The Texas Space Landscape - David Alexander

Space has typically been regarded as a destination with efforts focused predominantly on placing assets in orbit, either to provide services (e.g.entertainment, navigation, telecommunications) or to explore space itself (e.g. Mars rovers, International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope). However, in recent years, we have witnessed a gradual transition from large-scale, government-led exploration to a more versatile and agile approach as private enterprises become increasingly involved. The dynamics of space exploration are rapidly changing with the promise of easy and routine access becoming a.reality, opening up the space frontier to any and all. There is also increasing discussion on how to utilize space for the benefit of life on Earth in the form of driving economic growth, facilitating social engagement, and providing humanitarian support. Across the state of Texas, there is a wealth of activity in each of these areas. Dr. Alexander will survey the space landscape in the state and discuss how Texas can take advantage of this new age of space access.