NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy

A Year in Review 

2023 

December 2023

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov
Front and back 

image: In this Hubble 

Space Telescope 

portrait, the giant red 

nebula (NGC 2014) 

and its smaller blue 

neighbor (NGC 2020) 

are part of a vast starforming region in the 

Large Magellanic Cloud, 

a satellite galaxy of 

the Milky Way, located 

163,000 light-years 

away. The image is 

nicknamed the “Cosmic 

Reef,” because NGC 

2014 resembles part of 

a coral reef floating in a 

vast sea of stars. 

Front image: A debris shield that was removed from the 

Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), the International Space 

Station’s cosmic particle detector, is pictured drifting away from 

the orbiting lab after spacewalkers Andrew Morgan and Luca 

Parmitano jettisoned it. The debris shield was detached by the 

spacewalkers so they could access and begin the repairs of the 

AMS thermal control system. 

Front image: An artist rendering of an astronaut working on the lunar 

surface during a future Artemis mission. 

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy

NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy - A Year in Review - 2023 
A Letter from 

Associate Administrator 

Charity Weeden 

NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) acts 

as a decisional navigator for NASA leadership as the agency 

explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit 

of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery. I consider 

it an honor and privilege to serve as associate administrator of 

OTPS and to lead this amazing team. 

The role of a navigator is to strategize an approach and use tools 

to chart a course over unfamiliar territory. A navigator should be 

aware of hazards, possess excellent communication skills, and 

have a sense of adventure. As I embark on this journey at OTPS, I 

see many of the same qualities in the OTPS team, who keep eyes 

both far off into the distance and assess the environment in 

the immediate vicinity. 

OTPS tackles multi-dimensional challenges for NASA, 

weaving in and out of technology, policy, and 

economics in a multi-disciplinary fashion, tapping 

into the team’s collective diverse backgrounds 

and expertise to reveal important insights that 

drive decision-making. To address NASA’s 

opportunities and challenges, OTPS engages 

with internal audiences and external agencies 

to ensure a detailed understanding of the 

complex landscape. The office balances 

objective measurements with complex social 

sciences and charts new pathways, adjusting 

as new information and situations arise. 

Helping NASA Navigate the Future 

“ To address NASA’s 

opportunities and 

challenges, OTPS 

engages with internal 

audiences and 

external agencies 

to ensure a detailed 

understanding of the 

complex landscape. ”

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut David 

Saint-Jacques takes a quick self-portrait while 

working outside the International Space Station. 

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After all, we at OTPS are explorers, providing 

decisional support and advice to NASA leadership 

on some of the most consequential decisions the 

agency is facing. In 2023, our efforts centered on 

issues that connect directly to the future of NASA 

and the ability of the agency to meet its longterm mission needs. This report will highlight a 

few examples of the way OTPS has substantively 

contributed to the agency’s mission. 

In 2024, OTPS will continue to focus on the 

urgent issue of space sustainability, especially 

in low-Earth orbit. We will focus on immediate 

issues related to NASA’s Moon to Mars program, 

particularly those that will arise as other nations 

and commercial industry increase lunar activities. 

We’ll continue tracking NASA’s technology 

portfolio, identifying, and advocating for more 

technology infusion opportunities. We will also 

work to understand the state of the space 

economy, including NASA’s economic impact. 

I’d like to thank my predecessor, Dr. Bhavya Lal, 

for her insightful advice and vision that helped 

shape this organization its first two years. I also 

extend my deepest thanks to NASA Administrator 

Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy and 

Associate Administrator Bob Cabana for trusting 

me at the helm of OTPS. 

Charity Weeden

Associate Administrator 

NASA Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy

Charity Weeden gives remarks at a George Washington University Space Policy Institute dinner. 

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Helping NASA Navigate the Future 
Table of Contents 

Helping NASA Navigate the Future 1

A Letter from Associate Administrator Charity Weeden ................................................. 1

What is OTPS 5

The Faces of OTPS 6

The Faces of OTPS (Current Team Members) ........................................................................6

2023 Outgoing Team Members – OTPS Thanks You for Your Service (Former Employees) ....7

A Trusted Knowledge Resource for NASA 8

Shaping NASA’s Policy Agenda .................................................................................... 8

Coordinating Technology Innovation for the Benefit of Humanity .................................. 9

A Holistic Understanding of NASA’s Overall Technology Investment ............................10

Evaluating NASA’s Economic Impact ...........................................................................11

Helping NASA Foster Interagency and Global Economic Collaboration .......................12

