Ex-lm Helps Satellite Industry Soar

摘要

Back in 1962, I was 10 years old; that year, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. After he returned from his mission he was asked one question over and over again: "When you were sitting in that capsule listening to the countdown, how did you feel?" I'm sure you're all familiar with the response he gave 35 years later. In a speech announcing his plans to retire from the Senate, he finally answered the question. He said he felt "exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of 2 million parts - all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract." At the time that Glenn was up there circling the globe, Earth had fewer than five satellites - and one of those was the Moon. Haif a century later, nearly 2,500 satellites are orbiting around us as we speak. At the U.S. Export-Import Bank, we know what that growth signifies. We understand the critical role that space-related businesses will play in shaping our economic future. In fact, satellites are a prime example of what we're all about at Ex-lm.