Answers To: Industrial Base Advantage

Answers To: Industrial Base Advantage

So the logic goes for those who see the most pressing issues of the US space program as a result of endemic emotional detachment. For these stakeholders, the compelling reasons that drove the country to glory in the most visible “battle” of the Cold War have been either forgotten or ignored. In their wake, the country has implemented space policies that have failed to attach themselves to the minds and hearts of the younger generations, threatening the very survival of the program they were meant to support. To solve this situation, the inspiration argument has been highlighted often in the past couple of years, to the point of predictability. Yet despite its widespread defense, inspiration alone has not reinvigorated support for the space program as proponents argue it would. At the root of the problem is that this logic, constructed out of a memory of the Cold War era, is sharply at odds with the interests and sensibilities of the generations it is supposed to reel in. The unpopular but potentially fruitful alternative is to draw attention to the pragmatic aspects of space, and to move away from concepts that made sense decades ago but which may prove counterproductive in the years to come.

Answers To: Industrial Base Advantage

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[____] An increase in the quality of the STEM workforce is impossible without more qualified teachers .

Jeffrey J. Kuenzi, Christine M. Matthews, Bonnie F. Mangan, Researchers at the GAO, 5/22/06, http://media.umassp.edu/massedu/stem/CRS%20Report%20to%20Congress.pdf
University officials told us and researchers reported that the quality of teachers in kindergarten through 12th grades and the levels of mathematics and science courses completed during high school affected students’ success in and decisions about pursuing STEM fields. University officials said that some teachers were unqualified and unable to impart the subject matter, causing students to lose interest in mathematics and science. In 2002, Education reported that, in the 1999–2000 school year, 45 percent of the high school students enrolled in biology/life science classes and approximately 30 percent of those enrolled in mathematics, English, and social science classes were instructed by teachers without a major, minor, or certification in these subjects—commonly referred to as “out-of-field” teachers.7 Also, states reported that the problem of underprepared teachers was worse on average in districts that serve large proportions of high-poverty children.
[____] The aerospace industry is already in decline due to cuts in military spending, oil prices, and the economic recession .

Investment Weekly News 6/25/2011, “Aerospace and Defense; Aerospace Industry to Be 'Squeezed' by Steep Ramp-up in Commercial and Continued Cuts in Defense, According to AlixPartners Study”, p.15,
"The aerospace supply chain was basically decimated by the economic downturn, as even sold orders were put on hold or otherwise put in a lumpy, stop-and-go mode," said David Wireman, director in AlixPartners' Aerospace and Defense Practice. "From all indications, that supply chain is not at all prepared for steep commercial ramp-up curve that lies ahead, and production constraints are a very real possibility." Defense Sector But while demand on the commercial-aircraft side looks strong, defense, globally, looks to be weakening. According to the study, U.S. defense spending is expected to decrease by at least 12.2% by 2013 and by 6.5% by 2016, while defense spending in Europe, already down 2.8% in 2010, is expected to continue to drop sharply in the coming years, led by the U.K.'s recent announcement of an 8% cut by 2015 and promised drops of up to 25% in smaller European nations.

As a result of these expected widespread cuts, says the study, defense priorities will shift toward extending the life of existing equipment, improving communication networks and investing more in weapons systems targeted at supporting today's more asymmetric warfare. However, says the study, the scale of these new investments will not be enough to make up for cutbacks in major-platform investments such as the F-35 fighter aircraft series built jointly by Lockheed Martin Corp., BAE Systems PLC and Northrop Grumman Corp., which has already experienced significant cuts in planned production numbers. In response to these kinds of cutbacks, the larger defense companies will need to pursue a more diverse business mix that will lead to partnerships, M&A and consolidation among smaller players as larger companies pursue new markets, the study says.

In sum, the study shows that both the commercial-aviation and defense industries face critical challenges that they will need to address. Key economic challenges will come from federal budget uncertainties, volatile fuel prices and new entrants into the few growing sectors of the industry. In particular, the recent volatility of oil prices, coupled with continued sluggish economies in the West, has made it hard to predict future industry trends. These factors are leading many aerospace and defense manufacturers, especially lower-tier suppliers, to delay investments, says the study.

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