On September 28, 2005, I sent the following letter to every Member of Congress. I encourage you to join me in expressing your views to our elected officials.

Dear Member of Congress:

Our hearts are broken at the death and destruction Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused. As we face the challenge of recovering from these events, we should be mindful that things could have been much worse and grateful that they were not. Grim and serious though the situation may be, the United States has benefited from a tremendous asymmetric civil defense advantage – the unique capabilities of our space systems and technologies.

Our space systems allowed us to discover, measure, track and predict both these terrible storms in ways that are otherwise impossible. Aided by satellite mass communication, we were able to provide warning and order evacuations that allowed the vast majority of potential victims to escape harm. Once the damage was done, space technology literally came to the rescue.

Where landmarks were erased, GPS satellites provided a precise ability to locate people in trouble. Where terrestrial and even cellular telephone systems were obliterated, satellite telephone services helped facilitate the delivery of food and rescue assistance. When the American Red Cross fielded its largest relief force in history, a commercial space company, XM Satellite Radio, made instant national satellite communication available. Government and commercial satellites were used to observe damage, measure water levels, and track and predict change. Telecommunications satellites provided media companies with the ability to fulfill their role as watchdog of the government’s relief efforts.

Just as space systems give our military forces an asymmetric advantage in war, so have they provided civil benefits during these crises. Accordingly, it is imperative that we continue to invest in these systems, technologies, and capabilities. Now is not the time to raid these long-term investment accounts to pay for short-term rebuilding. Rather, it is time to beef up our investment in space to ensure the most advanced technologies for our future civil defense.

The space sector has already made a huge contribution to hurricane relief by delivering the services derived from our space assets that worked to prevent these horrible storms from wreaking upon our homeland the kind of damage that they might have. As we work together to rebuild our damaged communities and lives, I urge you to work hard to ensure that agencies like NASA, NOAA, DARPA, NGA, the NRO and others receive the funding they need to provide ever better space technologies for the future.

Sincerely,



Elliot G. Pulham
President and Chief Executive Officer
Space Foundation