Washington Updates

by Jillianne Pierce, Space Foundation Government Affairs AssociateWith 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 Armed Services…

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…

New Generation Space Leaders programs originated with the Space Foundation’s Space Symposium and have expanded to include events throughout the year and across the U.S. The Space Foundation’s New Generation Space Leaders program gives up-and-coming professionals age 35 and younger the opportunity to gain visibility and exposure to senior leaders while getting advice and insight…

The Space Foundation’s new Chief Operating Officer, Shelli Brunswick, spent a week in the nation’s capital in March conducting meetings to discuss the new Space Power Caucus, headed by U.S. Reps. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). One of the goals of the Caucus is to help the public understand how vital space technology…

By Space Foundation Government Affairs Associate Jillianne Pierce February has been a busy month in the District of Columbia! Here is a summary of those activities: On Feb. 2, President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2016 budget request. For your convenience, Space Foundation staff has culled together the relevant space budget numbers for the National…

In December, the Space Foundation and the European Space Agency (ESA) hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill titled “To Catch a Comet.” Professor Mark McCaughrean, Senior Science Advisor, ESA, gave a briefing and update for the very successful Rosetta-Philae mission. He spoke for almost 90 minutes on the history of mankind’s understanding of comets throughout…