Aerospace - Northern Virginia Technology Council

Transcription

Aerospace - Northern Virginia Technology Council
the voice of technology
The Voice of Technology is a monthly publication of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. www.nvtc.org
Aerospace
December 2003 / January 2004
NVTC
northern virginia technology council magazine
December 2003 / January 2004
Vol. 13 No. 10
NVTC 2003 Business
Partners
features
Around the Earth, to the Moon, and Beyond
A historical perspective sheds light on the future
p. 8
An Exclusive Interview with
p. 10
General John R. Dailey, USMC (Ret.)
The National Air & Space Museum Director shares his thoughts
NVTC Aerospace Committee
Members see a brilliant 2004 approaching!
p. 11
UAVs: A Long Way From Kitty Hawk
by Senator John Warner (R-VA)
p. 14
Second “Notepad Series”Titans Breakfast
New Cyber Security Chief and an expert panel discuss
hot topics in cyber security
p. 19
NVTC Techtopia Map
Hot off the press: see who's on in 2004!
p. 20
council business
Message from the Board
p. 5
Bits-n-Bytes
p. 6
NVTC Calendar of Events
p. 16
NewsLink
p. 22
New Members
p. 26
NVTC Foundation News
p. 28
Koelemay’s Kosmos
p. 30
Cover design by Margy Holder
Special thanks to Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corp., for providing images.
December 2003 / January 2004
The Voice of Technology
Page 3
MESSAGE FROM THE B O A R D
O
n December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina, the Wright Flyer became the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard. The
aircraft was a fragile, one-of-a-kind experiment
that never flew again. It weighed only 750 pounds and covered
1/6 of a mile at an average speed of about ten miles per hour.
December 2003 marks the 100th anniversary of that historic
flight. Today, air travel is so common that the U.S. air traffic control system handles roughly 75,000 flights per day. It is routine for
a Boeing 747 weighing 750,000
pounds to fly non-stop a third of the
way around the world. And we are
only slightly impressed that a
Lockheed SR-71 can fly from Los
Angeles to Dulles in an hour and four
minutes. Aviation has demonstrated
an amazing series of technical
advances in a relatively short time.
The third week in December also marks the opening of the
Smithsonian Institution's new Air and Space Museum at Dulles
International Airport, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, a facility
designed to reflect that hundred years of aeronautical and aerospace technology. The Hazy Center will ultimately house and preserve over 200 aircraft and 135 spacecraft as well as provide significant new restoration facilities.
The new facility is a unique opportunity for the Air and Space
Museum. Like many museums, the Smithsonian can display only
a small percentage of the aircraft, spacecraft and related artifacts
it owns. Most are housed in crowded storage facilities, many disassembled. The Hazy Center, when fully complete, will provide
for the display of as much as 80 percent of the Air and Space
Museum's collection.
The museum is also something of a departure for the
Smithsonian. At the facilities on the Mall in Washington, the
museum’s collections, including those at the Air and Space
Museum, are organized into halls. The artifacts reveal themselves
slowly – part of their telling a story. At the Hazy Center, visitors
enter through a long hall and find themselves on a balcony overlooking the entire collection, an area the size of three football
December 2003 / January 2004
fields and ten stories tall. Everything hits you at once, 100 years
of history all in one breathtaking glance.
The new facility represents an opportunity for the region as well.
Although Northern Virginia is home to many technology companies and their young, educated (and presumably family-raising)
workforces, the area is oddly devoid of family "destinations"
related to science and technology. The nearest science museums
are in Baltimore and Richmond. The Hazy Center is the first family-friendly and technology-related destination located in
Northern Virginia. In addition to raising awareness nationally of
the technology prowess of our region, the success of the new Air
and Space Museum may spawn more such facilities.
Over the past two years, the Northern Virginia Technology
Council has anticipated the value of the new Smithsonian museum to the region and has actively supported its development. We
have had the opportunity to introduce many people to the facility during its construction. And we are excited that NVTC will be
hosting the first event at the Center following its opening –
NVTC's Holiday TECHstravaganza. We hope everyone will take
this or another opportunity to visit, and to support, the museum.
In many ways, we are emerging from a brief dark period in aerospace. After a few tumultuous years during which we have had
our liberties threatened by terrorism, retired the Concord,
grounded the Space Shuttle, and watched airlines descend into
bankruptcy, we are now seeing tangible harbingers of the next
century in aviation – the Orbital Space Plane, the Boeing 7E7,
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and a new round of start-up
airlines. Many of these new technologies and businesses will be
developed by local engineers, aerospace firms, and entrepreneurs. Looking at the history of aviation displayed at the
Smithsonian's new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center helps to put the
recent frustrations in perspective and keep us focused on the
bright future.
Duffy Mazan, NVTC Board Member
Chairman, SolutionWorx
The Voice of Technology
Page 5
OFFICERS
Chairman
Sudhakar Shenoy
Information Management Consultants
[email protected]
BITS + BYTES
Secretary
Steve Tolbert, Global Systems & Strategies Inc.
[email protected]
Fairfax-based
American
Management Systems (AMS), a
provider of business and information technology consulting services,
Treasurer
announced that it has been selected
Vice Chairman
Jonathan Shames, Ernst & Young
by the Missouri Department of
John C. Lee, IV, Lee Technologies Group
[email protected]
Revenue to upgrade the state's tax
[email protected]
collection systems and operations
General Counsel
in an $11 million project. Under the
Vice Chairman
J. Scott Hommer, III, Venable LLP
new contract, AMS will upgrade
Dendy Young, GTSI, [email protected]
[email protected]
Missouri's systems with new software and provide consulting servicPresident
Public Relations Advisor
es to assist in collecting overdue
Bobbie G. Kilberg, Northern Virginia Technology Council
Doug Poretz, Qorvis Communications
taxes. Missouri expects to be able to
[email protected]
[email protected]
pay for the upgrades through the
collection of previously unrealized
revenue. www.ams.com.
FairfaxBOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman Emeritus
based Anteon International, a
provider of information technology
Panos Anastassiadis, Cyveillance
Jim LeBlanc, S&H/LeBlanc International John Backus, Draper Atlantic
and systems engineering services,
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
said that it has been awarded a fiveyear contract to support the Naval
Greg Baroni, Unisys
Dan Bannister, CSC
Jim Leto, Robbins-Gioia
Facilities Engineering Command,
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Southwest Division. If all options are
exercised, the contract could be
Gabe Battista,Talk America
Ed H. Bersoff, Quarterdeck Investment
John Love, AH&T Technology Brokers
worth as much as $20 million.
[email protected]
Partners, [email protected]
[email protected]
www.anteon.com.
Dulles-based
America Online announced that it
Paul Broome, ENSCO
Kathy Clark, [email protected]
Lisa Martin, LeapFrog Solutions
has partnered with San [email protected]
[email protected]
based Macromedia to develop techMike A. Daniels, SAIC
nology that programmers can use
John Burton, Updata Capital
[email protected]
Duffy Mazan, SolutionWorx
to create software for AOL's instant
[email protected]
[email protected]
messaging platform. Macromedia,
David C. Lucien, CMS Information
best known as the developer of
Craig Chason, Shaw Pittman
Gary McCollum, Cox Communications Services, [email protected]
Flash animation technology, also is
[email protected]
[email protected]
the creator of Macromedia Central, a
Honorary Members
program that lets users interact with
Paul Cofoni, CSC, [email protected]
TiTi McNeill, TranTech
information and software delivered
Peter Jobse, CIT, [email protected]
[email protected]
over the Internet. Through the partClara Conti, ObjectVideo
nership, the companies have
Senior Advisory
[email protected]
John Mendonca, KPMG LLP
opened the door for potentially
[email protected]
hundreds of thousands of Flash
Tom Hicks, Business Accelerations
Caren DeWitt
developers to build applications
webMethods Foundation
Alan Merten, George Mason University [email protected]
that incorporate IM features. AOL's
[email protected]
[email protected]
instant messaging network supStu Johnson, [email protected]
ports over 1 billion messages a day
John Engler, EDS
Linda Mills, Northrop Grumman
and over 50 million active users
Paul Lombardi, INpower
[email protected]
[email protected]
each month. www.corp.aol.com.
[email protected]
Convera, a leading provider of
C. Michael Ferraro
Donna Morea, AMS
search and categorization software
Mario Morino, Morino Institute
TRAINING SOLUTIONS, Inc.
[email protected]
for enterprises and government
[email protected]
[email protected]
agencies, announced that the
Gary Nakamoto, Base Technologies
Federal Bureau of Investigation has
Len Pomata, [email protected]
Dan Gonzalez, Scheer Partners
[email protected]
selected Convera's RetrievalWare as
[email protected]
Wayne Shelton, [email protected] a search and categorization platGary Pan, Panacea Consulting
form within the Agency's new
Deepak Hathiramani, Vistronix, Inc.
[email protected]
Investigative Data Warehouse. The
Knox Singleton, Inova Health Systems
[email protected]
initial value of the deployment of
[email protected]
Alex Pinchev, Red Hat
Convera's software is approximately
Bob Johnson, Nextel Communications [email protected]
$1.5
million.
