APSCC 2007
 
 The following are excerpts from ILS President Frank McKenna's remarks at this year's APSCC Awards Dinner in Bangkok: (Click here to visit the Events gallery for a photo of McKenna with APSCC award-winner Dumrong Kasemset)
  
 Good evening. It is an honor and a pleasure for ILS to be hosting this fine annual dinner event again this year.
  
 Failure ...
  
 Because our business is highly complex, and technical risk is an aspect of our business that we confront daily, none of us can ignore the unwelcome possibility of failure. No matter what type it is:
  
 
  • The loss of foam on the space shuttle external tank, striking the leading edge of the orbiter wing ...
  • Or FOD in the main engine of the Zenit/Sea Launch for NSS-8 ...
  • Or the Ariane 5 ECA failure due to leaks in the upper engine coolant circuit ...
  • And, most certainly, the recent anomaly in the second-stage operation on the Proton for JCSAT-11, resulting in a loss of the mission.
  
 This is, of course, reality.
  
 Proton, the launch product of ILS, suffered a very unfortunate failure in its launch of the JCSAT-11 on September 6th at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. We, again, express our sincere apology to Isozaki-san and the entire JSAT organization. The professionalism of this fine organization, in the aftermath of this unfortunate loss, has been nothing short of inspirational.
  
 Risk is a significant element of our business. And, as leaders in our businesses, our responsibility is to effectively manage these risks. None of us are immune to risk. No one among us can disregard it due to ignorance, indifference, or arrogance.
  
 We need to proactively address and respond to risk, both technical and business risk. We must continue to build:
  
 
  • Fault-tolerant systems and subsystems
  • Design redundancies
  • Robust testing programs
  • Improved factory processes
  
 We must attract the best and brightest talent to the industry and, of course, create business and economic models that lead to a financially viable industry.
  
 Next month, we all celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first launch of a man-made satellite: Sputnik 1, launched in 1957. This event captured the attention of people around the globe and ultimately introduced profound changes for decades to come.
  
 Baikonur was the launch site for the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, in April 1961, and actually the first woman in space just two years later in 1963. And many milestones followed. Khrunichev is a significant part of Russia's long and legendary space history. The Proton launch system has flown over 325 times in its history. This system has been a workhorse of Russian launch for decades and has been successfully introduced into the commercial market since the early 1990s by ILS.
  
 Proton will be there. ILS will be there. We will be there together. Our partnership is strong and the industry can count on us for decades to come with Proton and the next-generation launch system, Angara.
  
 Success is often measured by how one responds to failure and challenge. How you manage risk and have the confidence to lead and forge ahead smartly: that is the real test.
  
 Thank you.