Washington Updates

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…

Dec. 2: House and Senate Armed Services leadership reached an agreement on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2015 (S. 1847). This annual bill funds the Department of Defense (DoD), including key military space and cyber-security programs. The bill: Instructs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report assessing the ability of the…

In November, Jillianne Pierce joined the Space Foundation’s Washington Operations team as a Government Affairs Associate. A native Floridian, Jillianne has a life-long passion for all things space. She brings with her a wealth of experience from working for Walt Disney World Government Relations, as well as previous positions working on public policy issues. Jillianne…