Convera
also
Esther T. Smith
[email protected]
announced that RetrievalWare has
Qorvis Communications
Leslie Platt
been selected as the search [email protected]
L. Kenneth Johnson, CACI
Foundation for Genetic Medicine
ogy for the Customs and Border
[email protected]
[email protected]
Protection
Harmonized Tariff
Bob G. Templin
Schedule (HTS) handbook. This conNorthern Virginia Community College
Bob Kahn
Todd Rowley, Wachovia
tract is worth approximately $2 [email protected]
Corporation for National Research
[email protected]
lion. RetrievalWare allows online
Initiatives, [email protected]
users in worldwide locations to
John Toups, [email protected]
Chris Schroeder
quickly pinpoint specific data they
David Karlgaard, PEC Solutions
Washingtonpost.Newsweek
need within a new electronic [email protected]
Interactive, [email protected] Earle Williams, [email protected]
sion of the Agency's electronic tariff
handbook. www.convera.com.
Bob Wright, Dimensions International
Carol Kline, America Online, Inc.
Todd Stottlemyer, ITS Services
Lockheed Martin announced that
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
its Space Systems unit, which develops advanced technology systems
Bob Korzeniewski, Verisign
Lydia Thomas, Mitretek Systems
for military, civil and commercial
[email protected]
[email protected]
Page 6
The Voice of Technology
December 2003 / January 2004
Our Professionals
BITS + BYTES
Bobbie Greene Kilberg
President, NVTC
[email protected]
Tim Nurvala
President
NVTC Foundation
[email protected]
Tia Gibbs
Director of Production
and Design
[email protected]
Nancy Johnston
Education-Workforce
Liaison
[email protected]
Susan Baker
Vice President
for Workforce
Development
[email protected]
Jennifer Williams
Director of Membership
and Benefits
[email protected]
Michelle Mason
Member Services
[email protected]
Lori Ann Cook Suazo
Director of Programs and
Events
[email protected]
Christine Kallivokas
Vice President of
Operations
[email protected]
Josh Levi
Vice President for Policy
[email protected]
Zuzana K. Steen
Head of International
Relations
Assistant Director of
Workforce Development
[email protected]
Christina Araujo
Registration Coordinator
[email protected]
Tarin Heilman
Events Coordinator
[email protected]
Nancy Rollman
Vice President of
Communications
[email protected]
Sandra Henderson
Web Communications
and Technical Services
[email protected]
Randy Cisler
Controller
[email protected]
Pamela C. Dudley
Director of
Committee and Corporate
Relations
[email protected]
Margy Holder
Graphic Design Assistant
[email protected]
Barbara Johnson
Receptionist /
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
Nicole Stone
Membership Manager
[email protected]
Lauren Van Horn
Executive Coordinator
[email protected]
Linda Willever
Accounting Assistant
[email protected]
Mildred Cooper Elder
Marketing and
Communications
Consultant
[email protected]
customers, has won a $2.5 million deal from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The project is aimed at
improving the organization's weather and environmental forecasting capabilities. www.lockheedmartin.com. Governor Mark R.
Warner announced that the new Virginia Information
Technologies Agency (VITA) has signed a four-year COVANET
(Commonwealth of Virginia Network) contract with MCI for a wide
array of telecommunications services. The contract will deliver savings of $3.13 million per year, for $12.5 million over four years, and
includes long distance voice services and a comprehensive data network and Internet services. The contract also contains six one-year
renewal options. According to Governor Warner, the contract will
give the Commonwealth: flexible terms; significant cost savings; a
transition to new technologies as needs dictate; and, increased
accountability through enhanced performance measures. VITA provides consolidated technology services to Executive branch agencies and spearheads the Information Technology Procurement
Reform initiative to increase the value of state procurements while
reducing costs. COVANET provides vital support to the daily operations of state government. www.vita.virginia.gov; www.mci.com.
Dulles-based Orbital Sciences, a maker of small space systems,
announced that it has won a $2 million deal from NOAA. Under the
contract, the company will conduct studies of potential space and
ground system architectures for the next generation of the
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system. The system will conduct environmental monitoring and weather forecasting activities for the federal government and scientific community.
www.orbital.com.
The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at
the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
has launched a new network designed to link entrepreneurs of area
start-up companies with angel investors.The Capital Access Network
(CAN) will allow early-stage companies, typically seeking $250,000$1.5 million in equity financing, to connect with members offering
access to capital, professional advice and management expertise.
After receiving business plan submissions from entrepreneurs, the
Dingman Center will electronically send batches of executive summaries. The CAN program is now seeking business plan submissions
for
its
first
round
of
investor
evaluation.
www.dingman.rhsmith.umd.edu.
The Northern Virginia Technology Council
2214 Rock Hill Road, Suite 300
Herndon, VA 20170
(703) 904-7878 / fax: (703) 904-8008
www.nvtc.org • hosted by PatriotNet
Mission
The Northern Virginia Technology Council is the membership association for
the technology community in Northern Virginia. NVTC has more than 1300
member companies representing over 170,000 employees. Our membership
includes companies from all sectors of the technology industry including information technology, software, Internet, ISPs, telecommunications, biotechnology, bioinformatics, aerospace and nanotechnology, as well as the service
providers that support these companies. NVTC provides its members with: (1)
over 110 networking and educational events per year; (2) comprehensive
member benefit services; (3) promotion of Northern Virginia as a global technology center; (4) public policy advocacy on a broad range of technology
issues at the state and regional levels, with involvement in federal issues as
they relate to workforce and education concerns; and (5) community service
opportunities through active involvement in community projects and philanthropy through the NVTC Foundation.
Send your news for
Bits-n-Bytes to
[email protected]
The Voice of Technology is published ten times per year by the Northern
Virginia Technology Council. It is the official magazine of NVTC. ©Copyright
2003 by NVTC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in part or whole without the express written consent of NVTC. For
reprint information, contact The Voice of Technology, 2214 Rock Hill Road,
Suite 300, Herndon, VA 20170 fax: (703) 904-8008. With the help of the
Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, the Voice of Technology is now available in
Braille.The Voice of Technology publishes articles authored by industry professionals.The opinions and/or positions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of NVTC. NVTC encourages its members to submit story ideas
and comments to: [email protected].
December 2003 / January 2004
The Voice of Technology
Page 7
Around the
Earth to the
Moon with
the Wrights
and Beyond
by J.P. Auffret, George Mason University
C
heers
for
Edgar
Allen Poe!
were the cries of the assemblage in Baltimore
as Impey Barbicane recounted Poe's tale of
Hans Pfaal, who launched himself in a balloon and reached the moon in 19 hours. The
scene itself was in Jules Verne's From Earth
to the Moon, an 1865 novel in which a
Baltimore club, motivated by Hans Pfaal and
a rich worldwide scientific heritage, propelled Barbicane along with Michel Arden
and Captain Nichol to the moon from a great
cannon.
Page 8
Originally the club planned to send a large
cannon ball to the moon. But then a telegram
arrived from Michel Arden which proclaimed
"Substitute for your spherical shell, a cylindro-conical projectile. I shall go inside." Prior
to leaving with Barbicane and Nichol, who
decided to accompany him, Arden says, "I
intend to profit…" Arden was both an explorer and businessman who believed in the great
possibilities of human exploration and at the
same time was aiming to commercially
exploit his space trip.
Arden, Barbicane, and Nichol inspired many
of the real-life pioneers in flight. Like the Jules
Verne characters, the later pioneers had to
balance technology innovation and the profit
motivation with mankind's quest for knowledge and imperative for exploration.
This year we are celebrating the centennial of
the Wright brothers' Kitty Hawk flight. In a
manner similar to Arden, the Wrights had
both profit and exploration motivations.
The Voice of Technology
Building on the growing base of aerospace
knowledge and experimentation, including
the efforts of Otto Lilenthal, a glider developer and pilot, the Wrights developed the first
successful motorized plane a mere 35 years
after the fictional account of Arden.
Somewhat secretive, the Wrights shied away
from demonstrations in an effort to complete
sales contracts with the United States and
other governments, and to secure patent
rights to support future commercialization of
their product. In a rapidly growing industry,
with many new entrants, the Wrights had the
best technology for the better part of a
decade.
The challenges that faced Arden, Barbicane,
Nichols and the Wrights are present in the
aerospace industry today, where choices
abound in both strategy and technology, and
where the boundaries of imagination are
inevitably drawn by economics. In space travel, we are but months away from the Columbia
tragedy, while China has launched a manned
December 2003 / January 2004
space flight. We are trying to decide whether
to stay with earth orbital flight, embark upon
a new initiative to the moon or reach for
Mars. Indeed, we continue to evolve toward
unmanned flight – both atmospheric and
space flight – which extends our virtual reach
in many ways but lacks the romantic sense of
accomplishment associated with sending
mankind to new limits and locations.
sponsors for the flight from "all persons of
good will upon the face of the earth." Russia,
France, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Prussia,
Turkey, Belgium, Holland, and Denmark,
among others, all contributed to that fictional
endeavor. Today, while there is space cooperation, many of the space exploration initiatives
are competition-driven, and are not fueled by
human curiosity and ambition.
China's recent manned space flight is a great
demonstration of their commitment and
technological capability. For China, motivated
by a desire for enhanced national prestige,
space warfare capability, and scientific
advancement, Yang Liwei's 14 flights around
the earth signify more than his distance traveled. China is planning to launch probes to
the moon shortly, and then a manned moon
mission within the next 10 years. These initiatives, as well as national motivation, are
spurring the European Space Agency and
Japan towards manned space flight.
