Washington Updates

On Oct. 8, the Space Foundation’s Washington, D.C., office hosted a Space Power Breakfast, with featured speaker Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. The breakfast was attended by nearly 80 congressional staff, industry executives, and various officials from U.S. government departments and agencies that are responsible for space, plus the Space Foundation’s CEO…

by Jillianne Pierce, Space Foundation Government Affairs Associate  Congress returned from recess after the Labor Day holiday, and resumed working with the threat of a government shutdown looming. On Friday, Sept. 25, Speaker of the House John Boehner unexpectedly announced his resignation from the Speakership and from his seat in Congress at the end of…

by Jillianne Pierce, Space Foundation Government Affairs Associate August was a relatively quiet month in the Capitol, as Congress was in recess for the summer. On Aug. 5, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden sent a letter to notify Congress that due to reductions in funding for the agency’s Commercial Crew program over the past several years,…

The Space Foundation believes that in order to ensure a successful future for our industry, it is imperative for the current generation of young space leaders to prepare now for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. With that in mind, we created our New Generation Initiative, a series of programs designed to give young-adult…

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…

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…