Washington Updates

The Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), a non-governmental organization that represents students and young space professionals to the United Nations, member countries, and space agencies, has released a report that outlines a youth vision of the “spacescape” in the next decade. The Youth Space Vision for the Next Decade: Looking Back to Look Forward includes…

Space Foundation Research Analyst Mariel John presented two papers at the 60th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Oct. 12-16, in Daejeon, South Korea. Both papers – Space Activities in Developing Nations: Contributions to Capacity Building and Innovation and Remote Sensing for Disease Prevention in Nigeria –  focused on Nigeria as a case study for the positive impact space activity can…

Some of the solutions to many developing nations’ social and economic woes might just come from the most unlikely place – outer space. Solutions from Space: Space Applications for International Development, a Space Foundation white paper released last month, says that the ability of space-based technology to overcome infrastructure and access issues might help solve previously…

As we proceed into the autumn, much of the focus of the space policy community in Washington, D.C., has been absorbing and digesting the recently released Executive Summary report from the committee on the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans. Both the House of Representatives and Senate have already held oversight hearings on the…

NASA has signed a number of agreements to facilitate cooperation between the United States and Europe on matters relating to space. A memorandum of understanding with the European Space Agency (ESA) signed last month allows NASA and ESA to exchange technical information and personnel, which will aid the eventual development of new space transportation systems.…

Creating a locally grown space program could be a key to development and growth for low-income countries, according to one of two papers being presented this month by Space Foundation Research Analyst Mariel John at the 60th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Daejeon, South Korea. Using the Nigerian space program as a case study, John looked at the…