Competitive market dynamics are naturally
also market drivers closer to the ground,
where new technologies are being developed
in a gamble to meet the needs of future air
travelers. The current Boeing-Airbus jousting
is an example of this. Airbus has developed
and is selling the A380, which will offer space
for up to 555 passengers on a full-length, double-decker layout. In contrast, Boeing is
developing its smaller 7E7 (seating 200 to 350
passengers); with the use of new-age materials and methods it is hoped that the 7E7 will
financially outperform existing aircraft. Both
aircraft are bold leaps, albeit in different
directions. Perhaps the Airbus 380, by virtue
of its size, captures the imagination more
than the 7E7; but both are backed by extensive financial and economic analysis and projections.
The effect of China's success upon the United
States' space program is unclear. Could it be
the Sputnik of the 21st century that spurs our
nation to dig deep and reinvest in space
exploration and colonization? As our
manned space program starts again after the
Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy, we have the
question of where to go now. The Apollo
flights to the moon were over 30 years ago
and all occurred within a four-year period.
The International Space Station and the
Shuttle projects have struggled for purpose
and from a financial and safety perspective.
Perhaps, though, China's success will rekindle
America's competitive spirit. Astronaut
Harrison Schmitt, who was on the last Apollo
mission to the moon, testified before
Congress in early November that, "A return to
the moon to stay would be at least comparable to the first permanent settlement of
America, if not to the movement of our
species out of Africa.” Similarly to Arden,
Schmitt invokes the profit motive as well as
the exploration imperative. His view is that
the mining of Helium-3 on the moon for inertial electrostatic confinement fusion would be
extremely cost effective.
Today there is a contrast with the Verne novel
in terms of competition and cooperation. In
From Earth to the Moon, Barbicane solicited
December 2003 / January 2004
operation, and software. Strategy and technology, along with man's fascination for
exploration, come together in Boeing,
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman,
NASA and the FAA among others.
At the end of From Earth to the Moon,
Barbicane, Arden and Nichol are stranded in
space, to return to earth ultimately in a
sequel. With the setbacks of September 11th
and Columbia, these too are times of transition in the aerospace industry. The Wrights
and the Apollo missions led the way and now
we and the marketplace will make choices on
future directions.And just as a devoted friend
of Barbicane, Arden and Nichols said of them
at the end of the Verne novel, "Those three
men have carried into space all the resources
of art, science and industry. With that, one
can do anything; and you will see that, some
day, they will come out all right," so too will
our space and commercial aerospace endeavors come out all right.
J.P. Auffret is the director of the Technology
Management Program at George Mason
University, and an active member of the NVTC
Aerospace Committee.
As these themes resolve themselves, Northern
Virginia will play a great role. We have firms
and organizations from a full spectrum of
aeronautical and space development, flight
The proposed Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner passenger airplane. Seen in the take-off position in a newly
released rendition, the 7E7 Dreamliner will carry 200-250 passengers on routes between 14,500 to 15,400
kilometers. The new airplane will provide airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency – using 20 percent less
fuel for comparable missions than any other wide body airplane – Passengers will also see improvements,
from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience.
The Voice of Technology
Page 9
NVTC Interview John R. Dailey, USMC (Ret.)
ohn R. (Jack) Dailey, retired United States Marine Corps general and pilot, assumed the
duties of director of the National Air and Space Museum in January 2000. General
Dailey came to the Museum from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), where he had been the associate deputy administrator since retiring from the
United States Marine Corps in 1992. At NASA, he led the agency’s restructuring activities.
J
His career in the Marine Corps spanned thirty-six years and included extensive command
and staff experience. He has flown over 6,000 hours in a wide variety of aircraft and helicopters. During two tours in Vietnam, he flew 450 missions. He was promoted to the rank
of general and named assistant commandant of the Marine Corps in 1990. He has numerous personal decorations for his service in the Marine Corps and NASA.
General John R. Dailey, USMC
General Dailey was gracious enough to answer some questions for NVTC's Voice of (Ret.), Director, National Air and
Technology, especially during this busy time on the eve of the opening of the Steven F. Space Museum.
Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles, the companion facility to the flagship building on the
National Mall in Washington will ultimately display some 200 aircraft and 135 large space
artifacts currently in storage. The museum will begin welcoming visitors December 15,
2003, the day before NVTC's TECHstravaganza!
How has your previous military
experience prepared you for your
current post as Director of the Air
and Space Museum?
Ever since I took the helm as director of the
Museum in January 2000, I've felt like the
luckiest guy on the planet. As a pilot, what
better place to be! I am surrounded by artifacts that represent flight in all its forms.
Prior to coming here, I served on the National
Air and Space Museum's Advisory Board. So,
basically, I knew the Museum well when I
took the position. As deputy administrator of
the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, I gained valuable experience
in dealing with budget and personnel issues.
I would say that my past military experience
has prepared me well for this job.
A view of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
entranceway, the Donald D. Engen Observation
tower and the IMAX theater, right, October 2003.
Photo by Carolyn Russo/NASM Copyright: Smithsonian
Institution.
Page 10
I think that the Museum has three basic
goals: to commemorate, to educate and to
inspire. The first two we accomplish
through our exhibitions, educational programs, research and collections work. But I
think that the most important of the three
goals is inspiration. I hope that we can
inspire the next generation of explorers to
reach for the stars, just as I once was
inspired by sitting in my father's fighter
cockpit as a boy and flying all over the
world in my head.
How do you feel the new museum
will impact the Northern Virginia
community?
It's estimated that the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy
Center will attract 3 million visitors each
year. That will certainly have an economic
impact on nearby restaurants, hotels and
adjacent tourist sites. We have been working closely with the Virginia Tourism
Corporation over the past few years to
develop tie-ins between the Udvar-Hazy
Center and other Virginia landmarks and
businesses.
Our Education Division staff has developed
strong ties to the Fairfax Public School
System and Loudoun County School
System and the Potomac School. These
institutions have provided two full-time
The Voice of Technology
teachers to the Udvar-Hazy Center's
Education Division for the duration of the
2003-04 academic year. The "Aerospace
Educators in Residence" will develop and
present school programs to local students
based on the Virginia State Standards of
Learning and the collections of the
National Air and Space Museum.
The role of technology is so
integral to flight: What do you see
as cutting edge aeronautical and
aerospace technologies coming in
the next decade or two?
In the next several decades we may see
advances in satellite navigation; "fly by
wire" controls and other techniques will
become cheaper and simpler, to a point
where general aviation and private pilots
will employ them. This could result in
increased airplane ownership and piloting
to those who today are shut out of that possibility by the high cost, complexity and
complex training that are now necessary.
In space, we will see smaller, cheaper, and
more capable satellites and space probes.
They will be networked to one another in
space, just as personal computers on Earth
are today. This will provide "virtual" blanket coverage of, say, weather phenomena on
Earth or observations of another planet.
December 2003 / January 2004
Already this has happened, with the probes
now in orbit or on their way to Mars.
Probably we will see a design for a followon to the Space Shuttle – a vehicle that will
carry people to and from space safely and
reliably, at a realistic cost that the American
public will accept. Such a vehicle will allow
the International Space Station to fulfill its
potential and rekindle interest in manned
flights beyond Earth orbit into deep space.
What is your favorite display at the
new museum, and why?
It's hard to pick a favorite, but I have to
admit that the Vought F4U-1D Corsair, a
Navy and Marine fighter plane, is my personal favorite. My father flew that type of
aircraft in World War II and the Korean
War. And when I was a kid, I often sat in it
and pretended that I was flying. It's a great
airplane.When I first came to the Museum,
they wanted to photograph me and asked
where I'd like to have my picture taken. I
chose the one aircraft in the Museum with
"Marines" on it – the F4B-4 biplane from
the 1930s. My father flew that very plane.
It's in his logbook.
The NVTC Aerospace Committee
by Greg Cirillo, Wiley, Rein and Fielding and Ed Scerbo, PA Consulting Group
Co-Chairs, NVTC Aerospace Committee
“...a focal point for the various regional companies in the aerospace and
aviation industries to help promote new technologies for space, air and
ground application, and to foster connections and communication between
aerospace companies of all sizes and types.”
--The NVTC Aerospace Committee
Mission Statement
T
he NVTC Aerospace Committee was
conceived in late 2001, and formed in
early 2002 as a committee to focus and
strengthen the influences of the local aerospace and aviation industries. In true NVTC
tradition, it has become a way for entrepreneurs to develop personal relationships with
industry leaders, and for regional educators
to link with industry to try to boost our economic community from its roots.
In 2002 we rolled out our "What's UP in
Aerospace" series where local aerospace and
aviation companies can join in an informal
discussion of their business or a new development. We hosted local firms including
FlightExplorer, discussing their flight tracking software and its many potential uses,
ARINC, discussing their wireless infrastructure plans for airports, and DigitalNet, discussing their recent success in landing a large
IT services contract serving the Metropolitan
Washington Airports Authority.
In May, we were treated to a "preview tour" of
the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, where we saw
the Enola Gay in its final stages of reassembly.
We also heard a presentation by James E.
Bennett, CEO of the Metropolitan
Washington Airports Authority discussing
the future of air service locally and globally.
The Naval Aircraft Factory N3N "Yellow Peril" is
prepared for display in the aviation hangar of the
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, October 2003.
Photo by Carolyn Russo/NASM. Copyright: Smithsonian
Institution
December 2003 / January 2004
Each year, working with the NVTC
Foundation, the NVTC Aerospace Committee
provides support and funding to the Virginia
Space Flight Academy at Wallop's Island,
Virginia, including scholarships for deserving
The Voice of Technology
children interested in attending this camp.We
also have provided a forum for the Fairfax
County Public Schools to discuss the
advancement of aerospace-oriented curricula
at local middle and high schools.
