Satellite 2019 conference kicks off in US capital

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The 2019 Satellite conference kicked off Monday with more than 15,000 attendees expected to join the four-day gathering of industry leaders.

Turkish firms, including Turksat, Tusas, Aselsan and Profen, are among the 340 exhibitors who will be showing off their latest cutting-edge wares.

Vecdi Gonul, the chairman of Executive Board of Turkish communications satellite operator Turksat, said technologies have begun to develop rapidly with the emergence of the digital world but stressed satellite technologies are developing much faster than other fields.

"It is essential to announce the name of Turkey in the sector," Gonul told Anadolu Agency, referring to satellite technologies.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence gave the keynote address Monday and warned of growing space-based threats and dangers being posed by U.S. adversaries to integral satellite systems.

"The truth is, nations from Russia and China to North Korea and Iran have pursued weapons to jam, blind, and disable our navigation and communications satellites via electronic attacks from the ground," Pence said.

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine is expected to address the gathering Wednesday.

*Servet Gunerigok contributed to this story