mowry described conference participants as "bullish" about the long-term future of the satellite industry -- and about the military's ability to make use of the industry's services -- despite the recent financial difficulties of Iridium and other satellite communications firms.
More than 150 people attended the meeting. Organizers described this as a "very strong turnout," especially in view of the heavy rains brought by Hurricane Floyd.
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