Already we see a brilliant 2004 approaching –
Northern Virginia is an economy where great
things are built, primarily from computer
programming code and creativity, and much
less from aluminum or carbon fiber. That
puts us at the forefront of so many important
developments in aviation and aerospace. Our
goal is to help our committee members gain
the information and relationships necessary
to keep them rising to the top of these
dynamic industries.
Our monthly committee meetings are held at
8:15 a.m. on the last Wednesday of each
month and we welcome new members,
speakers and guests. If you are interested in
joining the committee or speaking at a
"What's UP" event, contact Greg Cirillo at
[email protected], or 703.905.2800 or Pam
Dudley at [email protected].
Greg Cirillo is a Partner in Wiley, Rein and
Fielding’s Business & Finance and Aerospace &
Aviation Practices.
Wiley Rein & Fielding is a leading national law
firm with offices in Washington, DC and
Northern Virginia. www.wrf.com
Ed Scerbo is with PA Consulting Group, a leading
global strategy, management, systems and
technology consulting firm.
www.paconsulting.com.
Page 11
Virginia and Maryland Establish Mid-Atlantic
Regional Spaceport
MARS facility to combine aerospace resources of two states
V
irginia Governor Mark R. Warner
and Maryland Governor Robert L.
Ehrlich have announced an agreement to establish the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Spaceport (MARS) at the Wallops Flight
Facility to strengthen the aerospace industries for both states. MARS will assimilate
the Virginia Space Flight Center (in operation since 1995), and accelerate and enhance
its mission to provide low cost, rapid
response and frequent re-flight opportunities for small to medium-sized satellites and
flight experiments to government, academic, and commercial entities.
"The new mission of this spaceport combines our outstanding Virginia Space Flight
Center and facilities, along with the university research and development centers located in our two states, and will have a tremendous impact on the future of our region's
aerospace, bioscience, and advanced tech-
December 2003 / January 2004
nology industries," said Governor Warner.
MARS is prepared for its new mission, due
in large part to the existence of two operational orbital launch pads developed and
owned by Virginia, a Launch Site Operator's
License issued by the FAA, in-place agreements with NASA to occupy and make
improvements to Wallops land and facilities,
and a contracted orbital launch for the USAF
for which additional launch infrastructure is
currently under construction. Additional
agreements with NASA have enabled cooperative (Federal/State) development of additional facilities, including a mobile liquid
rocket fueling facility and a multi-function
processing building.
The MARS facility will address the increasing need for low cost, rapid access to space
for small and medium sized payloads, a
need that existing launch systems and other
spaceports do not fulfill. The lack of afford-
The Voice of Technology
able access to space has been identified as
one reason that government, academic, and
commercial use of low earth orbits has not
reached its full potential, and is a prime contributor to the loss of U.S. market share in
the commercial launch industry.
MARS will be a non-profit entity dedicated
to the active identification, dissemination,
integration, and flight demonstration of the
best methods and technologies for spaceport operations, and to incorporating them
into a customer-oriented, full service spaceport. Through a strong, bi-state management team and existing agreements and
partnerships with NASA, universities, and
industry, MARS will be in the unique position to drive the reemergence of the U.S. as
the dominant player in the international
space market and to support the interests of
U.S. space policy.
Page 13
UAVs ScanEagle, a Boeing long-endurance unmanned
aerial vehicle or UAV
A Long Way
From Kitty Hawk
by Senator John Warner, R-Va.
Chairman, Senate Armed Services Committee
T
his month we celebrate the first century of manned flight in a large event at
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This
remarkable milestone demonstrates how far
we have come in a hundred short years of aviation - from little more than a powered glider
to jet aircraft that fly many times the speed of
sound. Yet, as many have observed, military
analysts who first heard about the Wright
brothers' flight immediately dismissed the
value of manned aircraft to military operations. How wrong they were: a hundred years
later, air power plays an indispensable role in
our military operations, from traditional
campaigns such as major combat in
Afghanistan and Iraq, to the new asymmetrical challenges of the global war on terror.
Technological innovation has always been at
the heart of man's quest for gaining decisive
advantage against military opponents.
Today, with tens of billions of dollars in the
Page 14
federal budget devoted to development and
procurement of advanced aircraft platforms,
the importance of adapting emerging aircraft
technology to our future military capabilities
has never been greater.
As we begin the second century of manned
flight, one of the most critical, "cutting edge"
technologies in our arsenal of air power is
that of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs.
While unmanned aircraft have been around
for some time (mostly in intelligence-gathering roles), we are now beginning to realize
their enormous potential for all types of military applications, from reconnaissance to
communications relays, re-supply operations, and strike- and bombing-missions.
One of the most impressive and well-publicized examples of the enormous potential for
UAVs in the war on terror came in November
2002, when a U.S. Predator UAV, controlled by
operators hundreds of miles away conducted
The Voice of Technology
a successful strike with Hellfire missiles on a
convoy in a remote area of Yemen that carried
suspected al-Qaeda terrorists, some of whom
were implicated in the bombing of the USS
Cole. In a matter of seconds, the convoy was
totally destroyed; the terrorists never knew
what hit them, much less where it came from.
And commanders could watch real-time
video of the strike thousands of miles away.
When I assumed the chairmanship of the
Senate Armed Services Committee in 1999, I
established a new subcommittee to study
emerging threats and capabilities, and put
the further development of UAVs at the top of
our priority list. In the FY 2001 Defense
Authorization Bill, our committee dramatically increased research and development
funding for UAVs across the services. In our
bill, we also set an ambitious goal: that onethird of our operational deep-strike aircraft
be unmanned by 2010. This legislative direcDecember 2003 / January 2004
tion has not only accelerated the technical
development of this new technology; it also
has helped our forces field a variety of prototype and second-generation platforms in the
recent Middle East conflicts.
Current versions of UAVs range from small,
kite-sized tactical surveillance aircraft to the
large, long-range Global Hawk. Current technology centers primarily on human-assisted
control at a distance ("remote control"), but
our long-term objective is to develop truly
autonomous vehicles, which will employ sensor suites, artificial intelligence and computer-assisted reasoning to allow the aircraft to
navigate and execute missions with no
human intervention. Another important feature of some UAV programs is the ability to
distribute data and intelligence widely from
individual vehicles, and even making visual
data available via the Internet, so that military commanders could observe a mission's
progress hundreds or even thousands of
miles away. Clearly, UAV research is spawning many advances in a variety of related,
"spin-off " technologies, as well.
There are many obvious military advantages
to UAVs, such as their relatively cheap production cost when compared to manned aircraft. However, of these advantages, perhaps
none is more important than the ability to
eliminate danger to our pilots and other military personnel on some of the most difficult
missions by including UAVs. With the greater
scope and geographic range of our military
operations in the last decade, our pilots find
themselves facing increasingly difficult or
sensitive missions, as well as a variety of nontraditional threats. By relying on UAVs for
some missions, such as strikes in heavily
defended areas or operating in environments
with possible biochemical or nuclear contamination, we increase the options available
to our military planners and reduce the risk
to our pilots.
mass-destruction. Such low-cost observation platforms could measure autonomously
such things as climatic variables, or check on
remote infrastructure such as oil pipelines.
In this year's Defense Authorization bill, I
have asked the Administration to study the
use of UAVs for Homeland Security missions.
Still further possibilities lie in the future. The
development of nanotechnology, or the science of manipulating individual atoms to
create extremely small, functioning
machines, holds great promise for new-generation UAVs. Some have speculated that
nanotechnology could allow the development
of microscopic-size UAVs, which could fly
into small spaces and collect information or
conduct some other type of military mission.
The possibilities are virtually endless.
Indeed we have come a long way in a short
century of flight, from the first dreams of the
Wright brothers of just leaving the ground for
a brief moment, to the most sophisticated
military applications involving manned and
unmanned aircraft, and the promise of even
greater things to come. Certainly nothing will
fully replace the need for a pilot's firm hand
on the controls during our most sensitive
national-security missions. But the emerging
technologies of UAVs carry with them new
promise for the security of future generations. Together with my colleagues on the
Armed Services Committee, we remain committed to ensuring that America's military
makes the most of this exciting technology.
During World War II, at age 17, he enlisted in
the U.S. Navy and served on active duty until
the summer of 1946, when he was honorably
discharged as Petty Officer 3rd Class,
electronic technician's mate.
Warner attended Washington and Lee
University, earning a B.S. degree in basic
engineering sciences in 1949. He then entered
the University of Virginia Law School,
interrupting his studies in 1950 to commence
a second tour of active military duty during
the Korean War, this time in the United States
Marine Corps. He served as a first lieutenant
in communications and as a ground officer
with the First Marine Air Wing. Following his
active service in Korea, he remained in the
Marine Corps Reserve for 10 years and was
promoted to rank of Captain.
After returning from Korea, Senator Warner
finished his law degree at the University of
Virginia, and, in 1953, he was appointed law
clerk to the late Chief Judge E. Barrett
Prettyman of the U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals. In 1956, he was appointed an
assistant U.S. attorney and served four years
in the trial and appellate divisions. He
entered private law practice in 1960.
In 1969 the U.S. Senate confirmed Senator
Warner's Presidential appointment to be
Under Secretary of Navy. For over 5 years
during the war in Vietnam, he served in the
Department of Defense, completing his
service as Secretary of the Navy in 1974.
Presently, he is the Republican with the
longest tenure on the Environment and
Public Works Committee. In 2001, Senator
Warner joined the Senate Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and
he was recently reappointed to the Select
Committee on Intelligence. In addition, the
Senator has always acknowledged his
gratefulness for the opportunity to serve
with, and work on behalf of, the men and
women of the armed forces. He is especially
pleased to serve as the current Chairman of
the Armed Services Committee, a committee
on which he has served throughout his
Senate career.
