A common misconception in the satellite media realm is that the hosted payload is a new technology that emerged from the financial crisis and government requirements to cut costs. Of course, hosted payloads have been around since the 1990s, with some of the first being utilized by government and military organizations. What makes the hosted payload feel like a new technology is the spike in commercial sector investments in the platform. I’m sure the formation of the Hosted Payload Alliance in 2011 also contributed to the increased awareness.
   This popularity boom helped drive our first annual Hosted Payload Summit in 2011, which was a tremendous success. Last year’s show provided commercial companies to engage in the same forum as their government customers. It also gave government and military personnel the opportunity to stress requirements, explain their demand and promise future cooperation. This year, the Hosted Payload Summit’s goal is to focus on the proactive. Instead of just talking about how hosted payloads can meet requirements, the panels we have formed aim to explore how hosted payloads can build off of existing cases. The topics were carefully crafted in the future tense, requiring panelists to provide hard data as to how hosted payloads have already met requirements. I look forward to these proactive discussions and hope to walk away with a clear sense of how hosted payloads will play a role in the greater satellite landscape.