A N I N T R O D U C T I O N

January 26, 2023

Exploration and Discovery Subcommittee Report

February 23, 2023
UAG Exploration and Discovery Subcommittee 

Membership

Lance Bush, Challenger Center – Chair 

Charles Bolden, SGE

Salvatore T. Bruno, United Launch Alliance

Theodore "Ted" Colbert, Boeing

Karina Drees, Commercial Space Flight Federation

Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX

Robert Smith, Blue Origin

James Taiclet, Lockheed Martin 

Kathy Warden, Northrop Grumman Corp 

Ben Ashman (DFO)
UAG Exploration and Discovery Subcommittee

Priorities

Artemis 

Program

Commercial 

Low Earth 

Orbit

Science

Overarching perspectives

• National economic and social impacts should drive our pursuits in exploration and 

discovery for both the immediate and future timeframe

• Engage the broadest set of citizens to maximize value and impact of E&D ventures 

• Embrace collaboration with other subcommittees (e.g., Education, Economic, 

Sustainability and National Security)

Priorities

Photo credit: NASA
Artemis Program

Focus areas

• Review and understand previous and 

recent architecture reviews to support 

formal annual review

• Forward perspective on Moon to 

Mars architecture and objectives

• Recognize science objectives in the 

program

Photo credit: NASA
Commercial Low Earth Orbit

Focus areas

• Government’s role to further 

enable commerce (i.e., regulations, 

IP protection, etc.)

• Necessitate broader participation 

by multiple government agencies

• Provide commercial perspective

Photo credit: NASA
Science

Focus area

• Support continued robust 

discoveries made through the 

science program

• Support integrated and 

mutually beneficial exploration 

and discovery missions

Photo credit: NASA
Forward Plan

• Monthly meetings

• Fact-finding field trips

• Engage subject matter experts, e.g.

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• Space Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission 

• Office of Commercial Space Transport at the Federal Aviation Administration

• Department of Commerce

• Department of Transportation

• State Department Office of Space Affairs

• Department of Energy
Meeting Name

Meeting Date

Economic Development and Industrial Base

Subcommittee Report

User’s Advisory Group Meeting

February 23, 2023
Economic Development and Industrial Base

Subcommittee Initial Focus Areas

• Benefiting All Users / Whole of Government Focus

• Government-Industry Partnership Models and Lessons Learned

• International Trade

• Small Business

• Whole of government support mechanisms

• Regulatory certainty

• New business entry and accessibility

• Space Supply Chain

• Application of significant Administration efforts (infrastructure bill, CHIPS, IRA, etc) 

• Critical supplies and materials

• Joint supply chain and “agnostic” suppliers

• Infrastructure including spaceports

• Space Sustainability

• Policies and norms

• Research and development needs
Meeting Name

Meeting Date

CLIMATE AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT

UAG MEETING

FEBRUARY 23, 2023
CLIMATE AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS

SPACE IN SERVICE OF EARTH

• Observing Earth

• The planet is 1.2C (more than 2F) warmer than before the Industrial Revolution

• Space-based observations have detected changes in cloud cover, drought risk, rainfall patterns, sea 

levels, and other aspects of the Earth system

• Climate change is here

• Increases in extreme weather

• Compound events

• Climate action is here

• Climate Envoy

• Executive Orders

• Forests

• Public Health

• Inflation Reduction Act

• 40% or greater reduction in US climate pollution by 2030

• 30x30

• Natural Capital Standards

• Proposed SEC regulations
CLIMATE AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS

ADVANCING HUMAN WELL-BEING ON A CHANGING PLANET

• EXAMPLE: Climate-smart agriculture

• Agriculture and associated activities contribute ~25% of greenhouse gas 

pollution

• Agricultural practices like cover crops, conservation tillage, nutrient reduction 

and regenerative agriculture may

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

• Sequester carbon

• Earth observations for sustainability monitoring, reporting, verification

• EXAMPLE: Detection, monitoring, and early warning

• Wildfires and other immediate hazards

• Changing water cycle, drought/flood risk and other longer-term changes
CLIMATE AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS

IMPROVING THE EXPLORATORY-TO-OPERATIONAL PIPELINE

• Identify priority operational measurements

• Ensure excellence in Earth observation translates to operational capabilities

• Identify areas where operational organizations are not leveraging scientific 

advances

• Digitize and standardize workflows

• Role of AI/ML tools

• Leverage the federal government and space enterprise to send powerful 

demand signals

• Identify needed products

• Identify pathways to increase availability and accessibility
CLIMATE AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS

MAKING EARTH DATA USABLE AND ACCESSIBLE 

• Who is using Earth observation data?

