This Week in Washington

• The Dominican Republic and Estonia have officially joined the Artemis Accords as the 44th and 45th signatories.
• NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is participating in an official visit to Romania and Bulgaria to meet with key government and space officials.
• SpaceX completed the fifth test flight of its Starship rocket, successfully “catching” the first-stage booster on the launch pad.

United States Space Policy Updates

• The?Department of Defense’s (DOD)?Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report titled “Audit of Space Force’s Implementation of Software Assurance for the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Program,” recommending the establishment of a new process to track and identify software assurance risks. (DOD, October 8)
• NASA?and?Roscosmos?have identified 50 “areas of concern,” including four cracks, on the International Space Station (ISS) related to a long-standing leak, with ongoing repairs being implemented, but the leaking area remains the highest risk factor in NASA’s internal assessments. (Washington Post, October 9)
• The?Federal Aviation Administration?(FAA)?has authorized SpaceX to resume Falcon 9 launches, following a temporary hold due to an upper stage anomaly during last month’s Crew-9 mission. (SpaceNews, October 11)
• NASA’s?Europa Clipper?has successfully launched and embarked on its mission to Jupiter to perform the first in-depth study of Europa. (NASA, October 14)
• NASA has announced the formation of a new strategy review team, led by former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, to evaluate potential architecture adjustments for the?Mars Sample Return (MSR)?Program. (NASA, October 16)
• NASA announced plans to utilize SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for its Crew-10 and Crew-11 missions to the ISS in 2025 while assessing whether Boeing will need to conduct an additional test flight of its?Starliner?spacecraft. (SpaceNews, October 17)
• The?Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)?has announced three new rules aimed at modernizing space-related export controls, including reclassifying various space technologies as commercial rather than military assets. (BIS, October 17)
• The?Government Accountability Office (GAO)?released a report titled “Exploration Ground Systems (ESG) Program Could Strengthen Schedule Decisions,” which recommended the EGS program and the Mobile Launcher 2 (ML2) project conduct at least one schedule risk analysis prior to integration for Artemis IV. (GAO, October 17)

International Space Policy Updates

• According to reports, hackers behind the cyberattacks on?Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)?breached the accounts of senior officials to obtain sensitive information, compromising the personal data of 5,000 employees and over 1,000 files from more than 40 companies and organizations, including NASA, the ESA, and Japan’s Defense Agency. (Asahi, October 7)
• The?Philippines?and?South Korea?have announced a strategic partnership to increase cooperation in space, specifically regarding economic growth and infrastructure development. (Philippines Presidential Communications Office, October 7)
• The?UK Science Secretary?launched a new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) to streamline market access for businesses in fast-growing sectors, including space, by reducing regulatory burdens and accelerating the introduction of new technologies. (GOV.UK, October 8)
• The UAE cabinet has established the?Supreme Space Council, chaired by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to oversee public policies for the space sector, set national priorities, and coordinate international partnerships. (MSN, October 8)
• At the?U.S.-Chile High-Level Dialogue, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to the peaceful use of outer space and celebrated Chile’s decision to sign the Artemis Accords in October. (DOS, October 8)
• NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is visiting?Romania?and?Bulgaria?to meet with key government and space officials, including Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev. (NASA, October 15)
• U.S. Space Command (USPACECOM)?has officially recognized France and Germany as members of the multinational force Operation Olympic Defender (OOD), alongside existing partners the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. (USSF 1?&?USSF 2, October 15)
• NASA Administrator Nelson?stated that the U.S. and?China?have not discussed lunar south pole exploration, although he anticipates future conversations about deconflicting lunar orbits, similar to prior discussions regarding Mars. (Space.com, October 17)

Space Industry Updates

• The?Satellite Industry Association (SIA)?has appointed?Madeleine Chang?as its new Director of Policy. (SIA, October 7)
• NASA?awarded?Rocket Lab?a contract to conduct a study on retrieving rock samples from the Martian surface, with the findings expected to inform updates to NASA’s MRS Program. (Rocket Lab, October 7)
• ispace?and the?Asteroid Mining Company (AMC)?have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a space robotics demonstration, in which ispace will deliver AMC’s Space Capable Asteroid Robotic – Explorer (SCAR-E) to the lunar surface for a future asteroid mining technology demonstration.?(ispace, October 9)
• Boeing?announced plans to lay off approximately 17,000 employees, or 10% of its global workforce, to “align with our financial reality and to a more focused set of priorities.” (Reuters, October 15)
• Sierra Space?announced a contract with NASA to develop a Trash Compaction and Processing System (TCPS) and test it aboard the ISS in late 2026. (Sierra Space, October 16)
• Axiom?and?Prada?unveiled details of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, designed by Axiom for use by NASA. (SpaceNews, October 16)
• Airbus Defence and Space?announced plans to lay off up to 2,500 positions by mid-2026 as part of a reorganization aimed at improving efficiency and establishing full operational accountability in its business lines. (Satellite Today, October 16)
• SpaceX?completed the fifth test flight of its Starship rocket, successfully “catching” the first-stage booster on the launch pad on its first attempt. (Space.com, October 16)
• ESA?awarded a €36 million ($39 million) contract to a group led by?Kepler Communications?for early design work on the low Earth orbit (LEO) phase of the High Throughput Optical Network (HydRON) program, a multi-orbit system aimed at extending terrestrial fiber networks. (Satellite Today, October 16)
• Vast Space?revealed the design of its Haven-2 space station, which it plans to propose to NASA, outlining a strategy to deploy the station in segments beginning in the late 2020s. (Vast, October 14)
• Inversion, a Los Angelese-based startup developing systems to return cargo from space, has received a license to launch its Ray spacecraft on SpaceX’s Transporter-12 rideshare mission in November. (SpaceNews, October 15)

Space Leader Spotlight

Lisa Campbell?

This?week’s space leader is?Lisa Campbell, President of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). On September 24, Canada released the State of the Canadian Space Sector Report 2023, which highlighted that the Canadian space sector contributed $3.2 billion the country’s GDP.

Established in 1989, the CSA reports to the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry. As President, Ms. Campbell leads a team of more than 930 employees, spearheading efforts to advance the Canadian space sector and promote scientific knowledge.

Before assuming her role as CSA President in 2020, Ms. Campbell served as the Associate Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada, where she focused on supporting veterans and their families. She also served as the Assistant Deputy Minister for Defence and Marine Procurement, overseeing the acquisition of military and marine equipment for the Canadian armed forces. In addition, Ms. Campbell was Senior Deputy Commissioner at Canada’s competition authority, where she managed business mergers and regulatory compliance.

Ms. Campbell earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from McGill University in 1988 and a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie Law School in 1991. With her legal background, she has practiced as a litigator in criminal, constitutional, and employment law.

We commend Ms. Campbell for her significant contributions to the Canadian space sector and her exemplary leadership at the CSA.?

Reading Corner

NASA?|?NASA, Smithsonian Open New Exhibit to Showcase Our Dynamic Earth??

NASA and the Smithsonian Institute has launched a second Earth Information Center (EIC) exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Complementing the first exhibit at NASA Headquarters, this EIC includes a video wall and interactive displays that present data from various agencies, such as NOAA, EPA, and USGS, to emphasize the impacts of climate change and the interconnectedness of Earth's systems. The exhibit is accessible to the public until 2028.

Questions or Comments for the Space Foundation Team? Contact Us

Written by Molly Prochaska, Chantal Li, and Amanda Nguyen.

Image credits: CSA & NASA

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