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August 2, 2019.

In January 2019, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (SFN) conducted their fifth in a series of table-top exercises (TTXs), and Stellar Solutions played a vital role in the event as both leader and facilitator.  Attended by 12 NATO senior officers and over 40 NATO staff officers and civilian equivalents, this two-day TTX focused on preparing ballistic missile defenses and integrating NATO maritime capabilities.

NATO, the political and military alliance whose purpose is to guarantee freedom and security of its members through political and military means, has addressed missile defense as a key part of its ongoing mission since 2011.  Broad area missile defense of NATO Europe is sustained with a new generation of “Upper Tier” capabilities provided by the U.S. to include Aegis ships and an Aegis Ashore site in Romania (and soon, its twin in Poland).

Sometimes informally referred to as a “wargame,” a TTX is an in-depth, facilitated forum consisting of tailored simulations, briefings, scenarios, role-playing and strategic planning. NATO routinely conducts TTXs on missile defense to ensure readiness, and this year’s discussion topics ranged from tactical and operational to strategic.  As the U.S. contribution to NATO’s missile defense system, European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA), is nearing operational capability of its third phase, senior leaders also discussed the implementation of this next evolution in defending NATO.

Stellar Solutions provides high-end planning and facilitation expertise for these critical events for senior leaders, and we have been proud to plan and lead dozens of them since 2014.  Our team of retired senior military officers collaborate with the Missile Defense Agency’s modeling and simulation team to craft scenarios and high-end simulations that challenge the participants and create opportunities for dialogue and growth.

Missile defense requires a complex network of radar, sensors, satellites, and interceptors – on land, in the air, at sea, and in space.  In order to effectively provide that defense, NATO orchestrates command and control for the “Upper Tier” missile defense capabilities and synchronizes them with “Lower Tier” assets (Patriots and SAMP/T) and air defenses focused on cruise missiles and aircraft.  That’s the essence of Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD).

For the last five years, SFN has sought to refine command and control of the maritime assets within NATO’s missile defense architecture.  Partnering with NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) and NATO Air Command (AIRCOM), SFN has conducted a series of TTXs to broaden the understanding of these complex defenses and to hone the skills of leaders who will direct the defenses.

These are exactly the types of multi-day forums that senior leaders and commanders need to sharpen their strategic and operational warfighting techniques.   As Stellar presents realistic ballistic missile defense scenarios during the TTX, it is our job to facilitate thorough discussions among leaders and thus enhance warfighting knowledge.  We pride ourselves on achieving more understanding and awareness for the participants than they were expecting.

Stellar Solutions incorporates lessons learned and best practices from previous TTXs into subsequent events, and this year’s TTX concluded with extraordinary praise and thanks from the attendees.  One of the flag officers present even remarked that this was the “best ever” facilitated event he’d attended, inside or outside of the missile defense arena.

Recognized as a unique leader in the missile defense mission, Stellar Solutions delivers TTXs and Senior Leader Forums (SLFs) to numerous clients. This is just one example of a rewarding ongoing partner relationship.  Stellar Solutions’ TTX and SLF topics range from missile defense and cyber security to strategic planning and joint operations.  Offering a unique blend of senior expertise (Generals, Admirals, Ambassadors and Ph.D.’s) along with high-end systems engineering and science experts, Stellar Solutions is always focused on solving clients’ critical needs.

Aegis guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) transits the English Channel in early 2019. The Porter provides support and security for U.S. national security interests in Europe.

About the Author: Punch Moulton is Stellar Solutions’ Vice President for Defense Support and Cyber. He served as the team lead for the 2019 SFN TTX as well as their previous exercises. 

July 22, 2019.

On Friday July 19, 2019, Betsy J. Pimentel, Vice President, Defense Programs at Stellar Solutions, Inc. appeared on Yahoo Finance LIVE – Yfi AM, a nationwide web-based news program, to discuss the historic anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.  Betsy was asked about her perspective as a woman aerospace engineer, how the industry has evolved and where it is headed.  The story was at the top of the Yahoo Finance headlines website page on Saturday 7/20/19!

Watch this 3-minute clip to hear:

• How the proliferation of communications, video and audio technologies is changing the dynamics and landscape of space exploration and how this will lead to new discoveries.
• How the role of women has grown from the time when Stellar Solutions Founder and Board Chair Celeste Ford was one of the few women in the control center launching satellites, to today when female aerospace engineers are a vital component of the workforce.
• How the pursuit of a return to the moon and even Mars is energizing the next generation of aerospace engineers.

July 21, 2019.

I wish to extend heartfelt congratulations and appreciation to NASA and the greater aerospace community on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. On this day fifty years ago, one man took a small step from the Apollo Lunar Module, the Eagle, to the surface of the Moon and changed everything for humanity. And despite all of our technological advancement in the decades since, this moment stands alone. There are few efforts in the entire history of civilization more associated with the human desire and ability to transcend what is known and expected.

