What does shooting down ballistic missiles have to do with disaster relief operations? Plenty, according to the Missile Defense Agency. It seems that technology that was developed for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense element has been used to support recent hurricane relief operations. Under a contract with MDA, a small business known as Ground Antenna Transmit/Receive has developed a device that utilizes lightweight, inflatable satellite antennas for possible use in GMD communications. When it became apparent that the storm had knocked out most communications along the entire Gulf Coast, the White House Communications Agency asked Paul Gierow, owner of GATR, to provide 200 antennas. He only had one, but he donated his time and set up the antenna in Woolmarket, Miss., providing within about an hour the only Internet connection in Harrison County.
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?