Report from Washington, D.C.
Update on Space Foundation Activities in the Nation's Capital
On July 9, the Space Foundation’s Washington, D.C., team attended a briefing at the office of the European Union (EU) Delegation to the United States to learn about Copernicus, the European Earth observation and monitoring program. Officials from the EU were in Washington on that day to meet with various U.S. agencies and companies regarding…
Nield is Space Power Breakfast Speaker
On July 29, the Space Foundation held its second Space Power Breakfast on Capitol Hill, with featured speaker Dr. George C. Nield, Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation at the FAA. The 50-plus attendees represented congressional offices, industry and executive branch departments and agencies. The breakfast also included remarks by Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO) and…
Space-related Hearings on The Hill
by Jillianne Pierce, Space Foundation Government Affairs Associate During the month of July, members of Congress held meetings in an attempt to reconcile differences and get budgets passed in advanced of the August recess. The federal budget is comprised of 12 separate spending bills, each with nuances on which the political parties and chambers have…
Pulham Meets with Air Force and Congressional Leaders
Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham visited Washington, D.C., during the first week of June, attending meetings with various government leaders, including: Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), and Congressmen Doug Lamborn (R-CO) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), co-chairs of the House Space Power Caucus. Pulham and the…
Update on Space-related Bills on the Hill
During June, space-related bills continued to move on Capitol Hill. On the civil side, on June 3, the House adopted an amendment sponsored by Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) and co-sponsored by Bill Posey (R-FL) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), which added $250,000 to the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) in the FY2016 Transportation-Housing and Urban…
Report on Legislative Proposals for Civil, Commercial and National Security Space
The month of May was a transformative time for many pieces of space legislation. Legislative proposals for civil, commercial and national security space were introduced, marked up and voted on. Here’s a top-line view of where they stand at present. Civil Space: On May 20, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY16 Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) appropriations…
Update on Space-related Activities in Washington, D.C.
While our entire Space Foundation team was focused on executing the 31st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, significant developments were taking place throughout the month here in Washington. After a unanimous vote on April 27, Dava Newman was confirmed by the Senate as Deputy Administrator of NASA. Newman will succeed Lori Garver, who departed NASA…
Dr. Wanda Austin Selected to Serve on President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
Wanda Austin, Ph.D., Aerospace Corporation president and CEO, has been selected by President Barack Obama to serve on President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Austin also serves on the Space Foundation Board of Directors. PCAST is an advisory group of the nation’s leading scientists and engineers who directly advise the President and the…
Summary of March Budget Hearings on the Hill
by Jillianne Pierce, Space Foundation Government Affairs Associate With the President’s Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Budget Request released in February, March is generally a busy time for committees on the Hill to begin to adjudicate all portions of the federal budget. This March, space was no exception. On March 3, the U.S. Senate Committee on…
Pulham is Featured Speaker for Humans Orbiting Mars Workshop
Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham was a featured speaker at The Planetary Society’s workshop Humans Orbiting Mars, held March 31 and April 1, and hosted by the Space Policy Institute, George Washington University. The workshop theme was “A Critical Step in an Executable, Affordable and Sustainable Mars Exploration Program,” with the goal of…