The Space Policy Show

How is artificial intelligence being integrated into space systems today and into the future? What benefits and risks have yet to come? Human operators and decisionmakers, or humans-on-the-loop, will continue to be a cultural sticking point in the adoption of AI and there are technology questions that must be explored to create more trust. In this episode host, Colleen Stover, talks to advance autonomy expert Pamela Wood (Aerospace...

The journey to Mars is a long one so when humans arrive, we will need to maximize the science in order to understand the environment for a future there – and to learn more about how the universe formed. What are those big science questions we should seek to answer and how should the journey(s) be scheduled? After two years the National Academy of Sciences has published a report (Dec 2025) called “A Science Strategy for the Human Ex...

What is the role of government when it comes to enabling and protecting the business of space? 

How do regulations keep up (or not) with innovation? To what degree is Space Situational Awareness (SSA) inherently a government function like highway or maritime safety, and which agency should take responsibility? In this episode we talk to former Directors of the US Office of Space Commerce (OSC) about their experience across multiple ...

Commercial space is a growing industry, and the U.S. government is looking for ways to build capabilities, support private industry, and increase competition. Organizations like Satellite Industry Association (SIA) and Commercial Space Federation (CSF) are working to ensure their members have a voice when it comes to government policy making and strategies for maintaining U.S. leadership in space.  Join Audrey Allison, Sr Policy An...

What needs to happen to improve government acquisition processes so we can go faster to defend and protect our nation and our allies? There are “pockets of innovation” that could be scaled, but how is that balanced with risk? Join CSPS senior policy analyst Andrew Berglund as he talks to former Assistant Secretary of Defense and former staffer on the House Armed Services Committee, Stephen Kitay, now Senior Vice President for Space...

Nuclear power and propulsion for space has a long history yet there continue to be hurdles from lack of mission to perceived safety concerns. That could be changing as humans stretch to travel further in space and live on celestial bodies like the Moon and Mars. Should NPP be government or commercial? Is the right pursuit for Deep Space nuclear electric or thermal propulsion? What would a “warp speed roadmap” look like? Learn more ...

Rocket launches are exciting business, but there’s a LOT that goes on behind the scenes and before the rocket is rolled out to the pad. Learn more from this ‘How Stuff Works’ episode! From encapsulation to assembly and integration, launch processing typically takes two years, but the U.S. government is finding ways to meet the demand for increased cadence. For commercial launchers, government ranges provide infrastructure like road...

Open-source intelligence has historically been used to augment government intelligence about our adversaries.  Government is relying more heavily on commercial data but how does that lend to resiliency, transparency, and deterrence? How should commercial data become more integrated and more trusted? What role does AI/ML have in the future of warfare? This episode features Colonel Lina Cashin (USAF, ret.) from The Aerospace Corporat...

The participation of private industry in science and exploration missions that are sponsored by government has increased while still asking and answering some of humanity’s hardest questions – and lower costs, build domestic industry, prove technology, and maintain leadership. What could government do differently to continue fostering private space successes, including full commercialization? This episode highlights the 62nd annual...

How can we balance the growing number of satellites on orbit, and the services they provide, with the importance of astronomical science and protecting Dark and Quiet Skies?  Reflected light and spectrum interference from satellites have become more problematic for astronomers and Star Gazers alike, but there are mitigation techniques being developed and tested to protect our Night Sky. Understanding the approaches to timely de-orb...

The World Economic Forum has set up the 1st Centre for Futures focused on space, and hosted by the Saudi Space Agency, to foster innovation and economic growth across the enterprise.  Which areas does the global Centre see as most critical to space delivering its promising economic value? What is the role of policy and regulation on a global scale in the successful commercialization of space? How does the Centre fit into the 4th In...

In any future conflict, space will be involved – from jamming to cyber-attacks or worse.  The orbital environment may not be able to withstand more debris from explosions or derelict objects orbiting uncontrolled.  How can we engage remediation with new technologies, mitigation through better designs, and regulating with flexibility to ensure growth in a contested environment?  In this episode, Aerospace’s Marlon Sorge (Executive D...

The promise of return from investments in low Earth orbit (LEO) and cislunar, including the lunar surface, is the reason humans continue scientific and exploratory endeavors in space.  But what are those returns, and how could they benefit humanity and economic activity?  The relationship between stakeholders can be viewed through the lens of cooperation, competition, and commercial.  But what challenges are there from the perspect...

Experts claim the space economy will grow by many millions of dollars in the next decade, but why are predictions so different, how do some double count, and what are the potential biases?  If government is to protect its investments into commercial services and hardware, what are the questions around consolidation, export control, and rationality?  In this episode, space economist Karen Jones and systems director Dr Brian Weeden f...

Recent geopolitical and natural events have highlighted the interconnectedness of the US supply chain for technology sectors, including space.  The increasing use of proliferated low Earth orbit (PLEO) satellites offers a unique lens through which to understand the changing needs of the space supply chain – needing more satellites, more often in a quickly evolving innovative and threatening environment.  What should the US approach...

A successful commercial space sector will depend on a modern regulatory environment that can “keep up” with innovative technology and geopolitical reality.  The US space regulatory regime has evolved, but what’s been so hard about finding the right mix?  When it comes to US leadership in commercial space, how can insight into the Great Power Competition be leveraged for national security? In this episode Dr. Brian Weeden, Systems D...

Over the past four years the world has witnessed significant change – from covid to conflict.  The next US administration will need to make some big muscle movements in order to be both responsive and proactive in the years ahead.  Strategic foresight is one way to frame that out, and ask the right questions on where our attention needs to be.  In this episode Kara Cunzeman, Systems Director for Strategic Foresight at The Aerospace...

Space as a domain crosses all geopolitical borders which is why solutions from space to Earth must be international and sustainable over the long-term.  “Responsible Space” was the theme of this year’s International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Milan, Italy.  The Space Policy Show’s Colleen Stover, Center for Space Policy & Strategy, went on-location to learn more. In this episode we discuss what space sustainability me...

The importance of space safety spans the lifetime of an entire effort – from design and launch to operations and demise.  The International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS) brings together experts from across the world to explore technical and governance solutions to better maintain and sustain space activities on Earth, in orbit, and beyond. In this episode Colleen Stover of the Center for Space Policy and S...