International Affairs
Biweekly Washington D.C. Updates for the Week Ending on May 16, 2025
Written by: Molly Prochaska
United States Space Policy Updates
- The U.S. House Committee on Science Space and Technology (HSST) Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee held a hearing entitled “From Detection to Deflection: Evaluating NASA’s Planetary Defense Strategy.” (HSST, May 15)
- The U.S. Senate confirmed Troy Meink as the 27th Secretary of the Air Force. (USAF, May 13)
- The U.S. Senate formed a ‘Golden Dome Caucus’ to facilitate the development of the Golden Dome. (SpaceNews, May 13)
- Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Mission to Modernize Astronautic Resources for Space (MARS) Act, intended to improve and modernize Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) infrastructure. (Senator John Cornyn, May 13)
- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense held a subcommittee oversight hearing over the United States Air Force and Space Force. Read Space Foundation’s summary of the hearing here. (House Appropriations, May 13)
- The Trump administration will revive the National Space Council (Politico, May 9)
- President Trump nominated Matt Anderson to serve as the NASA deputy administrator. (NASA, May 7)
- Dave Gallagher was named the 11th Director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). (NASA, May 7)
International Space Policy Updates
- Norway has become the 55th signatory of the Artemis Accords. (U.S. Department of State, May 15)
- While testifying at a European Parliament committee, European Space Agency Director General Joseph Aschbacher called for all space budgets in Europe to increase to meet geopolitical demands. (SpaceNews, May 15)
- In a meeting, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm and Russian President Vladimir Putin reinforced ‘the need to prevent the arms race in outer space and the need to use outer space for peaceful purposes.’ (Vietnam.vn, May 11)
- China has announced plans to launch new modules to the Tiangong space station (SpaceNews, May 9)
- U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman and Italian Air Force Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Luca Goretti signed a statement of understanding to expand space security cooperation. (USSF, May 9)
- The Sixty Fourth Session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) Legal Subcommittee was convened. (UNOOSA, May 5)
- The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has opened a new Institute of Space Research. (DLR, May 5)
- Dr. Marta Ewa Wachowicz has been appointed the new President of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA). (POLSA, May 2)
Space Industry Updates
- Varda Space’s W-3 capsule has successfully landed at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia. (PR Newswire, May 14)
- Taylor Armentrout has been named Vice President of Government Relations for Axiom Space. (LinkedIn, May 12)
- NASA announced the cancellation of its Lunar Volatiles Science Partnership Announcement for Partnership Proposals, which sought proposals from industry on launching the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) spacecraft. (NASA, May 7)
- The Federal Aviation Administration approved a request by SpaceX to modify its vehicle operator license, authorizing up to 25 Starship launches a year from its Boca Chica launch facility. (FAA, May 6)
- Eutelsat announced the appointment of Jean-François Fallacher as its new CEO. (Eutelsat, May 5)
- Slingshot Aerospace has opened a new Canadian headquarters in Ottawa.(Slingshot, May 1)
Reading Corner
collectSPACE | US Mint begins sales of coin honoring innovative NASA space shuttle
The United States Mint has begun sales of its newest coin in its American Innovation Series: the Florida American Innovation $1 Coin, featuring NASA’s space shuttle. The space shuttle was chosen by the Governor of Florida to represent a significant innovation from the state, noting that the space shuttle was the world’s first reusable spacecraft.