Key Issues Examined at National Space Symposium

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (5/1/00) -- The Aerospace Corporation was among the companies represented at the 16th annual National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs April 3-6, an annual forum that draws some of the world's most influential decision-makers in the space industry.

This year's event attracted more than 3,000 participants, who gathered to hear national and international speakers discuss issues critical to civil, commercial and national-security space.

According to the United States Space Foundation, conference organizer, that number is the largest attendance registered in the event's 16-year history.

Aldridge Leads Launch Panel

Edward C. "Pete" Aldridge, Jr., president of The Aerospace Corporation, headed a panel on the topic, "Launching to the Future."

Panel members included Lt. Gen. Eugene Tattini, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base; retired Air Force Gen. Larry Welch, president of the Institute for Defense Analysis; Thomas Marsh, president of Lockheed Martin Astronautics; Gary Payton, deputy associate administrator of NASA Aeronautics and Space Transfer Technology; and Gale Schluter, executive vice president of Expendable Launch Systems, The Boeing Company.

Hall of Fame

Every year the symposium selects programs, individuals or firms for the Space Technology Hall of Fame. This year's inductees were Sun Coast Chemicals, DirecTV Inc. and Quantum Devices Inc.

The Aerospace Corporation was recognized by the United States Space Foundation in 1998 when GPS, the Global Positioning System, was inducted. Aerospace was instrumental in the development of GPS and has been central to the maintenance and evolution of the constellation over the years.

Treasure Hunt

One of the biggest successes of the symposium was a "treasure hunt" for elementary and high school students that generated considerable enthusiasm for and excitement about space.

The space foundation organized the event, which sent students on a search for information from the numerous exhibitors at the conference. Treasure seekers at the booth wanted to know, "Is there junk in space?" and "What are the smallest satellites ever operated in space?"

Personnel from The Aerospace Corporation fielded these and several other insightful student questions relating to the space environment and picosatellites.

Answering the questions were Dr. Bill Ailor, head of the Center for Orbital Reentry and Debris Studies, and Dave Desrocher and Dan Oltrogge of the Space Operations Support Office in Colorado Springs.

Interest in Picosats

Oltrogge said the students were "obviously interested in our experiences in designing, building, and operating picosats for our DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) customer." He said one student remarked, "Those [satellites] are seriously small!"

The Aerospace Corporation in February successfully completed a mission to fly two picosats in low Earth orbit, demonstrating the use of miniature satellites as platforms to test DARPA microelectromechanical systems devices and the principles of how miniature satellites will operate in constellations in the future.

The DARPA/Aerospace Corp. picosats weigh less than one-half pound and are not much larger than a deck of cards. A second mission is planned for this summer.