In addition to immediate military applications, UAVs promise a host of important
domestic capabilities. Homeland security
could benefit greatly from cheap, long-duration surveillance platforms that could patrol
vast areas of remote U.S. coastlines and borders, or small biological/chemical/radiationhardened vehicles capable of investigating
possible incidents involving weapons of
December 2003 / January 2004
JOHN WILLIAM WARNER, Republican from
Virginia, began his twenty-fifth year of
service in the United States Senate on
January 7, 2003 after having been elected to
his fifth term on November 5, 2002. He is
currently the third longest serving U.S.
Senator in the history of the Commonwealth
after Harry F. Byrd and Carter Glass.
The Voice of Technology
Page 15
NVTC CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Northern Virginia’s Premier Events for the Technology Community
DECEMBER
December 2
eBusiness Morning Forum
December 12 Business Development,
Marketing & Sales Forum
7:30 am Registration
8:00 - 9:30 am Program
SAIC Conference Center, 1710 SAIC Dr. McLean, VA
No Charge for Members / $35 Non-Members
Platinum Sponsor: SAIC.
Gold Sponsors: Pathlore Software Corporation; Radware, Inc.
Presented by NVTC's eBusiness Committee.
December 3
HR Education
“Wake-Up With the HR Award Winners: How They Made a Strategic
Difference.”
7:30 am Registration
8:00 - 9:30 am Program
Microsoft IT Center, 12012 Sunset Hills Road, Reston, VA
Platinum Sponsor: AH&T Technology Brokers.
Gold Sponsors: Greenberg Traurig LLP.; Hay Group.
Silver Sponsors: Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield; Marymount
University; ServiceSource, Inc.
Presented by NVTC's Workforce Committee.
December 4
Meet the Capital Players
“America’s Security: The Next Gold Rush?”
7:30 am Registration
8:00 - 9:30 am Program
Pillsbury Winthrop Conference Room, 1600 Tysons Blvd., McLean, VA
No Charge for Members / $35 Non-Members
Platinum Sponsors: Comerica Bank, Technology & Life Sciences
Division; Ernst & Young; Piper Rudnick LLP; Wilson Sonsini
Goodrich & Rosati.
Presented by NVTC's Capital Formation Committee.
December 9
Emerging Business Network
“Government Set Asides:
What You Need to Know to Get One and Go”
7:30 am Registration
8:00 - 9:30 am Program
Grant Thornton, 2070 Chain Bridge Rd.
Conference Center Lower Level, Vienna, VA
No Charge for Members / $35 Non-Members
Gold Sponsors: The British Midlands; KPMG LLP.
Breakfast Sponsor: C2 Portfolio.
Location Sponsor: Grant Thornton.
Prize Sponsor: EZGSA
Presented by NVTC's Emerging Business Network Committee.
Page 16
“Prospecting: Finding Revenue in a Tough Market”
7:45 am Registration
8:00 - 9:30 am Program
Pillsbury Winthrop, 1600 Tysons Blvd., McLean, VA
No Charge for Members / $35 Non-Members
Platinum Sponsors: Gibbs College; Qorvis Communications, LLC.
Gold Sponsors: Carter Cosgrove + Company. Joan Carol Design &
Exhibit Group. Location Sponsor: Pillsbury Winthrop LLP.
Presented by NVTC's Business Development, Marketing & Sales
Committee.
December 16 Holiday TECHstravaganza
7:00 - 8:00 pm Sponsor Reception
7:30 - 10:00 pm Registration, Buffet Dinner and Dancing
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA
Platinum Sponsor: Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP.
Exclusive Reception Sponsor: America Online, Inc.
Gold Sponsors: Base Technologies, Inc.; The MITRE Corporation;
Mitretek Systems, Inc.; Pragmatics, Inc.; Robbins-Gioia, LLP.
Silver Sponsors: The George Washington University Virginia
Campus; Howard Hughes Medical Center; INPUT; ObjectVideo;
Scheer Partners Inc.; UK Trade & Investment. Bronze Sponsors:
AH&T Technology Brokers; Bank of America; Delancey Printing,
Inc.; Deltek Systems Inc.; The ILEX Group; Kelley Drye & Warren
LLP; Orbital Sciences Corporation; TranTech, Inc.; Wiley Rein &
Fielding LLP. Event Sponsors: Data Systems Analysts, Inc.; Fairfax
County Economic Development Authority; NaviSite Inc.; Retrieval
Systems Corporation.
Presented by NVTC's Programs Committee.
December 18 International Committee Forum
“Shifting IT Resources Offshore: Panacea or Pandora’s Box? “
7:30 am Registration / 8:00 - 9:30 am Program
Grant Thornton, 2070 Chainbridge Road., Vienna, VA
No Charge for Members / $35 Non-Members
Platinum Sponsors: Morrison & Foerster LLP; Welsh Development
Agency. Gold Sponsors: Baker & McKenzie; The British Midlands;
Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP; Globalization Partners
International.
Presented by NVTC's International Committee.
The Voice of Technology
December 2003 / January 2004
NVTC CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Northern Virginia’s Premier Events for the Technology Community
JANUARY
January 8
Meet the Capital Players
January 20
7:30 am Registration
8:00 - 9:30 am Program
Pillsbury Winthrop Conference Room, 1600 Tysons Blvd. McLean, VA
No Charge for Members / $35 Non-Members
Platinum Sponsors: Comerica Bank, Technology & Life Sciences
Division; Ernst & Young; Piper Rudnick LLP; Wilson Sonsini
Goodrich & Rosati.
Presented by NVTC's Capital Formation Committee.
January 9
Business Development,
Marketing & Sales Forum
January 12
Member Mixer and
New Member Orientation
5:30 pm Registration / 6:30 - 8:00 pm Program
Hilton McLean, 7920 Jones Branch Rd, McLean, VA
Location Sponsor: Hilton McLean.
Presented by NVTC's Membership Committee
January 14
Titans of Technology Breakfast
Featuring Sanjay Kumar CEO and Chairman of Computer Associates
7:00 am Registration / 8:00 - 9:15 am Program
Hilton McLean, 7920 Jones Branch Rd McLean, VA
$40 for members / $80 for non-members
Platinum Signature Sponsor: The British Midlands.
Gold Signature Sponsor: Metrocall Wireless.
Platinum Sponsors: Computer Associates; Houlihan Lokey Howard
& Zukin; Welsh Development Agency. Gold Sponsors: Cox
Communications; Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett &
Dunner, LLP; Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance;
Latham & Watkins; Morrison & Foerester LLP; Siemens
Information and Communication Networks, Inc.; Wachovia
Corporation; Williams Mullen. Silver Sponsors: CB Richard Ellis;
Joan Carol Design & Exhibit Group; RCM&D.
Presented by NVTC's Programs Committee.
December 2003 / January 2004
7:30 am Registration
8:00 - 9:30 am Program
Grant Thornton, 2070 Chain Bridge Rd.
Conference Center Lower Level, Vienna, VA
No Charge for Members / $35 Non-Members
Location Sponsor: Grant Thornton.
Gold Sponsors: The British Midlands; KPMG LLP.
Presented by NVTC's Emerging Business Network Committee.
January 21
7:45 am Registration
8:00 - 9:30 am Program
Pillsbury Winthrop, 1600 Tysons Blvd., McLean, VA
No Charge for Members / $35 Non-Members
Platinum Sponsors: Gibbs College; Qorvis Communications, LLC.
Gold Sponsors: Carter Cosgrove + Company; Joan Carol Design &
Exhibit Group. Location Sponsor: Pillsbury Winthrop LLP.
Presented by NVTC's Business Development, Marketing & Sales
Committee.
Emerging Business Network
eBusiness Technical Forum
6:00 pm Registration
6:30- 9:00pm Program
Location: TBD
No Charge for Members / $35 Non-Members
Presented by NVTC's eBusiness Committee.
January 22
State of the Venture Capital
Market for Life Sciences
7:30 am Registration
8:00 - 9:30 am Program
The Ritz-Carlton, 1700 Tysons Blvd. McLean, VA
$35 for Members / $70 Non-Members
Platinum Venture Capital Sponsor: Nixon Peabody, LLP
Platinum BioMedTech Sponsors: Fish & Richardson; Grubb & Ellis
Company; Hale & Dorr LLP; Kenyon & Kenyon. Gold BioMedTech
Sponsor: Scheer Partners. Silver Nanotechnology Sponsors:
Lockheed Martin Corporation; Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.
Presented by NVTC's BioMedTech, Venture Capital, and Nanotechnology
committees.
January 27
International Committee Forum
7:30 am Registration
8:00 - 9:30 am Program
Location: TBD
No Charge for Members / $35 Non-Members
Platinum Sponsors: Morrison & Foerster LLP; Welsh Development
Agency. Gold Sponsors: Baker & McKenzie; The British Midlands;
Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP; Globalization Partners
International.
Presented by NVTC's International Committee.
The Voice of Technology
CONTINUED
ON PAGE
18.
Page 17
NVTC CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Northern Virginia’s Premier Events for the Technology Community
JANUARY, continued.