Experiential Learning Opportunities for the Current and Future NASA Workforce ........12

OTPS Presence and Influence within the Broader Space Community ..........................14

Helping NASA Solve Big-Picture Problems 15

Space Sustainability: Tackling the Growing Risk of Orbital Debris ...............................15

Supporting Research and Analysis to Promote Space Sustainability ...................................16

Moon to Mars: Enabling NASA to Achieve the Moon to Mars Objectives at a Time of 

Increased Global Interest in Lunar Exploration .............................................................17

Setting the Example When it Comes to the Societal and Ethical Considerations of Space 

Exploration ..........................................................................................................................17

Providing Significant Support to NASA’s Cross-Directorate Federated Board .....................19

The Future of NASA: Ensuring NASA has the Technologies and Capabilities Needed for 

the Future ....................................................................................................................20

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Approaching Disruptive Technologies to Meet Mission Needs .............................................20

Framing How NASA Thinks About Artificial Intelligence (AI) .................................................21

Ensuring NASA Has a Robust Industrial Base and Supply Chain .........................................21

Appendices 22

Appendix A: OTPS Publications ...................................................................................22

Appendix B: OTPS Participation in Events and Conferences .......................................23

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Helping NASA Navigate the Future 
What is OTPS 

What is OTPS

The Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy 

(OTPS) provides NASA’s senior leadership with 

independent, data-driven analyses to inform 

the most consequential decisions about 

NASA’s future. 

Housed within the Office of the Administrator, 

OTPS brings together diverse, multidisciplinary 

experts to provide NASA leadership with analytic, 

strategic, and decisional insights in the form of 

quick-turn analyses, memos, and reports. OTPS 

also supports numerous activities that include 

hosting informal discussion sessions, participating 

in chartered interagency working groups, and 

funding external research opportunities. 

All the work that OTPS does helps identify 

emerging issues that are core to how NASA 

meets its missions, furthers NASA’s interests, and 

supports strategic national priorities. 

• OTPS offers strategic policy guidance on 

how NASA can achieve its overarching goals 

and long-term plans, that champion the health 

and global stature of our nation. 

• OTPS identifies emerging technologies and 

opportunities for new infusion mechanisms, 

research and development, and partnerships 

that NASA can leverage to achieve its goals. 

• OTPS provides analyses and insight into 

matters relating to the space economy, 

including space activities, commercial space 

industry trends, and NASA’s economic impact 

beyond the agency. 

Given these unique areas of expertise, OTPS has 

a moral imperative to bolster analytical skills and 

improve policy literacy for the existing and future 

NASA workforce through experiential learning 

opportunities. These opportunities include details, 

such as the Solver-in-Residence and Policy 

Fellow programs, student programs, and 

discussion forums. 

OTPS Team poses for a group photo.

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The Faces of OTPS 

The Faces of OTPS (Current Team Members) 

Alyse Beauchemin** Patrick Besha Lina Carrington A.C. Charania Thomas Colvin

Ellen Gertsen Kendrick Glenn* Elaine Gresham** Amanda Hernandez** Marissa Herron*

Amanda Hirsch** Taelor Jones** Therese Jones Nik Joseph Ave Kludze

Renata Kommel** Jericho Locke Alex MacDonald Gabe Merrill* Mando Moreno*

Nicole Pettingill* Zach Pirtle* Grace Ray Akhil Rao*** Erica Rodgers

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Jordan Sotudeh** Kristin Vollin** Charity Weeden Kenneth Wright Adam Yingling*

2023 Outgoing Team Members – OTPS Thanks You for Your Service 

Trina Braxton* Shanee Hill John Karcz* Bhavya Lal Katie McBrayer*

Amber McIntyre* Ulcka Patel* Maia Robakidze** Peter Schemmel* Gabriel Swiney

One asterisk (*) = detailee 

Two asterisks (**) = contractor 

Three asterisks (***) = Intergovernment Personnel Act (IPA) 

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The Faces of OTPS 
A Trusted Knowledge Resource for NASA 

A Trusted Knowledge 

Resource for NASA

The OTPS team brings together a diverse group of 

experts from within NASA, other federal agencies, 

and research organizations with analytical core 

competencies rooted in technology, policy, 

strategic planning, and economics. The office is 

home to NASA’s agency chief technologist (ACT) 

and agency chief economist (ACE). This diversity 

of backgrounds and experience is critical to 

ensuring that the team can look at emerging issues 

in a holistic manner. 

