What's Happening in Space Policy October 31-November 5, 2016

Here is our list of space policy events for the week of October 31-November 5, 2016 and any insight we can offer about them. Congress is in recess until November 14.

During the Week

As usual, there is a full plate of interesting space policy events coming up this week.  

To highlight just two, NASA’s Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) will meet in Columbia, MD at the headquarters of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA).  It will spend part of the first day (Tuesday) discussing ESA Director General Jan Woerner’s concept for a Moon Village (or Lunar Village).  Wednesday features an evening reception where Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) will provide an update on his American Space Renaissance Act and policies needed to ensure free enterprise can occur on the Moon and in cislunar space.  Bridenstine is a leading voice in Congress for determining what is needed to enable the United States government to fulfill its obligations under the Outer Space Treaty in a manner that facilitates new types of private sector activities in Earth orbit and beyond.   We’ve inquired as to whether any of the meeting will be webcast and will add that information to our calendar entry if/when we get an answer. [UPDATE:  It will be available by WebEx.  See our calendar entry for details.]

On Friday and Saturday, the New Worlds Institute will hold the New Worlds 2016 Conference and Space Settlement Symposium at the Renaissance Austin Hotel at the Arboretum in North Austin, TX.  It features a star-studded line-up of speakers separately making “the case for” the Moon, for Mars, and for free-space, plus sessions on space elevators, space solar power, protecting the planets, who owns space, and a broad range of other topics.  Co-chaired by Mary Lynne Dittmar (Coalition for Deep Space Exploration), Pete Worden (Breakthrough Prize) and Phil Metzger (founder of Kennedy Space Center Swamp Works), speakers include Bob Richards (Moon Express), Bob Zubrin (Mars Society), Bill Gerstenmaier (NASA), Margaret Race (SETI Institute), John Lewis (University of Arizona), and Rick Tumlinson (New Worlds Institute).  The website does not indicate whether any of it will be webcast.  We’ve inquired and will post the information on our calendar if/when we find out. [UPDATE: we’ve been informed that it will NOT be webcast, although a few videos may be posted later.]

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 Events of Interest list.

Monday, October 31

• NASA International Space Station Advisory Committee, NASA HQ, Washington, DC, 2:00-3:00 pm ET

Monday-Tuesday, October 31 – November 1

• National Academies Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics, Beckman Center, Irvine, CA (WebEx) (some sessions are closed)

Tuesday, November 1

• NASA Innovation Mission Day, NASA HQ and all NASA centers, various times and locations [keynote address by Deputy Administrator Dava Newman at 12:00 pm ET will be broadcast on NASA TV)

Tuesday-Thursday, November 1-3

• NASA Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG), USRA Headquarters, 7178 Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD

Wednesday, November 2

• James Webb Space Telescope Update with NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and others, NASA Goddard Visitor Center, Greenbelt, MD [speech by Bolden from 9:00-9:30 am ET will be broadcast on NASA TV)
• Role of Space in Maritime Operations (CSIS/USNI), CSIS, 1616 Rhode Island Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 9:00-10:00 am ET (webcast)

Wednesday-Thursday, November 2-3

• NASA Advisory Council Institutional Committee, NASA HQ, Washington, DC (WebEx/telecon)

Wednesday-Friday, November 2-4

• National Academies Space Studies Board, Beckman Center, Irvine, CA (some sessions are closed)
• World Space Risk Forum, Dubai

Thursday-Saturday, November 3-5

• SpaceVision 2016 (annual SEDS conference), Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Friday-Saturday, November 4-5

• New Worlds 2016 Conference/Space Settlement Symposium, Renaissance Austin Hotel at the Arboretum, North Austin, TX