January 28
IT & Telecommunications
January 29
5:30 pm Registration
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Dinner and Program
Maggiano's Little Italy, 2001 International Drive, McLean, VA
$65 for Members / $95 Non-Members
Platinum Sponsors: Gardner Carton & Douglas LLP; Kenyon &
Kenyon. Gold Sponsor: Morrison & Foerster LLP. Silver Sponsors:
Alston & Bird LLP; Cox Communications; GrayCary;
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Wiley Rein & Fielding LLP. Bronze
Sponsor: Siemens Information and Communication Networks, Inc.
Presented by NVTC's IT & Telecommunications Committee.
Executive Forum
7:00 am Registration
7:45 - 9:30 am Program
The Tower Club 8000 Towers Crescent Dr. Suite 1700, Vienna, VA
$35 for Members /$70 for Non-Members
Platinum Sponsor: McGuireWoods LLP. Gold Sponsors:
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; SalesTraction, Inc. Silver Sponsors:
Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance; Howrey Simon
Arnold & White, LLP; Kenyon & Kenyon; LeapFrog Solutions, Inc.;
Pillsbury Winthrop LLP.
Presented by NVTC's Executive Forum Committee.
REGISTER AT:
Page 18
The Voice of Technology
December 2003 / January 2004
New Cyber Security Chief Headlines
Second Titans “Notepad” Breakfast
Lively Panel Discussion Follows Amit Yoran's Remarks to Packed Ballroom
N
VTC's November 21 Titans
Notepad breakfast with
keynote speaker Amit
Yoran, Director of the National Cyber Security Division of the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, proved a popular event, given the
queues at the microphones during the ensuing panel discussion and
Q&A.
The newly appointed Yoran addressed NVTC's techies noting that
"cyberspace has become part of our nation's critical infrastructure,
and other critical systems rely on cyberspace." Mr. Yoran's new position follows his role as Vice President of Worldwide Managed Security
Services at the Symantec Corporation.Yoran stressed that the federal
government has transitioned the issue of cyber security from the
planning phase to the operational phase, and explained how necessary the partnership between government and the private sector is.
Afterwards, Mark Bisnow, of Bisnow on Business, moderated the
extremely lively panel discussion, followed by Q&A from the crowd.
Panelists John Becker, CEO, TruSecure and Kenneth C. Watson,
Manager, Critical Infrastructure Assurance Group, Cisco Systems, Inc.
and President, Partnership for Critical Infrastructure Security, shared
December 2003 / January 2004
their expertise, vision, and analysis of how government and the private sector can work in tandem, as well areas most at risk for attack.
The National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) at the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security falls under the Department's Information
Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate and provides for
24 x 7 functions, including conducting cyberspace analysis, issuing
alerts and warning, improving information sharing, responding to
major incidents, and aiding in national-level recovery efforts.
Amit Yoran, Director of the National Cyber Security Division of the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security at NVTC’s Notepad Breakfast.
The Voice of Technology
Page 19
NVTC
NewsLINK
What Does High Tech Mean for Virginia?
250,713 high-tech workers (6th ranked cyberstate);
19,100 jobs lost between 2001 and 2002;
U.S. Senate Approves Nanotech Bill
Legislation sponsored by U.S. Senators George Allen (R-VA) and
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
High-tech firms employ 90 of every 1,000 private sector
workers in 2002, ranked 3rd nationwide;
T
High-tech workers earned an average wage of $74,327 (4th
ranked), or 103% more than the average private sector wage;
he U.S. Senate approved legislation on November 18 sponsored
by U.S. Senator George Allen (R-VA) and Senator Ron Wyden
(D-OR) that would create a structured, coordinated and comprehensive national nanotechnology research and development program. The bill, more formally called the “21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (S. 189),” also substantially increases funding for nanotechnology research.
A high-tech payroll of $20.1 billion in 2001, ranked 5th
nationwide;
"This historic initiative will ensure that America is a competitive
leader in the Nanotechnology Revolution. Nanotechnology is an
innovative field that is forever changing the way we approach scientific and engineering challenges," said Senator Allen.
High-tech exports totaled $1.8 billion in 2002, ranked 19th
nationwide;
The Allen / Wyden legislation specifically establishes the National
Nanotechnology Research Program to develop, fund and manage:
Long-term fundamental research projects and collaborative
partnerships;
12,500 high-tech establishments in 2001, ranked 8th nationwide;
High-tech exports represented 17% of Virginia's exports;
and,
R&D expenditures of $5.1 billion in 2000, ranked 12th
nationwide.
Virginia's National Industry Segment Rankings:
The creation of interdisciplinary nanotechnology research
centers, including universities;
Interagency coordination and partnerships with State-led
nanotechnology centers, and,
Creation of a National Nanotechnology Coordinating office
for federal agencies, private sector researchers and collegebased research.
Virginia Ranks 6th in Nationwide High-Tech
Employment
2nd in computer systems design and related services
employment with 100,100 jobs;
5th in engineering services employment with 41,000 jobs
5th in Internet services employment with 23,200 jobs.
Source: Cyberstates 2003
Data are for 2002 unless otherwise noted.
2001 data are the most current for wages, payroll, establishments, and
industry segment jobs.
Published by the AeA, Advancing the Business of Technology
(www.AeAnet.org)
AeA Releases Cyberstates 2003: A State-by-State Overview of the
High Technology Industry
E
ven though Virginia lost 19,000 tech jobs in 2002, an analysis by
AeA reports that the Commonwealth ranks 6th in the nation in
high-tech employment.
Cyberstates 2003 shows that Virginia's tech industry employment
dropped by 7 percent, falling from 270,000 in 2001 to 251,000 in 2002.
The state's electronics manufacturing sector lost 6,000 jobs in 2002,
while the state's software industry had 1,000 fewer jobs in 2002 than
in 2001. The bulk of job losses were in telecommunications services,
where employment dropped by 7,300 between 2001 and 2002.
Page 22
The Voice of Technology
December 2003 / January 2004
NVTC
NewsLINK, continued.
NVTC Foundation Receives 2003 NVWIB Youth
Workforce Leadership Award
T
he Northern Virginia Technology Council Foundation has
received the 2003 Northern Virginia Workforce Investment
Board Youth Workforce Leadership Award. The award was presented at the NVWIB Community Workforce Forum held at the
Reston Hyatt Regency on November 13.
"We are honored to have been selected to receive this award. The
NVTC Foundation is very serious about encouraging the next generation of innovators. By investing our time and resources in these children, we are building a brighter future for us all," said Dan Bannister,
chairman of the NVTC Foundation.
skills. The clubhouses are staffed by a manager and AmeriCorps volunteers who serve as role models, friends, and educators for area
children.
The overwhelming success of the NVTC Computer Clubhouse project
is attributed to the high level of community and corporate involvement, coming from a number of large and small companies from
around the region. The NVTC Foundation joined with the Fairfax
County Department of Community and Recreation Services in 2000,
and the partnership continues to be one of the most successful in our
area. There are plans to open three more Computer Clubhouses by
September 2004.
The award was presented for the NVTC Foundation's role in creating
three computer clubhouses located in the Gum Springs, Bailey's
Crossroads and Seven Corners areas of Fairfax County. The clubhouses have helped teach children the technology skills they'll need
to compete in the 21st century. Open six days a week from after
school until 8:00 p.m., the clubhouses provide a safe and adult-supervised environment where kids can have fun and learn important
December 2003 / January 2004
The Voice of Technology
Page 23
Sign
Up
You Can Help
W
e know that NVTC members routinely take actions to
reduce waste and improve the environment. But much
of the data reflecting those activities is never captured.
Now, with the eCommute program and Teletrips, commuting
data can be captured.You may already be doing your part to help
the environment and improve your quality of life. We just need
you to get it "on the record" by registering with Teletrips, as a
member of NVTC.
It Adds Up - So Sign Up, and … it's FREE
Employees who telework/telecommute (work from home or at a
Telework Center on a regular or intermittent basis) can provide
commuting information using the Teletrips Web site. It tracks
polluting emission reductions through weekly surveys. Each
week, employees using the service record “non-trips” through
Teletrips.com. Teletrips calculates, verifies and aggregates the
reduced vehicle emissions attributable to the employer’s telework
program.
You Can Make a Difference. Do the Math:
According to EPA data (and based on an average commute of 34
miles round-trip), if 100 NVTC members avoided driving to and
from work just 49 days a year each, 141,661 lbs. of emissions –
and 6,941 gallons of gasoline per year would be saved!
Other forms of "trip reduction," such as car/van pooling and
compressed work days off, count toward capturing this important "green" data for future use. If you already telework – even
just one or two days a month – or if you use other trip-reduction
methods to "green" commute (e.g., mass transit, carpool, bike or
Page 24
walk), we encourage you join in and register on the Teletrips Web
site. It only takes a minute or two to register, and then less than a
minute each week to record how you commuted the previous
week.
It's E-mail Easy … and it's FREE
Once you register with Teletrips, you receive a brief e-mail survey
each Monday regarding your previous week's commute. The
easy-to-use "radio button" survey format takes just a few mouse
clicks to complete. Once online, you receive a summary showing
the amount of pollution you reduced, the number of miles you
avoided driving, and an approximation of the time you saved as a
result of your telecommuting.
If you don't have a telecommuting program, you can get free consulting help from NVTC. Just contact NVTC's eCommute
Program Manager, Christine Kallivokas, at 703. 904.7878 Ext.
203.
Sign up NOW to Register with Teletrips:
Note: All identification fields and passwords used in Teletrips
are case-sensitive, and you must complete all fields on the
form.
Go to www.teletrips.com
Log In
Employee / Register Employee
Company User Name is W2
Company Password is nvtc2
Complete the rest of the registration form with your individual
information. If you need help registering or have other questions, please contact John Edwards at 571.434.7444.
