From the President's Desk
This special issue of Crosslink commemorates the 45th anniversary of The Aerospace Corporation. It focuses on the past five years, a time of significant transition.
During this time, much has affected our industry, our company, and our lives: the war on terrorism, the Columbia tragedy, the conflict in Iraq. These years brought a new vision for NASA, a broader mission for NOAA, a reorganization of Air Force Space Command, and a restructure of the national intelligence agencies resulting in the formation of the office of the Director of National Intelligence. Several heritage launch vehicle programs came to a close, with the last launches of Atlas II, Titan II, and the Inertial Upper Stage. We marked the death of Ivan Getting, the founding president of Aerospace, and the beginning of my tenure as President and CEO.
At the same time, Aerospace supported the growth and refinement of several important national security space programs, including the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite, the Space-Based Infrared System, the next-generation GPS, the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System, and several NRO programs. We have acquired greater prominence in the program oversight process, and have assumed greater accountability for our role. Our commitment to mission success should be evident to anyone reviewing the achievements of the last five years.
To put these achievements into a historical perspective, this issue of Crosslink offers some reflections by Executive Vice President Joe Straus on some of the more significant trends that have shaped the industry and Aerospace's responses to them. A report from recent Trustees' Distinguished Achievement Award winners and a synopsis of intellectual property management provide further insight into the specialized work that makes Aerospace such an asset for the national security space community.
Coincidentally, this year marks the fifth anniversary of Crosslink. Accordingly, this edition features a selection of previously published articles and news briefs. An index to all articles that have appeared in Crosslink is also included. Collectively, they cover an impressive array of subjects and technologies and provide some indication of the breadth and depth of the corporation's work.
As we look forward to the challenges and opportunities that we will undoubtedly encounter in the coming years, we can look back with pride and satisfaction on the important milestones that have brought us this far. I, and the editors of Crosslink, hope this special issue will make it easy for you to do just that.
William F. Ballhaus Jr.
President and CEO