Shaping NASA’s Policy Agenda 

OTPS plays a unique role within NASA by helping 

to shape the agency’s policy agenda to meet 

national and agency needs. OTPS’ position within 

the Office of the Administrator means that the 

team is highly attuned to the strategic priorities 

of NASA’s most senior leaders and can provide 

decision support that outlines the option trade 

space to make progress in these areas. The team 

frequently participates in interagency working 

groups, that provide insights into governmentwide strategic priorities and NASA’s unique role 

in furthering those objectives. As priorities evolve 

over time, the team remains highly responsive 

in its ability to apply its core capabilities to new 

topical areas. 

Given this foundation, OTPS contributes to critical 

policy discussions in two key ways: 

First, OTPS leverages its unique vantage point 

to identify emerging opportunities or challenges 

that the agency has not yet internalized and 

proposes alternative approaches to best position 

the agency for future success. OTPS works in 

close coordination with the relevant subject matter 

experts within NASA and often has strong external 

equities, either across the federal government, or 

OTPS Team members gather around the NASA worm logo for the 

opening of NASA’s Earth Information Center.

Current OTPS Associate Administrator Charity Weeden with former 

OTPS Associate Administrator Bhavya Lal.

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internationally. In these instances, OTPS provides 

an independent assessment of potential paths 

forward to enable NASA to best meet its mission. 

Building off the highly successful “Lunar Landing 

and Operations Policy Analysis,” the OTPS report 

lead author chaired a working group among 

Artemis Accords signatories that focused on lunar 

deconfliction. The signatories met in Gdansk, 

Poland in June 2023 and participated in an OTPSdesigned tabletop exercise to explore potential 

unintended interference that mission operators 

may face when there are multiple entities 

exploring the lunar south pole. The working group 

completed the first phase of its work related to 

identifying mechanisms for information sharing 

and is preparing to define its focus for the coming 

year. 

Second, organizations within NASA can rely on 

OTPS as a resource for policy development around 

well-understood opportunities or challenges. In 

these instances, OTPS leverages its strategic 

thinking expertise to provide relevant technical 

subject matter experts with a framework for how 

to properly define the issue at hand and propose 

solutions that are highly responsive to enable 

success. 

OTPS partnered with the Science Mission 

Directorate (SMD) to update the National 

Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan for Near-Earth 

Object Hazards and Planetary Defense and co-led 

the development of NASA’s first-ever Planetary 

Defense Strategy and Action Plan. The national 

strategy, developed in close coordination with the 

White House Office of Science and Technology 

Policy (OSTP), represents a large interagency 

effort to advance and mature planetary defense 

science and technologies. It will improve 

detection, research, mission planning, emergency 

preparedness and response, international 

engagement, and internal U.S. government 

coordination on planetary defense. 

The NASA strategy, which was developed 

in parallel to the national strategy to ensure 

alignment of agency efforts, is organized around 

the paradigm of envisioning desired end states, 

identifying key challenges, and developing 

actions to address them. It serves as a roadmap 

for NASA’s future planetary defense efforts and 

the close cooperation between OTPS, SMD, and 

other internal stakeholder offices enabling each 

organization to leverage its strengths to 

maximum effect. 

Coordinating Technology 

Innovation for the 

Benefit of Humanity 

Technology plays a critical role in NASA’s mission 

to innovate for the benefit of humanity by creating 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA PLANETARY DEFENSE

STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN

In support of the National Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan for 

Near-Earth Object Hazards and Planetary Defense 

APRIL 2023

Double Asteroid 

Redirection Test

Near-Earth 

Object Surveyor

www.nasa.gov

Cover of the “NASA 

Planetary Defense 

Strategy and Action 

Plan” report. 

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A Trusted Knowledge Resource for NASA 
solutions for space exploration that also generate 

tangible benefits for life on Earth. 

Residing within OTPS, the agency chief 

technologist (ACT) serves as the principal advisor 

to NASA senior leadership on matters concerning 

agencywide technology policy and programs. 

The NASA center chief technologists (CCTs) and 

their deputies support the ACT’s various technical 

endeavors and act as subject matter experts for 

the agency. 

The ACT collaborates across the agency, with 

other federal agencies, and with external partners 

to provide leadership focus on emerging and 

disruptive technologies that may fundamentally 

change NASA’s technology choices for its 

missions. For example, the ACT serves as 

NASA’s representative to the Space Science 

and Technology (S&T) Partnerships forum with 

counterparts from the National Reconnaissance 

Office (NRO) and the United States Space Force 

(USSF). It is a strategic forum established to 

identify synergistic efforts and technologies that 

leverage those synergies and influence portfolios 

across space agencies in areas deemed pervasive 

and ready for collaboration. 