The Voice of Technology
December 2003 / January 2004
December 2003 / January 2004
The Voice of Technology
Page 25
TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
3Soft USA
7409 Little River Turnpike
Annandale, VA 22003
(703) 914-1410
(703) 914-1404
www.3softusa.com
ACI Solutions
131 East Broad Street, Suite 209
Falls Church, VA
(703) 531-1960
(703) 531-1962
www.acisolutions.net
EmeSec Incorporated
12801 Worldgate Drive, Suite 500
Herndon, VA 20170
(703) 821-3973
www.emesec.net
Prosodie Interactive, Inc.
4101 Chain Bridge Road. Suite 311
Fairfax, VA 22030
(888) 525-2939
www.prosodiemail.com
Ezenia!
1725 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 684-9711
(703) 684-8009
www.ezenia.com
Red Hat
1608 Spring Hill Rd. Suite 350
Vienna, VA 22182
(703) 356-2803
(703) 356-2813
www.redhat.com
Jenxsystems, Inc.
1000 S. Washington Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 237-8120
(703) 532-8165
www.jenxsystems.com
Revolent Technologies
21351 Ridgetop Circle
Sterling, VA 20166
(571) 434-8640
www.revolent.com
LinkSpot
11490 Commerce Park Drive, Suite 440
Reston, VA 20191
(703) 620-6300 x224
www.linkspot.com
Romanian-American Development
Unlimited
PO Box 1423
Arlington, VA 22210
(703) 599-1166
www.radu.com
Alterthought
901 N. Pollard Street, Suite 302
Arlington, VA 22203
(202) 607-6686
New Light Technologies
9390 Farmingdale Court
Great Falls, VA 22066
(703) 757-8466
(703) 276-2606
www.nltgis.com
RoxTel
1587 Regatta Lane
Reston, VA 20194
(703) 481-3231
(703) 481-3560
www.roxtel.com
Amazing Security & Investigations, LLC
10224 Green Forest Drive
Reston, VA 20903
(202) 437-0557
(703) 878-6604
www.amazingsecurityinvestigation.com
NPS Technology Partners
822-B Gallop Hill Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
(302) 494-9376
(302) 397-2377
www.npstech.com
SBI Group
8381 Old Courthouse Road, Suite160
Vienna, VA 22182
(703) 288-1008
www.sbiandcompany.com
APT Impact, Inc.
10946 Thistlewood Court, Suite 220
Manassas, VA 20110
(703) 396-8205
(703) 396-8778
www.aptimpact.com
NucoreVision Incorporated
2828 10th Street N.E.
Washington, DC 20017
(202) 832-3383
(202) 832-3398
www.nucorevision.com
Business Engineering, Inc.
2701 N. Pershing Drive
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 528-8300
(703) 276-7938
www.beinetworks.com
ORBIMAGE
21700 Atlantic Boulevard
Sterling, VA 20166
(703) 480-7517
(703) 480-7544
www.orbimage.com
Crystal Decisions, Inc.
8614 Westwood Center Drive, Suite 320
Vienna, VA 22182
(703) 245-8884
www.crystaldecisions.com
Plugged In Software
21258 Victorias Cross Terrace
Ashburn, VA 20147
(703) 726-1050
(877) 290-6687
www.pisoftware.com
Allied Telecom Group, LLC
1220 L Street NW, Suite 408
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 541-9000
(202) 541-9050
www.alliedtelecom.net
E-MAC Corporation
P.O. Box 57
Dunn Loring, VA 22027
(703) 629-6936
Embedded Research Solutions, LLC
201 Defense Hwy. Suite 202
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 571-7950
www.embedded-zone.com
Page 26
Pragmatics, Inc.
7926 Jones Branch Drive, Suite711
Mc Lean, VA 22102
(703) 761-4033
(703) 761-4089
www.pragmatics.com
The Voice of Technology
Secure Elements
13800 Coppermine Road, Suite 363
Herndon, VA 20171
(703) 234-7840
(703) 234-5863
www.secure-elements.com
Seneca Corporation
8320 Old Corthouse Road, Suite 200
Vienna, VA 22182
(703) 903-0200
(703) 903-0201
www.seneca.com
Telesto-Group, LLC
1616 Anderson Road, Suite 353
Mc Lean, VA 22102
(703) 286-0834
www.telesto-group.com
Telnet of Virginia, Inc.
12177 Balls Ford Road
Manassas, VA 20109
(703) 257-1991
(703) 330-9844
www.telnet-1.net
TownHall Teleconferencing
2301 Gallows Road, Suite 100
Vienna, VA 22027
(703) 752-7449
(703) 752-7454
www.thtweb.com
December 2003 / January 2004
Trusted Edge, Inc.
1360 Beverly Road, Suite 305
McLean, VA 22101
(703) 448-0141
(703) 448-0149
www.trustededge.com
Georgetown University
Industrial Leadership in Physics Program
Georgetown University, Physics Deptartment
Washington, DC 20057
(202) 687-5982
www.georgetown.edu
Wimmer Solutions
3540 Van Ness Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 244-1440
(202) 244-2551
www.wimmersolutions.com
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
4000 Jones Bridge Road
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
(301) 215-8847
(301) 215-8848
www.hhmi.org
XScion Solutions, LLC
1420 Spring Hill Road, Suite 600
Mc Lean, VA 22102
(703) 729-6131
(703) 442-0846
www.xscion.com
Virginia Baseball
6420 Grovedale Drive, Suite 300
Alexandria, VA 22310
(703) 971-1732
(703) 971-5327
www.vabaseball.com
ASSOCIATE COMPANIES
CadenceQuest, Inc.
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Mail Stop 110-257
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 248-1960
(703) 248-0718
www.cadencequest.com
Complete Leasing Corporation
5 N. Hamilton Street 1st Floor
P.O. Box 1388
Middleburg, VA 20118-1388
(540) 687-8100
(540) 687-8101
www.completeleasingcorp.com
Fish & Richardson
1425 K Street, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 626-7703
(202) 783-2331
www.fr.com
Jefferson Wells
8484 Westpark Drive, Suite 620
Mc Lean, VA 22102
(703) 226-2330
www.jeffersonwells.com
Schiff Hardin & Waite
1101 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 778-6461
(202) 778-6460
www.schiffhardin.com
York Technical Institute
1405 Williams Road
York, PA 17402
(717) 757-1100 ext.460
www.yti.edu
AFFILIATE COMPANIES
Please join us
for our next
Membership
Mixer and
New Member
Orientation
January 12, 2004
5:30 pm Registration
6:30 - 8:00 pm Program
Hilton McLean
7920 Jones Branch Rd
McLean, VA
RENEWING MEMBERS
Advanced Power Technologies, Inc.
American Medical Records Network, Inc.
Anteon
AOC Applied Technologies, LLC
Aronson & Company
ATCC
Blackboard, Inc.
Bowne DC
Burke Consortium, Inc.
Cassidy & Pinkard/ Irving Group
CB Richard Ellis, Inc.
Chi Associates, Inc.
City Of Fairfax
CMC Americas Inc.
Cricket Technologies, LLC
Cryptek, Inc.
Deloitte.
E3squares.Com
Ecotronics Ventures LLC
EMW, Inc.
Entergrators, Inc.
Enterprise Business Law Group LLC
Ernst & Young
Focuspoint Inc.
GATX Technology Services
Georgia Tech Research Institute
Green Dot Consulting, LLC
Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin
Inflection Point Ventures
Information Sciences Institute/
University Of Southern California
The ILEX Group
INPUT
Inserso
Jerger Associates
KASEMAN Corporation
Legg Mason Investment Banking
Marymount University
MCG Capital Corporation
Mid-Atlantic Venture Funds
Nixon Peabody LLP
NPD Group
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Quebec Delegation
Russell Reynolds Associates
Segal Company
ServiceSource
Software AG
Sughrue Mion, PLLC
Tatum CFO Partners, LLP
Tech, Inc.
Technology Ventures
Terrapin Systems
US-Algeria Business Council
Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology
Wolf Trap Foundation
Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, PLLC
WWC Capital Group, LLC
Register at
www.nvtc.org
ExciteCorp
16 High Street Box 117
Grand Falls, Newfoundland A2A 2J3
(709) 489-4628
(709) 489-8711
December 2003 / January 2004
The Voice of Technology
Page 27
Dear NVTC Member:
I’m sure you receive more requests to support charitable organizations and good causes than you could ever hope to
help. It’s not my intent to add another one to your list, but with the new year rapidly approaching, and the importance of the good work being done by the NVTC Foundation, I wanted to make this year-end appeal to you.
As you undoubtedly know, the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the NVTC Foundation have worked very
hard to establish “computer clubhouses” in our communities. Three clubhouses have already been established at
Gum Springs, Bailey's Crossroads and Willston. All of these clubhouses have been enormously successful in bringing technology learning opportunities to underserved areas in Northern Virginia. These clubhouses are giving kids
who do not have computers in their home the opportunity to learn how to do Internet research, use the latest software applications for homework, papers and presentations, and more importantly, to realize the value of technology
in developing their basic skills and connecting with the rest of the world. An unexpected benefit of the clubhouses
is that the parents of the children and senior citizens alike are also acquiring new skills they never thought they
would have.
