Anne Arundel County : Innovation + Job News

Hospice of the Chesapeake was looking for ways to raise money in a difficult fundraising environment. A group of Annapolis based philanthropists was looking for a non-profit to benefit from the first Annapolis Irish Festival that they were organizing in Crownsville. The result was a match that exceeded everyone's expectations.

Several thousand people attended the bustling festival on July 9th, and Hospice of The Chesapeake raised both funds and awareness of its activities in Maryland.

"A group in Annapolis wanted to to put on a festival to benefit a non-profit in the community and approached us. The turnout has been wonderful. It's been great to work and meet people, and we're all having fun," said Kathy Bourgard, Director of Volunteers for Hospice of the Chesapeake.

This is the first year for the Annapolis Irish Festival. The daylong celebration of Irish culture included musical performances by Irish rock bands, traditional entertainers, Irish dancers, food, and shopping. The festival also featured Gaelic Games sponsored by the Baltimore Gaelic Athletic Association, and a large children's activity area.

Hospice of the Chesapeake will be making use of the new influx of funds to support the foundation's many programs, including the Life Centers. The organization operates two Life Centers, in Annapolis and Landover. The Life Centers provide grief counseling for adults and children, assistance for patients with terminal illness and their families, perinatal support, and educational workshops for caregivers and grieving families. Hospice of the Chesapeake will receive all of the proceeds generated by the Annapolis Irish Festival.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Kathy Bourgard, Hospice of the Chesapeake.

The imaging satellites in use today are huge, expensive pieces of technology. One local aerospace firm aims to change that with its design for a smaller, cheaper satellite to provide better on-demand imaging.

Maryland Aerospace's Kestrel Eye satellite is designed to provide imaging on-demand, at a fraction of the cost of a regular satellite. While an average satellite can cost tens of millions of dollars to build, a Kestrel Eye satellite will only cost approximately one million dollars. This means that more of these small satellites can be put into orbit, providing faster and more accurate imagery for users.

"It represents a quantum leap forward in low-cost tech," says Maryland Aerospace President Steven Fujikawa. "You can build 30 of these for the less than the cost of one big satellite."

Maryland Aerospace began working on the Kestrel Eye in 2006, with a sponsorship from the Army. The electro-optical imaging satellite has 1.5 meter ground resolution. Using a PDA or smartphone, individual soldiers could use the imagery provided by a Kestrel Eye satellite to see what's behind the next building or ridge line.

"We originated this concept. The U.S. has big satellites. Because they are so expensive, they really can't provide enough on-demand imagery for both government and the commercial sector," continues Mr. Fujikawa.

The first Kestrel Eye satellite was scheduled to launch in November 2011. Due to cuts to the NASA budget, the launch has been rescheduled. Maryland Aerospace will now be launching its first Kestrel Eye satellite in the fourth quarter of 2012.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Sources: Maryland Aerospace Inc.; Steven Fujikawa, David Park, Don Tatum