Today’s Tidbits: October 9, 2017

Here are our tidbits for today, October 9, 2017:  Mike Griffin reportedly in the running to be USD (R&E),  and key points from the UN Space for Women expert meeting.  Be sure to check our website for feature stories (like today’s summary of the national security space discussions at the National Space Council meeting last week) and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.

Mike Griffin On Tap to Become USD (R&E)?

Defense News reports today that former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin is a leading candidate to be the new Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering — USD (R&E).  Griffin spoke to the White House National Space Council as a member of a panel on national security space issues last week.

Although he is well known in civil space circles as a former NASA Administrator (2005-2009) and earlier as the head of its exploration office when President George H. W. Bush was in office, he also has experience in the national security space sector.  He was Deputy for Technology at the Strategic Defense Initiative Office (now the Missile Defense Agency) and President and COO of In-Q-Tel, Inc., a CIA-created strategic investor in innovative technologies.  Most recently he was Chairman and CEO of Schafer Corp., which was just acquired by Belcan.

DOD is in the process of splitting the position of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (USD/ATL) in two in response to congressional direction in the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act.  The new organization will have a USD (R&E) and an Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment or USD (A&S).  The current USD/ATL, Ellen Lord, is expected to be the USD (A&S).

Read more about the rumor that Griffin will be the USD (R&E) at:  [https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2017/10/09/michael-griffin-former-nasa-head-leading-candidate-for-re-spot/]

U.N. Space for Woman

Last week the United Nations held an expert meeting on “Space for Women.”  The event was jointly sponsored by UN Women and the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs, which administers the U.N. Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS).  The output will feed into UNCOPUOS’s conference next year, UNISPACE+50, the fourth UNISPACE conference marking the 50th anniversary of the first, held in 1968.

Charity Weeden, Senior Director of Policy for the Satellite Industry Association, participated in the Space for Women meeting and offers a summary and perspective on her LinkedIn page [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/more-space-women-charity-weeden/?utm_content=buffer223ef&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer].

One key point is that expanding access to satellite broadband services around the world will give girls better access to education, including in the STEM fields.

 

Also Published on SpacePolicyOnline.com This Week

• Dragons, Snakes and the Dark Side — Space Council Hears about Satellite Vulerabilities
• Today’s Tidbits:  October 8, 2017
• What’s Happening in Space Policy October 9-13, 2017