United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) Academic Engagement Enterprise (AEE) Charter
AEE Charter 6 September 2023

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Contents

Section 1. Purpose.................................................................................. 1

1.1 Purpose .............................................................................................1

1.2 Mission Statement.................................................................. 1

1.3 Authority................................................................................. 1

1.4 Background............................................................................ 1

1.5 Goals and Objectives ............................................................. 2

Section 2. Organization........................................................................... 2

2.1 Membership Critiera ............................................................... 2

2.2 Academic Engagement Enterprise Working Group................... 3

Section 3. Benefits, Roles and Responsibilities....................................... 3

3.1 Benefits to Members....................................................................... 3

3.2 U.S. Space Command............................................................ 3

3.3 U.S. Space Command Joint Training and Education Division..4

Section 4. Concept of Operations .......................................................... 4

4.1 Strategy ................................................................................. 4

4.2 Professional Development .............................................................4

4.3 Research................................................................................ 4

4.4 Outreach Opporutnities . ........................................................ 4

Section 5. Revision History ..................................................................... 5
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Section 1. Purpose

Space is for everybody. It’s not just for a few people in science or math, or for a 

select group of astronauts. That’s our new frontier out there and it’s everybody’s

business to know about space. – Christa McAuliffe [US Teacher & Astronaut]

1.1 Purpose

The purpose of this charter is to delineate the authority and responsibilities of the Academic 

Engagement Enterprise (AEE) and outlines its relationship between USSPACECOM and 

AEE members to form a community of interest to address space workforce development,

space focused research and academic partnerships. 

This charter defines the mission and scope of the AEE and establishes its organization, 

membership, responsibilities, administrative protocols and procedures. This charter is 

intended to guide AEE in the accomplishment of its assigned tasks. This charter also 

highlights the intended benefits for academia members. 

1.2 Mission Statement

The AEE will contribute to current and future United States Space Command domain 

superiority by collaborating with academic institutions for workforce professional 

development, increased space relevant research, expanded space focused partnerships

and strengthened space dialogue. 

1.3 Authority 

The USSPACECOM AEE operations and guiding authorities for leadership are consistent 

with and governed by: 

• Title 10, United States Code 

• U.S. Space Command Strategic Vision, Never A Day Without Space, 28 Sep 2021 

• USSPACECOM Human Capital Strategy, 2023 

1.4 Background

The AEE was established on 06 September 2022 by order of CDRUSSPACECOM to enrich 

strategic space dialogue and develop space-focused academic partnerships. The AEE was 

created to bridge a recognized seam between a more traditional DoD presence in the 

academic environment focused on recruitment and DoD funded research. The AEE 

augments this traditional model in favor of outreach to academia on USSPACECOM 

providing senior leader and subject matter expert perspective to spark interest in academia

in tackling space domain challenges. Academia benefits from this relationship by receiving 

direct feedback on the education needs of a warfighting, professional space force. This 

dialogue helps focus degree, certificate and technical courses of study to support the 

professional space warfighter and corporate industry partners in the future. Through the 

AEE, USSPACECOM believes both near term domain challenges and a long-term return on 

investment based on expansion and tailoring of space focused learning will be a force 

multiplier. Academia is an important mechanism for strengthening operational warfighter 

readiness providing unique perspectives on challenges and technological innovation. The

AEE has accepted 23 academic institutions as of 1 June 2023. 
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1.5 Goals and Priorities

• Grow the capabilities of the future space workforce.

• Increase space relevant research that enhances the collective understanding of the 

space environment to spur innovation that refines space operations. 

• Partner with academic organizations to improve access to space studies and extend 

an understanding of space to a much larger audience.

• Facilitate a more globally diverse dialogue about space to better represent the 

shared interests of all nations committed to the responsible uses of space.

• Facilitate the academic outreach across the command, coordinate collaborative 

subject matter expert engagements, space-based technology exchanges and 

professional and student internships. 

Section 2. Organization

2.1 Membership Criteria

Institutions seeking membership with USSPACECOM must meet the following criteria:

• A two-year, four-year, or post-graduate degree institution with programs (certificate, 

associates, undergraduate, graduate), STEM focused primary education institutions, 

or non-profit centers of research aligning with the study and work in space in the 

following broad categories:

• Space-related arts and sciences (aerospace, aerospace physiology, avionics, 

cosmology, astronomy, astrophysics, human space exploration, spaceflight 

operations, solar energetics particles and physics, applied meteorology, 

remote-sensing, geophysics, etc.).

• Space-related engineering (aeronautical and aerospace engineering, robotics 

engineering, avionics and instrumentation engineering, engineering physics, 

space communications, etc.).

