Blakey Calls for Long-term Space Strategy
Moderating a group of industry and government experts at AIAA’s Space 2010 plenary panel, Space: The Next 50 Years, in Anaheim, Calif., AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey addressed questions of where we are going in space and how we will get there.
The panel began with a video clip from "2001: A Space Odyssey" showing a commercial shuttlecraft named Orion docking with an international space station juxtaposed with images of Lockheed’s Orion spacecraft and SpaceX’s commercial Dragon capsule docking with today’s International Space Station. “How about that? A commercial vehicle named Orion visiting an ISS,” said Blakey, referring to the classic film.
Pointing out that preparing humans for space, especially with new technologies or equipment, may take years and requires long term investments, Blakey asked “How do we ensure that both our plans and goals remain stable?”
“I think the answer is for a long-term space strategy,” Blakey continued. “Such a strategy needs White House ownership, interagency participation and consideration of issues like current and future workforce needs, our space industrial base and future capabilities.”
Participating on the panel were Gwynne Shotwell, President of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation; John Schumacher, Vice President of Aerojet’s Washington Office; Brewster Shaw, Vice President and General Manager for Space Exploration at Boeing’s Defense, Space & Security unit; Doug Loverro, Executive Director of Space and Missile Systems Center at the Air Force Space Command at Los Angeles Air Force Base and Michael Gass, President and CEO of United Launch Alliance.
“Space must be coordinated at the highest level as a singular enterprise,” Blakey stressed, adding: “National leadership is vital if the United States is to continue to be a space leader.”
AIA source: andrew.barber[at]aia-aerospace.org
