What’s Happening in Space Policy July 15-21, 2018

Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com‘s list of space policy events for the week of July 15-21, 2018 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.

Tomorrow (Monday) is the 49th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11, and Friday (July 20) of the first time humans set foot on the Moon — that’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, while Mike Collins orbited overhead.  The Buzz Aldrin ShareSpace Foundation and the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation will hold their annual Apollo Celebration Gala at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center on Saturday (July 21) from 5:30-11:00 pm ET.  The event raises funding for STEAM (Science, Technology Engineering, Art, and Math) education, scholarships “and to inspire the game-changers of the future.”

The biennial COSPAR scientific assembly began yesterday  in Pasadena, CA and runs through July 22.  The Committee on Space Research is part of the International Council of Science and brings together the world’s top space scientists.  The last COSPAR conference had to be canceled at the last minute because it was scheduled to take place in Istanbul, which was in domestic turmoil at that moment.

Fortunately Pasadena is a calmer place so all should go according to plan.  MIT’s Sara Seagar will present a public lecture on Wednesday night on “Mapping the Nearest Stars for Habitable Worlds,” followed by a panel discussion with Caltech’s Bethany Ehlmann and JPL’s Kevin Hand (moderated by the Planetary Society’s Bill Nye).   There are number of other very interesting “special sessions,” one of which — on July 20 — will celebrate COSPAR’s 60th anniversary.  Perhaps they’ll mention the Apollo 11 landing anniversary, too!   It features a panel composed of current COSPAR President Len Fisk and two previous Presidents, Gerhard Haerendel and Roger-Maurice Bonnet.  The website doesn’t mention if any of these events will be webcast. Note that times on the agenda are Pacific Daylight Time.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is on an international tour and will stop by the Farnborough International Air (FIA) Show outside London after his visit to Israel last week.  Tuesday is “Space Day” and the European Space Agency (ESA), the UK Space Agency and UK space industry will sponsor a series of interactive talks on Tuesday “with selected media participating on stage in question and answer sessions.”  The program does not indicate if any will be webcast.  Bridenstine will participate in one entitled “Space and Its Economic Benefits” at 10:30 am BST (5:30 am EDT).

On Thursday morning, the Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy and GWU’s Space Policy Institute will hold a seminar on “Greater Security through International Space Collaboration.”  Speakers are from the U.S. government and industry, Japan’s foreign ministry, and the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.   If we find out there will be a webcast, we’ll let you know.

Those and other events we know about as of Sunday morning are shown below.  Check back throughout the week for others we learn about later and add to our Calendar.

Saturday, July 14 – Sunday, July 22

• COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Pasadena, CA

Monday, July 16 – Sunday, July 22

• 2018 Farnborough International Air Show, Farnborough, UK
  • July 17 is “Space Day”

Tuesday, July 17

• MSBR Luncheon Featuring NOAA’s Greg Mandt, Martin’s Crosswinds, Greenbelt, MD,  11:30 am – 1:30 pm ET

Wednesday, July 18

• Hot Topics in Public Policy: The Second Space Age, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, 1717 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #500, Washington, DC, 5:30-7:30 pm ET (closed to media)

Thursday, July 19

• Greater Security Through International Space Collaboration (Aerospace Corp/GWU), 1957 E St., NW, Washington, DC, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm ET

Saturday, July 21

• Apollo Celebration Gala, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, FL, 5:30-10:00 pm ET