A few events this week related to space policy:
The Marshall Institute is hosting a “Forum on National Security Space: Examining Codes and Rules for Space” this Wednesday on Capitol Hill. The all-morning event features three panels of speakers discussing “ongoing efforts, established rules, and options for the future with respect to collision avoidance, debris mitigation, and harmful interference resolution” in space. The event is free, but if you haven’t yet registered, good luck: I tried to RSVP for this last week and was told I’m on a waiting list.
Thursday morning the House Science and Technology Committee’s space subcommittee will host a hearing on NASA’s 2008 budget request for earth sciences programs. Scheduled to testify will be officials from NASA, academia, and other organizations.
On Friday morning CSIS will host a presentation by Jean-Jacques Tortora, space attache to the French Embassy in Washington and US representative for the French space agency CNES, on “The Future of French Space Policy”. (I did not find details about the event on the CSIS web site, but the event is scheduled from 9-10:30 am at the CSIS offices at 1800 K St NW).
This will be Tortora’s goodbye address as he will be introducing his replacement as the French attache for Space and the Washington rep for CNES. Its amazing how quick the turnover is of French embassy personnel when a new administration takes over. (note I do not know for sure if he being replaced is related at all to the fact that France has a new President but the timing suggests it is)