The images, sounds, and memories of Apollo uniquely represent innovation, possibility, and the future. Each successful mission throughout history is made possible by tens of thousands of people working closely with NASA behind the scenes—both employees and onsite contractors as well as the men and women of partner companies like Stellar Solutions! On this occasion, I am reminded of Hidden Figures, from NASA’s “human computers” to countless others, many whom may never be publicly recognized for their remarkable contributions that buoyed each of the agency’s breakthroughs discoveries and flights into the unknown.

Luckily, in the space program of today and tomorrow, women’s involvement is no longer destined to fade into “secret” history. In fact, NASA’s next mission to the Moon has been aptly named Artemis after the sister of Apollo in Greek mythology. The agency’s administrator Jim Bridenstine has stressed that this endeavor will take the first of womankind into deep space, with many other firsts to come.

It’s no accident that a greater diversity of talent in the science and engineering of space technology is coinciding with a transformational stage in history. A new era of exploration is unfolding as the nation sets our sights again on the Moon – and then farther to Mars.  But we have other exciting things going on in the skies as well.  The evolution of the defense and intelligence fields is enabling us to take better care of our planet in a peaceful way, and we are seeing a proliferation of satellites that bring the Internet to the sky so we’ll stay connected with each other anywhere on Earth and even beyond. 

What fuels this innovation is a broad mosaic of diverse inventors, engineers and explorers across established government agencies, corporations and disruptive entrepreneurial communities. In my experience, it is diversity – across nations, education, gender, and so much more – that unleashes the intellectual capacity, curiosity and passion needed to accomplish the impossible every day.

Nearly 25 years ago, I recall being the only female aerospace engineer in a control center launching satellites.  Although it was a thrilling challenge, the pressure of knowing that my voice stood out in the crowd on console and any mistake would not only impact the mission but my future career and that of the women that would follow me was an added dimension to the job.  It focused me on being the best I could be, and I gravitated to learning from co-workers and customers who were also best in their class.  Eventually as I became a mother of three, I realized that creating a flexible company that focused exclusively on important aerospace related programs with the best and brightest (“stellar”) people was my professional destiny.

I founded this global aerospace engineering solutions company built on the vision of “satisfying our customer’s critical needs while realizing our dream jobs”, which we all can agree continues to drive our strategic planning and culture even 25 years later.  I also wanted to “cross the boundaries” between civil, commercial, international, defense and intelligence programs as my career had introduced me to “stellar solutions” in every aerospace sector. Profoundly different approaches like these have fostered a a workplace where our “stars” are enabled to tackle problems no one else can solve.  And, coupled with a meticulous adherence to quality, we deliver high-impact and extraordinary outcomes for our clients. 

This early focus on employee satisfaction–now achieving mainstream acceptance–resulted in a sustainable business model that also have served as a rewarding pathway for women.  I am proud to say we have an entire pipeline of female engineers, scientists and strategists extending from entry level to senior management, all making unique and significant contributions to Stellar’s current and future success.

Turning back to this historic moment, I recall that during the 1960s, girls were just as inspired and enthralled by space as boys, but this interest was mostly derailed by the societal expectations of the time. For example, girls writing letters to John Glenn who did actually dare to dream of exploring space,  often did so under a recurring theme: “even though I am a girl, I hope to be just like you”. It took NASA twenty years after the Soviets did during the 60s to send a woman to space–but perhaps Project Artemis can take us where no one woman has gone before in more ways than one.

I like to think of our trajectory in space exploration as a map for what is possible in the future.  Now we are continuing this incredible journey by expanding a sustainable human presence throughout the solar system, forever changing the concepts of “travel” and “home.” As Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo did before, Artemis is poised to introduce a new reality of exploring other worlds–this time to every single person on this world. NASA and its partners are taking the next giant leap, and women and others traditionally underrepresented in the thrill of exploration will move forward similarly. We will all take part in each advancement together, and build a legacy of learning, growth, and equality along the way.  A fitting reimagining of a world in which barriers to each individual’s potential for achievement will disappear, and we will all literally reach for the stars together.

Celeste Volz Ford
Board Chair and Founder

July 16, 2019.

This week, NASA and the nation are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, when human beings set foot on another world for the first time. From Aviation Week to USA Today, I’ve been seeing a lot of articles and discussion about the impact and legacy of space exploration–in terms of celebrating the past and policy for the future.

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” – President John F. Kennedy

The pivotal moment of the space race in the 1960s showed all of humanity that anything is possible with ingenuity, dedication and courage. The view of Earth from the Moon gave us a new perspective on our place in the universe. And this single event in July 1969 changed everything about the way we live, paving the way for many of the innovations upon which we depend and spawning countless supporting technologies and industries.

