Dr. Losik plans speaking to the SV AFCEA group about leveraging their expertise in DOD space in the commercial space industry.

Commercial space has very little in common with NASA and DOD space and is a source of a large pool of untapped resources for new members for AFCEA. Since AFCEA includes communications as well as electronics in the name, and communications has the share of payload business in the commercial space industry, AFCEA may be able to interest the commercial space guys in joining AFCEA.

There are 4 major players in the commercial space industry; Lockheed, Boeing, Space Systems/LORAL and Orbital. These 4 companies are responsible for supplying 5-25 satellites a year and have been doing so for the last 30 years with great regularity and certainty. Commercial space offers the most stable source of employment and new members for AFCEA during a time when government space contacts are disappearing, unlike the DOD and NASA space industry who cycle their contracts around a few companies, commercial space companies are suppliers of spacecraft for many decades. Commercial space companies have developed standard spacecraft product lines that helps to minimize NRE but are able to maintain an assembly line approach to producing commercial satellites.

The commercial space tourism industry is expected to be ignited soon and with it comes the hope by many states who are building launch facilities, much like airports, to offer low cost launch facilities to the future commercial tourism industry.