"Since the beginning of the Space Age, the area around Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach, Florida has been known as the Space Coast and was the site of some of the United States' greatest scientific achievements, from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Programs, through the launch of today's satellites looking at the depths of the universe," said Sanswire CEO Jonathan Leinwand. "As we move towards new technologies it is time for us to utilize the scientific knowledge and infrastructure of the area to conquer near space. A significant portion of the Company's current opportunities would be executed in this region, hence our activity in support of this initiative."
Near Space is considered the area below 100,000 feet and includes the Stratosphere, which is the area 45,000 feet above the Earth's surface. Sanswire would station Stratellites for its customers' communications and surveillance solutions at the "sweet spot" of the Stratosphere at 65,000 feet where winds are the lowest. The following provisions in the stimulus bill which could impact funding for the Near Space Coast Initiatives or other lighter than air UAV opportunities have been identified as:
- NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA)
- an additional amount for "Science," $400,000,000
- an additional amount for "Aeronautics," $150,000,000
- an additional amount for "Cross Agency Support," $50,000,000
- BORDER SECURITY FENCING, INFRA-STRUCTURE, AND TECHNOLOGY — $100,000,000 for expedited development and deployment of border security technology on the Southwest border
- STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE — $40,000,000, for competitive grants to provide assistance and equipment to local law enforcement along the Southern border and in High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas to combat criminal narcotics activity stemming from the Southern border