An entire generation of scientists and engineers were inspired by what they saw the day Apollo 11 touched down, forming today’s robust technological workforce that has supported over 200 successful crewed NASA spaceflights, enabled 18 continuous years of humans orbiting Earth in peaceful cooperation, and ushered in a new wave of breakthroughs through the commercial spaceflight industry.

At Stellar, we have a particular appreciation for this tremendous potential because space is in our DNA – from the groundwork laid by our founder (and aerospace engineer) Celeste Ford to each of our thriving business sectors that uniquely leverage, enable or advance space technology.  The aerospace industry serves as a boundless reservoir of prospective dream jobs, giving us ample opportunity to provide stellar solutions that meet the critical needs of vital customers. It is extraordinary to reflect now both on what we have achieved thus far in this arena, and the possibilities for the future.

We continue to play a key part in elevating the operations of our intelligence and defense partners as well as peaceful space-based activities that improve life on Earth and commercial efforts to enable connectivity and communication. We are crossing boundaries among sectors to provide the best solutions and expand our client base.

The powerful real-life example of regular people engineering the future profoundly changed the academic, government, and business landscapes by encouraging students and entrepreneurs (i.e. Intel, Amazon) to pursue their dreams. Space exploration, along with any type of major technological innovation, comes with significant risks and challenges – but the rewards and impact can be immense as we have seen from the 60s through today. It’s an exciting time to celebrate how far we have come both as a global society and as a company.

Michael S. Lencioni, CEO

July 11, 2019.

Earthquakes dominated the headlines for three days straight recently, with a 6.9 magnitude quake in the Molucca Sea near Indonesia triggering a tsunami warning on July 6.  On July 5, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck southern California just one day after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit the same area. At this time, no organization anywhere has the ability to predict the exact time or location of earthquakes or their aftershocks. The events in California were the region’s most powerful earthquakes in over two decades, made even more notable by the size of the foreshock and the aftershocks which have numbered in the thousands. And their impact could continue for months and years.

Just as society once lacked adequate preparedness for frequent and severe threats like hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes, earthquake-prone areas of the world like California could benefit significantly from predictive technologies. Stellar is responding to this grand challenge through the humanitarian R&D initiative, QuakeFinder. Historically, earthquake forecasting research has focused on seismic data, but our team is pursuing indications that electromagnetic data can contain earthquake precursors. QuakeFinder’s international array of 170 terrestrial sensors is collecting high-resolution magnetic field data that enables research of short-term, accurate earthquake forecasting to reduce trauma, death, and damage.

The QuakeFinder team has taken an initial look at the data from its sensors about 40 miles from this earthquake cluster southwest of Searles Valley. We discovered that the QuakeFinder station in California City shows a marked increase in magnetic activity starting 12 days before the July 5 earthquake.  This is just the beginning of a lengthy research process that will require in-depth analysis of data collected locally over the months and years prior to the quakes. A review of the two most recent years of data at this station indicated several other instances of comparable activity that were not associated with earthquakes, so the team will conduct further reviews to rule out contamination from cultural sources, lightning storms, and increased solar activity as possible causes.

Luckily, there were no serious injuries reported from these recent earthquakes throughout the remote region near Ridgecrest in California, although very strong tremors and property damage took place. Due to the sparsely populated area, the USGS economic impact assessment of these quakes is currently a “yellow” (from tens to hundreds of millions of dollars). It could have been much worse (“red” alert with impact of $1 billion or more) had the earthquakes struck in the heart of the Los Angeles Basin.

Over forty years ago, earthquake prediction was recognized by the National Research Council of the National Academies as a technology capability in its infancy that could support major public policy issues and ultimately save lives in California, across the country and beyond. Their report stated, “…our analyses indicate that constructive use of the period of advance warning will depend largely on wholehearted participation and leadership from the private sector. Many of the most troublesome prospects in the economic sphere can be dealt with effectively only through cooperative planning by leaders of business. finance, and labor working together with government officials.”

Our leadership at Stellar recognizes that scientific change can be difficult, and this is where industry-led collaborative efforts like QuakeFinder are playing a key role. QuakeFinder relies on funding and contributions from industry and university partners to continue research, expand the array, improve instrumentation, and refine the algorithms to provide advance notice of earthquakes in the days or weeks prior.

QuakeFinder has collected data continuously since 2005 through a worldwide network larger than any we can confirm. During this time, our stations have observed thousands of small earthquakes and more than 200 medium-sized earthquakes (magnitude 4 or greater) which is dozens of times larger than prior published non-seismic forecasting research. Stellar has invested $30-million in this effort, which was recently the basis of a proposal selected by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to move forward in a competition to advance the World Magnetic Map.