The goal of the Foundation is to establish at least nine more computer clubhouses in Northern Virginia – that is the
minimum number needed to address the needs of our community. With the help of our partners – the Fairfax
County Department of Community and Recreation Services, the Fairfax County Public Libraries, and the Fairfax
County Public Schools – we hope to launch three more clubhouses this coming year. Additionally, the current activities of the Foundation, which include a GMU Scholarship Program and the Botball Program, need financial
resources to continue this important community work. That is why I am writing you today. The Foundation is at the
top of my personal charitable gifts list, simply because I believe helping people in our community connect with technology will improve their lives. And it’s an excellent way to improve the quality of life in our community and make
it a better place to live and work for everyone. I hope you agree and will join me in giving a gift or making a pledge
prior to 31 December to the NVTC Foundation. To donate or for more information visit our Web site at www.nvtc
foundation.org.
Best wishes for a happy holiday and prosperous New Year.
Sincerely,
Dan Bannister
Chairman, NVTC Foundation
Page 28
The Voice of Technology
December 2003 / January 2004
NVTC Foundation Hosts
International Conference on
Computer Clubhouses
Local Centers Serve as International Model of Best Practices
by David Baker, Foundation Assistant
T
he NVTC Foundation's Computer
Clubhouses were chosen by the Intel
Computer Clubhouse Network to
serve as a global model and host for the
Tenth Annual Clubhouse Conference. Over
175 representatives of clubhouses from 17
countries met at the Hilton McLean
November 17-19 to discuss best practices,
learn about new technology, and discuss
ways of maintaining a sense of community
within the clubhouses.
The highlight of this year's program was a
reception held in the U.S. Capitol building
with the support of Congressman Tom
Davis. Congressman Davis has been an
influential supporter of the NVTC
Foundation’s Computer Clubhouses in
Northern Virginia. The program also featured a panel discussion about the partnership formed to support our Computer
Clubhouses in Northern Virginia. The conference extended beyond the McLean
Hilton with sessions being held at each of
the three local computer clubhouses, giving attendees the opportunity to firsthand
the success of our program.
"We are honored to be hosting this year's
conference, and hope that attendees will be
able to learn something new while taking
in some of the sights and sounds of our
busy region. The opportunity to showcase
our three Computer Clubhouses demon-
December 2003 / January 2004
strates the power and importance of corporate philanthropic efforts within our
community, and the difference it can make
in the lives of young people," said Tim
Nurvala, president of the NVTC
Foundation.
The three Computer Clubhouses in
Northern Virginia serve almost 800 students and are located in community centers in Gum Springs (in the Route 1 corridor of Alexandria) and Bailey's Crossroads,
and in the Willston Multicultural Center
(in the Seven Corners area of Fairfax
County). These clubhouses are "discovery
spaces" where students can come after
school and explore their interests through
technology. The partnership that supports
the clubhouses recently received a grant
from the Department of Education to open
three more clubhouses this year. The
Computer Clubhouse program is built on
the idea of people helping to enrich their
own communities through contributing
what they can to a certain project. Over 50
companies and individuals have been
responsible for building each Computer
Clubhouse, donating everything from computers to coffee pots.
To find out more about how you can
become active in the NVTC Foundation
Computer Clubhouse project, please visit
our Web site at www.nvtcfoundation.org .
The Voice of Technology
Thank you to Advanced
Computer Concepts for
$48,800 worth of wireless
equipment for the NVTC
Foundation Computer
Clubhouses.
Foundation Contributors:
Brodeur Worldwide
CFO Awards
Cisco Systems - DynCorp Northern Virginia Regional
Partnership - Microsoft
John Backus
Dan Bannister
Art & Kathy Bushkin
Caren Dewitt / Phil Merrick
Dan Gonzalez
Bobbie Kilberg
LeapFrog Solutions
Lee Technologies Group
Mario Morino
Kate and Duffy Mazan
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
PR Newswire
Spector Knapp Architects
United Bank
AT&T * Allen Systems Corporation *
Adjuvant * Best Buy Foundation * Tony
Buzzelli * Terresa Christenson *
Cyveillance * Digital Paper * Flooring
Solutions * Northwestern Mutual Life *
Jonathan Shames * TranTech *
Vistronix
Adonix * Burke Consortium * Erika Christ *
Greg Cirillo * Completed Systems * Consumer
Electronics Association * Stewart Curley * Lee
Dudley * Fortivo Corporation * Gardner
Carton & Douglas * Genesant Technologies *
Global Network Services * GTSI * INDUS
Corporation *Deepak Hathiramani * Jim
LeBlanc * Greg and Susan Lewis * Long &
Foster * Warren Martin * Pat Melton * John
Mendonca * Mindbank * Phil Mottola * David
Nadler * NVTC Staff * Pillsbury Winthrop *
Alex Pinchev * Dean and Cynthia Rutley * The
Segal Company * Robert J. & Lauren P. Smith
* Software Armada * Pamela Sorensen *
Staas & Halsey * Summit Services * TRAINING
SOLUTIONS, Inc. * Tony Trujillo * Updata
Capital * The Venable Foundation * Greg &
Louise Wager * WebSurveyor * Wirthlin
Worldwide * Thad Wolfe * Dendy Young *
Frank G. Zarb / Sarah T. Chassen
Page 29
Here’s to the Next 100 Years
I
n his 2002 book Wondrous Contrivances, author
Merrit Ierley relates the story of how the
Associated Press in the Dayton, Ohio, hometown
of the Wright Brothers took a pass on the story that
Wilbur and Orville's cratelike aerodrome had flown
under its own power for 57 seconds.Wanting the news
to break in their hometown, the Wrights had arranged
for a telegram to be sent from the Carolina coastal
office of the Weather Bureau to the bureau headquarters in Norfolk, then to a Western Union operator to
send to Dayton.
"Success four flights thursday morning # all against
twenty-one mile wind started from Level with engine
power alone # average speed through air thirty-one
miles longest 57 seconds inform Press home ####
Christmas. Orevelle Wright," read the telegram sent
on December 17, 2003. But with little sense of either
technology or history, the AP (itself a product of the
need for newspapers to share another technological
breakthrough, the telegraph) transmitted no story.
Breaking the news was left to the Norfolk VirginianPilot, tipped off by the Weather Bureau operator,
through its headline the next day: FLYING MACHINE
SOARS 3 MILES IN TEETH OF HIGH WIND OVER
SAND HILLS AND WAVES AT KITTY HAWK ON
CAROLINA COAST. Not all the facts were right, Ierley
notes in forgiving fashion, but the central fact
remained - "that manned, powered flight was a reality."
"The event itself was not only the most dramatic in the
history of aviation," the author continues, "but
arguable the most pivotal of the twentieth century
since it symbolically launched all the technological
achievements of the century." What took flight that
day were not only Orville, then Wilbur, but dreams of
humankind over millenniums of watching birds and
insects in powered flight. Mathematics, engineering
and force of will fused with dreams to alter reality.
The first flight drew heavily on two new developments
in 1903, the gasoline engine and a growing understanding of aerodynamics. By 1909 the Wright brothers had a contract with the U.S.Army with a plane that
averaged over 42 miles per hour. By the end of World
War I airplanes were traveling 150 miles an hour at
altitudes up to 20,000 feet. This could have been
Moore's Law of aviation.
Each successive advance in aviation, in turn, both
drove and applied breakthroughs in related technologies. More efficient engines, new fabrication materials, navigational beacons, pressurized cabins, the arti-
Page 30
The Voice of Technology
ficial horizon, grooves in airport runways - the list is
almost endless in just a short 100 years. And many of
the advancements assembled into airplanes, rockets
and even a space shuttle can be seen at the
Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space
Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles opening this month to complement the original museum
on the Mall in Washington, D.C.
In another historical footnote, author Ierley points out
that then Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Samuel P. Langley was the favorite in 1903 to launch
the first successful heavier-than-air flight. But
Langley's tests in October and December of that year
failed. By 1917, however, the newly constituted
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics had
broken ground for the Langley Memorial Aeronautical
Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia, now the NASA
Langley Research Center, to honor Langley's contributions.
In his history of NASA Langley entitled “Crafting
Flight,” James Schultz coaxes a discussion of what
might be next from scientists and engineers working
there. "Embedded sensors will act like the nerves in a
bird's wing and will measure the pressure over an
entire wing surface," Schultz writes. "The response to
these measurements will direct the craft's actuators,
which will function similarly to a bird's wing muscles.
Just as a bird instinctively uses different feathers on its
wings to control its flight, the actuators will subtly
change the shape of an aircraft's wings to continually
optimize flight."
Will we be flying birdlike back to the future? Or is
there an entirely new understanding of what works
ahead? "Tried-and-true evolutionary technologies
will not lead to revolutionary products," suggests
Langley chief scientist Dennis Bushnell in Schultz's
book. "Revolutionary goals require high-risk technologies. That's the only way to achieve the true
breakthroughs. You've never been there before and
you do not know how it's going to turn out."
Anthony Trollope suggested 150 years ago, "The great
glory of the Americans is in their wondrous contrivances." Surely it was spirit that soared at Kitty
Hawk a century ago. Here's to the next 100 years.
Douglas Koelemay is senior advisor to NVTC and
managing director at Qorvis Communications, LLC.
December 2003 / January 2004
The Northern Virginia Technology Council
2214 Rock Hill Road
Suite 300
Herndon, VA 20170
www.nvtc.org
(Hosted by PatriotNet)
F
N O
O
I
T
EDI LOGY! Y!
T
S
LA CHNO TODA
R
U
YO OF TE RSHIP
S
I
E
E
S
OIC MEMB
THI
V
THE YOUR
EW
REN
PRESORTED STANDARD
US POSTAGE PAID
MERRIFIELD VA
PERMIT# 2453