Given the choice between wrestling a live alligator in a Florida pond and living through the events of 2020 again, I would take my chances with the gator. As we finish our current orbit around the Sun, we have experienced 365 days, 5 hours, 59 minutes and 16 seconds that felt like a Martian year.
And yet…….
I write this on a day of national Thanksgiving in the USA proclaimed long before there were Ariane rockets and Mike Antonovich to give thanks for. The challenges of a world that in 2020 has been sickened by a virus, separated by tribalism and plunged into economic uncertainty are massive. There are days when it seems like the best move is to cross a busy street and not look in either direction. But look we do. Unfailingly. And each time we make it across. And when we decide to make it across, especially in the space and satellite industry, the world is always better for it.
We proved it again in 2020 despite what Cher and her family in the movie “Moonstruck” called bad luck!
In fact, our luck was excellent. The optimism that lifted us since our earliest hours in 1957 remains. “Space” has become an emotional therapeutic for nearly every culture. Youth is a fountain gushing with belief in the possibilities of what we can do “up there.” Places like Nepal, with its 125 distinct cultures and a mountain to climb today have a national space agency, a satellite and future dreams thanks to BIRDS project engineer Abhas Maskey. https://www.sspi.org/articles/better-satellite-world-podcast-birds-out-of-the-nest-a-conversation-with-birds-projects-abhas-maskey
Satellite’s Cardi B
Days ago (24 November), SpaceX, effectively the industry’s Brad Pitt and Cardi B, pushed into low-earth orbit 60 satellites designed specifically to deliver broadband to parts of the world that are poorly connected. When you are not connected by broadband you are disconnected from a global economy.
With its recent launch there are now 955 satellites in the Starlink constellation. Forget the delivery of a few humans to the ISS. These broadband satellites are the BIG NEWS! There is nothing more important than going from Connectivity to Community, and this industry is driving the final golden spikes into the new railroad.
And yet….there was more.
The planned launch of new fleets, including those from Bluefield Technologies and the Environmental Protection Agency will do the most effective forensic work ever for the cause of identifying and eliminating 25% of our global warming, intended and unintended methane gas emissions. This is a big deal too, because while politicians argue about policies, our industry has started to pick the low-hanging fruit that will put Earth back into balance. This is a big deal, since a plume release from Gainseville, Florida two years ago was the equivalent to roughly 1% of the total daily emissions from the American gas system. And we found it. We meaning Bluefield Technologies, with their finer resolution system. The New York Times gave our industry kudos last month.
This was a story that SSPI had covered previously in its podcasts. https://www.sspi.org/articles/better-satellite-world-podcast-risk-a-conversation-with-bluefield-technologies-yotam-ariel
Think of it. Our industry is helping to solve a problem, methane gas emissions, that have been with us for at least 150 years.
This was the year of accomplishments large and small. While the big kids, with the big science, like Northrop Grumman, rightly took our breath away with programs like MEV-1, the “little guys” made moves under the radar. Rocket Lab was back in space grabbing its returning launcher in November after its unlucky 13th launch failed in July. How about that for getting up, taking a standing eight-count and going on to win the fight?
STS Global, led by industry Hall of Famer and creator of the “Hotline” between Moscow and Washington in the 1960’s, David Hershberg, kept growing his new company. At the tender age of 83 Dave is seeking fresh capital to pursue the scaling of a product that could transform the power generation and utility industry.
India launched a new SSPI chapter this year led by Dhurva Space’s CEO Sanjay Nakanti and the US-India Business Council’s Digital Committee. Dhurva secured its first contracts and is part of an emerging cluster of commercial space entrepreneurs in a nation that has been promising to go global since the Buddha achieved enlightenment.
The Sacred and Dow 30,000
The industry’s contribution to humanity persisted. When the Dow Jones Industrial average reached an astounding 30,000 in November the President of the United States declared that 30,000 was a “sacred milestone.”
His definition of sacred was a bit different than mine.
On 7 December three industry companies were presented who defined it the way the Sisters of the Holy Trinity did for me at St. Michael’s parish a long time ago. Their work was the conscious effort to reach further into their own technologies and gifts to elevate humanity. Check out SES SATMED, Avanti’s work at the Bidi Bidh refugee camp and SatSure AG’s work which has helped thousands of struggling farmers in Southeast Asia become solvent again via satellite. https://www.sspi.org/articles/sspi-names-projects-of-avanti-communications-ses-and-satsure-as-recipients-of-the-2020-better-satellite-world-awards
When Bad Things Happen to Good Puppies
Despite the bad things that went down, we all still showed our grit.
As we headed toward the end of the year I knew our luck was turning because I saw an old man wrestle an alligator in a pond in Florida – and win!! His puppy was one happy camper( https://youtu.be/Ms4jwdyZx5s). And yet.....he kept his cigar in his mouth that whole time.
How can you say the future is not bright?
(Note: The title of a new book I contributed to and refer to in this article is From Connectivity to Community and available at: https://www.intelligentcommunity.org/book_from_connectivity_to_community SSPI members can receive a signed copy free if they contact me by December 31st.)
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Lou Zacharilla is the Director of Innovation and Development of the Space and Satellite Professionals International (SSPI). He can be reached at: LZacharilla@sspi.org
