As was stated in the May 10th, 2010, Focus article by Tim Nichols, “satellites play a crucial role in our lives.” However, for some, particularly our nation’s warfighters, satellites may make the difference in critical life-or-death tactical decision making and are vital tools of modern warfare.

A vital component for any military organization is the ability to communicate, share information and provide support for large, mobile groups of personnel anytime, anywhere. Satellite technology is well suited to meet these needs. It provides a flexible, reliable and high-capacity service that can cover a large area. For units deployed around the world, satellite provides a high-speed communications backbone. It connects soldiers to each other and to central operations. And it enables them to stay united with friends and family back home.

Increased complexities within the space environment are forcing an evolution from a single static perspective of Space Situational Awareness to a more comprehensive space system operations, segment defined, Situational Awareness (SA); space, ground, and system.

Albert Einstein was many things — physicist, Nobel Prize winner, philosopher, humanist, pacifist. His career was notable by the constant quest for knowledge. His theory of insanity, as the act of doing ‘the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’ is often quoted.

Vizada Networks has earned its reputation as a defense communications specialist by being on the ground where its services are most needed, and by developing satellite capacity to ensure availability. Here’s a look at a number of Vizada Networks projects. Additionally, the company has now restructured and has opened a new, dedicated, defense division.

In an era of growing concerns about international terrorism and an uncertain global balance of power, the gathering of intelligence for defense and security purposes is of growing importance to governments worldwide.

The X-37B OTV is a technology demonstrator and experimental vehicle which is likely to be used for flight testing new reusable space launch vehicle (SLV) technologies (such as guidance and thermal protection), and on-orbit testing of new sensor technologies and satellite hardware primarily for space-based remote sensing. While it does have some capability for orbital inspection, repair, and retrieval, it is unlikely to perform these functions given its limited payload bay and altitude range. It has near zero feasibility as an orbital weapons system for attacking targets on the ground.

To provide a current picture of space power in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in January, 2009, the Joint Air Power Competence Centre published NATO Space Operations Assessment, which recommends 23 ways to improve NATO’s integration of space into military operations.

In today’s world, having superior satellite communications seamlessly tied to the Internet is vital to sustaining a military force and winning on the modern battlefield. The U.S. military relies heavily on this technology to gain a decisive advantage over our enemies. By bringing “broadband to the battlefield,” our soldiers now have better situational awareness about their friends and foes than ever in the history of warfare.

For more than 25 years, Mr. Dorworth has worked on the development of award-winning enterprise software products. Prior to founding Stampede Technologies, Mr. Dorworth was the director of Engineering for 10NET Communications, a division of Digital Communications Associates (DCA), and was a principal design originator of the 10NET peer-to-peer Local Area Network.