• Space-related law, policy, theory (law, international relations/political 

sciences related to space, etc.)

• Intelligence-related arts and sciences (intelligence collection, space 

platforms, space analysis, etc.)

• Applied analytics-related sciences (big data analytics, machine learning, 

artificial intelligence, etc.)

• Information-environment related arts and sciences.

• Process-related arts and sciences (Operations management, Lean Six 

Sigma, systems engineer, IT requirements, process improvement, etc.)

• Science and Technical Communications (technical writing) 
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• Accredited by a U.S. recognized accrediting organization as defined in 32 C.F.R. 

Part 602 - Updated Based on 2009 Negotiated Rulemaking (PDF)

• Foreign universities and programs will be considered for acceptance on a case-bycase basis with appropriate USSPACECOM staff concurrence.

• The Membership application can be found at on the AEE website at: 

https://www.spacecom.mil/Partnerships-and-Outreach/Academic-EngagementEnterprise/

2.2 Academic Engagement Enterprise Working Group (AEE-WG)

The AEE-WG supports, informs and enhances the efforts of the AEE. The goal of the 

AEE-WG is to facilitate workforce educational opportunities and awareness of 

undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate programs and certifications available from AEE 

members to the USSPACECOM workforce. The AEE-WG also facilitates the commandwide academic process, coordinate collaborative speaker engagements, space-based 

technology exchanges, student internships and potential academic sabbaticals with the 

USSPACECOM staff for all eligible and accepted members. Finally, the AEE-WG serves 

as the command’s cross-functional focal point to capture and document organizational 

requirements from USSPACECOM directorates and components as operational, 

command-driven and priority points of interest for academic outreach initiatives with AEE 

members. The AEE-WG conducts monthly meetings led by the AEE and consists of 

representatives from the USSPACECOM directorates, strategic innovation group and 

components. 

Section 3. Benefits, Roles and Responsibilities 

3.1 Benefits to Members:

• Receive defense-level space learning outcomes, competencies and behaviors that 

could enhance students, programs and collaborative research.

• Receive invitations to exclusive events hosted by USSPACECOM including 

webinars, AEE Symposiums, Space Symposium key senior leader level leadership 

discussions.

• Access to guest speakers from USSPACECOM on various space subjects to 

enhance faculty and student professionalization.

• Engage in collaborative research, technology integration, student internships, faculty 

sabbaticals and Tier 1 Exercise integration.

3.2 USSPACECOM will:

• Emphasize the importance of academic partnerships for strengthening operational 

warfighter readiness. 

• Invest in preparing warfighters who will have the ability shape deterrence. 
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• Create positive, mutually beneficial and collaborative relationships and opportunities 

with all academic organizations. 

• Provide appropriate representation from across the command to the AEE-WG.

3.3 USSPACECOM J735 (AEE) will:

• Implement and lead the AEE-WG.

• Lead the command’s outreach with academia under the AEE umbrella.

• Provide proactive and responsive support to AEE member requests.

• Lead coordination across USSAPCECOM for academic outreach. 

Section 4. Concept of Operations 

4.1 Strategy 

US Space Command’s mission is to work with Allies and Partners to plan, execute and 

integrate military space power into mulita-domain global operations in order to deter 

aggression, defend national level interests and when necessary, defeat threats. 

USSPACECOM’s AEE builds capabilities and advances persistent engagement in space 

education by facilitating educational workforce development and academic partnerships. 

The AEE, through comprehensive and sustained command-wide involvement, creates 

mechanisms for lifelong learning, structures for space-related residency programs and 

online learning.

4.2 Professional Development 

The AEE will maintain a master listing of space-focused courses and programs to enhance 

the professional development of the USSPACECOM workforce. With the assistance of the 

AEE-WG, the AEE will also provide feedback to members of academia as requested on 

course development that would benefit the greater space workforce. This requires robust 

communication between the AEE and members. 

4.3 Research

The AEE with the assistance of the AEE-WG will maintain a current, vetted list of proposed 

research projects to provide to members. This list will be maintained on the AEE website 

at: https://www.spacecom.mil/Partnerships-and-Outreach/Academic-EngagementEnterprise/

4.4 Outreach Opportunities 

In addition to direct outreach with academia, the AEE will identify additional venues and 

events that enhance the goals of the AEE. These include, but are not limited, to industry 

sponsored events, non-profit events and community sponsored events focused on space 

and STEM education goals. 
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Section 5. Revision History 

Version Date Name Description

SAMUEL C. KEENER

Brigadier General, USAF

Director, Joint Forces Development

and Training