• Understanding the diversity of a changing and growing user base

• Growing the use of Earth observation by traditional user communities

• State and local governments

• Agriculture

• Who will be using Earth observation data?

• Capitalizing on opportunities for US business in new areas such as MRV

• Who should be using Earth observation data?

• Expanding access to new users

• Improving public communication 
CLIMATE AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS

IMPROVING COORDINATION AND COOPERATION

• Within government

• Government and private sector

• With partner space agencies

• With non-spacefaring nations
A N I N T R O D U C 

T I O N

Data and Emerging Technology

Subcommittee

February 23, 2023
Today’s Agenda – 2/23/23

• Introductions

• Review Proposed Areas of Interest

Expected Outcomes – Introduction of emerging data and technologyrelated work areas for UAG Data & Emerging Technologies Subcommittee
Broadening Space-Based Remote Sensing and 

Analytics to Meet Today’s Global Challenges

Space-Based Remote Sensing (RS) and other sensor platforms 

have dramatically grown in the past decade with commercial and 

government providers on-ramping constellations and products 

offering nearly persistent global coverage and near real-time 

value added products.

As industry, private citizens and governments look to solve 

today’s climate issues, such as the emerging water resource crisis

and wild fires, and opportunities, such as measurements 

for natural capital, broadening the use of globally- available 

RS and machine learning analytics helps align users with 

providers of space resources in a relevant and sustainable way.

Focus on data accessibility, technical formats and processes 

for inclusive, transparent and accessible RS data serve to utilize 

these growing and crucial insights, helping to meet today’s 

challenges with a path to protecting tomorrow’s users.
Space Standards Interoperability for Varied User 

Communities

Space Traffic Management (STM) and Space 

Situational Awareness (SSA) is a focus for the 

US, it’s allies, and commercial actors.

Debris proliferation, emphasis on outer space 

norms of behavior and shifting responsibilities 

for SSA and STM drive need for discussion of a 

variable trust STM architecture for data 

collection, interoperability and insights

among earth-orbit space segment providers to 

provide for a safe and secure environment for 

private, civil, and national security users to 

operate.
Space-based Communication and Compute for real-time 

connection, mission autonomy and a Connected Planet

Space-based communication constellations and architectures 

are rapidly evolving and attracting $B of private investment, 

bringing new capacity to a connected planet and real-time 

connectivity between satellites. Intersatellite links and massive 

compute in space are enabling technologies that decrease the 

cost for new missions, increase mission autonomy and 

security, as well as open novel opportunities for real-time 

applications.

Focus areas include solutions for broadband terrestrial 

interoperability with this emerging space-based 

communication infrastructure, ITU and FCC evolving topics, 

and new mission architectures leveraging the usage of realtime connection.
Nuclear Thermal & Nuclear Electric Tech in the Space Domain

Nuclear Thermal and Nuclear Electric Propulsion

and Nuclear Power Generation potentially offers

enabling technologies for exploration beyond low

earth orbit.

With recent and on-the-horizon interagency 

cooperation, nuclear thermal rockets may open the solar 

system to human exploration, while Radioisotope 

Thermal Generators (RTGs) have powered science 

instruments for decades.

Renewed focus on in-space nuclear normalization and 

long-term funding pipelines will approach this emerging 

technology with a refreshed policy perspective and 

open up the opportunity to change the economics of 

space missions and infrastructure.
Revolutionary Capabilities enabled by In Space Servicing, 

Assembly and Manufacturing

In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) as a 

national priority focuses on six foundational 

goals(https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/04-2022-

ISAM-National-Strategy-Final.pdf):

- Advancement of ISAM R&D

- Scalable ISAM infrastructure

- Acceleration of emerging ISAM industry

- International collaboration and cooperation to achieve ISAM 

goals

- ISAM environmental sustainability

- Inspiring a diverse future workforce

ISAM will enable a a new, diverse, and market-focused 

ecosystem of autonomous persistent platforms and assets. 

ISAM as a revolutionary capability has potential to enable longduration civil, private and other governmental missions and 

dramatically improve the economics of space activities and 

provide novel space architectures.

Focus on technologies and gaps in the strategy that enable 

systems that cannot be launched in the conventional sense 
Example products

Subcommittee will produce short white papers (a few 

pages)

• Area

• Issues

• Relevance to the public

• Other relevant work

• Findings

• Recommendations for UAG and National Space 

Council
WE 

WANT

TO 

IMPROVE

What new partnership constructs should we look at?

