Thank you for that kind introduction, and thanks to the SATELLITE 2023 team and the Satellite Industry Association for inviting me to speak today. Our job at the Commerce Department is to improve America’s competitiveness so that our companies can succeed in the global economy. We want to ensure the United States remains the flag of choice for businesses operating in space. That means engaging...

NOAA satellites, which are crucial in weather and climate forecasts, helped rescue 397 people from potentially life-threatening situations throughout the U.S. and its surrounding waters in 2022. NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites are part of the global Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking system, or COSPAS-SARSAT, which uses a network of U.S. and international spacecraft to...

“Hurricane Maria wrought devastation upon Puerto Rico five years ago. As we approach this solemn anniversary, Puerto Rico is once again sustaining severe weather, this time from Hurricane Fiona. The storm has caused disastrous, life-threatening flooding and left the archipelago completely without power. The Biden Administration has acted swiftly in issuing an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico...

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have awarded more than $7.6 million in grants to fund research that will improve the ability of buildings, infrastructure and communities to hold strong against natural hazards. The agencies are funding 20 projects to be conducted across 24 institutions through the...

As the Nation gears up for another hurricane season in both the Atlantic and Pacific basins, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves addressed the impacts that hurricanes have on the U.S. economy and the need to combat the climate crisis at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) and U.S. Air Force Reserve’s (USAFR) Hurricane Awareness Tour at Reagan National Airport. The...

Thank you, Lori, for that kind introduction. And thank you, NOAA Administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad and National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham for inviting me to join you today. I’d also like to welcome our interagency colleagues from the Air Force as well as FEMA Deputy Associate Administrator David Bibo. Their presence today proves that predicting, preparing for, and responding to hurricanes...

Today, following the announcement by Vice President Harris that the United States would not conduct destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) missile tests, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves issued the following statement: “The Commerce Department welcomes the announcement by Vice President Harris not to conduct destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) missile tests. Space...

NOAA’s GOES-T, the third in a series of four advanced geostationary weather satellites, blasted into orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket at 4:38 p.m. ET on March 1, 2022 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. GOES-T’s mission managers confirmed that its solar arrays successfully deployed at 8:28 p.m. EST, and the satellite was operating on its own power. GOES-T will track destructive...

The following is a cross-post from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) NOAA’s fleet of advanced satellites are essential for predicting weather and climate, and last year they also helped rescue 330 people from potentially life-threatening situations throughout the United States and its surrounding waters. Of the 330 U.S. rescues, 195 were water rescues, 29 were from...

Hello everyone! It’s great to be here with all of you. Thank you, Minister Counselor Gallant, for that introduction, and thank you, Ambassador Reeker, for hosting today’s event. I’m so grateful to our sponsors and the Commercial Service London for all you do to advance our shared goals on climate change. What an amazing program we’ve had today – from the networking to the panels and speakers on...