Future areas of exploration and scientific research

Bureaucratic and regulatory hurdles that need attention

Innovative technologies with potential space applications

Big ideas for advancing American leadership in space

Submit your inputs to:

contact@spacecounciluag.org
Meeting Name

Meeting Date

STEM Education, and D&I 

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT

UAG Meeting

23 February 2023
STEM Education & D&I Subcommittee

Framework & Areas of Interest

• Acknowledge – and promote – that the space industry is more than STEM.

• Look no farther than the diversity of background in our group’s makeup. Space is business, policy, legal, art and other 

disciplines. It's a skilled technical workforce. 

• It needs to come from everywhere. And it needs to be taught everywhere.

• Support the “Inspire, Prepare, Employ” strategy: 

• We must explore and highlight initiatives and programs that have quantifiable, measurable success in identifying and retaining 

STEM students and successful D&I efforts in our sector. 

• We must take these success stories and engage with State & Local levels to share, and implement, success criteria.

• Build linkages with the Department of Education on the “You Belong in STEM” initiative:

• We need to explore how to amplify portions of their message which intersects with the space industry. How do we make this a 

whole-of-government, whole-of-education exercise?

• Address DoD workforce issues and how we are engaging, nationally, with the defense industrial base:

• Linkages across to Academia via USSF’s University Partnership Program and other key assets like HBCUs, MSIs, 

Community Colleges, and more.

• We need to expand the role of the Innovation Eco-system in that industrial base.
Meeting Name

Meeting Date

NATIONAL SECURITY

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT

February 23, 2023, Meeting
National Security Subcommittee

Membership

• Lester Lyles (Chair)

• Members

• Roosevelt 'Ted' Mercer

• Charlie Bolden 

• Tory Bruno

• Theodore 'Ted' Colbert

• Eric Fanning

• Dave Kaufman

• Patrick Lin

• Ron Lopez

• Robbie Schingler

• Gwynne Shotwell

• Bob Smith

• James Taiclet

• Mandy Vaughn

• Kathy Warden

• Barbara Adde (Designated Federal Officer)
National Security Subcommittee

Focus Areas

• Focus on the Following Areas

• Support to the National Security/ Intel Space Enterprise, especially the use of 

Commercial/Civil Space capabilities to meet National Security / Intel needs
A N I N T R O D U C T I O N

January 26, 2023

Exploration and Discovery Subcommittee Report

February 23, 2023
UAG Exploration and Discovery Subcommittee 

Membership

Lance Bush, Challenger Center – Chair 

Charles Bolden, SGE

Salvatore T. Bruno, United Launch Alliance

Theodore "Ted" Colbert, Boeing

Karina Drees, Commercial Space Flight Federation

Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX

Robert Smith, Blue Origin

James Taiclet, Lockheed Martin 

Kathy Warden, Northrop Grumman Corp 

Ben Ashman (DFO)
UAG Exploration and Discovery Subcommittee

Priorities

Artemis 

Program

Commercial 

Low Earth 

Orbit

Science

Overarching perspectives

• National economic and social impacts should drive our pursuits in exploration and 

discovery for both the immediate and future timeframe

• Engage the broadest set of citizens to maximize value and impact of E&D ventures 

• Embrace collaboration with other subcommittees (e.g., Education, Economic, 

Sustainability and National Security)

Priorities

Photo credit: NASA
Artemis Program

Focus areas

• Review and understand previous and 

recent architecture reviews to support 

formal annual review

• Forward perspective on Moon to 

Mars architecture and objectives

• Recognize science objectives in the 

program

Photo credit: NASA
Commercial Low Earth Orbit

Focus areas

• Government’s role to further 

enable commerce (i.e., regulations, 

IP protection, etc.)

• Necessitate broader participation 

by multiple government agencies

• Provide commercial perspective

Photo credit: NASA
Science

Focus areas

• Support continued robust 

discoveries made through the 

science program

• Support integrated and 

mutually beneficial exploration 

and discovery missions

Photo credit: NASA
Forward Plan

• Monthly meetings

• Fact-finding field trips

• Engage subject matter experts, e.g.

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• Space Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission 

• Office of Commercial Space Transport at the Federal Aviation Administration

• Department of Commerce

• Department of Transportation

• State Department Office of Space Affairs

• Department of Energy