A Holistic Understanding 

of NASA’s Overall 

Technology Investment 

The ACT conducts technology studies that may 

cut across organizational boundaries or are on 

emerging technologies that do not yet have a 

defined home within NASA. For example, the ACT 

is leading the Technology Analytics Research and 

Development Inventory Study (TARDIS) to optimize 

understanding of NASA’s technology inventory. 

The study will help guide decision makers, 

understand trends in investments, improve data 

collection, and help infuse better technologies into 

NASA missions. The ACT and NASA’s quantum 

experts also provided Deputy Administrator Melroy 

with key data and content for the deputy’s speech 

at Quantum World Congress in September. 

(From left to right) Jericho Locke, Grace Ray, and Renata Kommel 

stand with a model of a 40-kW fission surface power technology 

demonstration unit at GRC.

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A Trusted Knowledge Resource for NASA 
Read our companion report for a deeper look at 

OTPS’ technology work this year and to learn 

about the NASA Center Technology Council, a key 

part of the OTPS team. 

Evaluating NASA’s 

Economic Impact 

The tremendous value of NASA’s work extends 

nationwide in significant ways. From creating 

jobs and jumpstarting businesses, to producing 

innovations that improve daily life, NASA is always 

finding valuable new ways to benefit humanity. 

From cost to impact, every decision that NASA 

makes has an economic component. 

In 2023, OTPS welcomed NASA’s agency chief 

economist (ACE) to the team, adding further bench 

strength to the trusted subject matter experts at 

OTPS. Adding a dedicated expert to evaluate the 

economics of space activities, track commercial 

space industry trends, and support NASA’s 

contributions to broader national strategies, 

enables OTPS to advise on projects from every 

angle. It also provides a long-term institutional 

home for the development of independent 

economic expertise and analysis at NASA. As the 

space economy grows in the years and decades to 

A Year in Review 2023 

from NASA’s 

Agency Chief 

Technologist

NASA’s Office of Technology, 

Policy, and Strategy 

December 2023

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

Cover of the “A Year 

in Review 2023 from 

NASA’s Agency Chief 

Technologist” report. 

Alex MacDonald participates in a panel debate, “Comparing and 

Contrasting European and U.S. Space Ambitions” at The 17th 

European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) Autumn Conference.

(From left to right) Grace Ray, Jericho Locke, and Renata Kommel 

stand with models of the ground technology experiments 

Demonstration Using Flattop Fissions (DUFF) and Kilowatt Reactor 

Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) at a visit to the Glenn Research 

Center (GRC) Electric Power and Propulsion Laboratory. 

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A Trusted Knowledge Resource for NASA 
come, NASA’s economic analysis capabilities are 

now poised to grow with it.

The ACE serves as the senior advisor to NASA’s 

administrator for matters relating to the space 

economy and the state of the commercial sector. 

The ACE is responsible for tracking and reporting 

on trends in the commercial space industry, 

supporting interagency activities on how NASA’s 

work supports broader national economic 

strategies, and leading NASA’s Economic Impact 

Reports. Read NASA’s latest Economic Impact Report. 

Helping NASA Foster 

Interagency and Global 

Economic Collaboration 

The ACE represented NASA in its support of 

the “National Strategy to Develop Statistics for 

Environmental-Economic Decisions,” released by 

the White House in January. The strategy presents 

a multi-year plan for the integration of multiple 

datasets, including satellite observation datasets, 

to develop national and natural capital accounts 

for environmental economic decision making.

This year, the ACE served as Head of Delegation 

for the U.S. at the G20 Space Economy Leaders 

Meeting (SELM) in Bengaluru, India. There 

was also development of greater integration 

between the U.S. and Indian commercial 

space ecosystems. 

The ACE is also a member of the World Economic 

Forum (WEF) Global Futures Council for the Future 

of Space and helped lead discussions related 

to a WEF recommendation on satellite remote 

sensing capabilities ahead of the 28th United 

Nations Climate Change conference (COP28) and 

contributed to Space for Climate: Recommendations 

for COP28. 

Experiential Learning 

Opportunities for the Current 

and Future NASA Workforce 

OTPS offers a variety of experiential development 

opportunities and student programs to train the 

current and future NASA workforce in analytical 

and strategic thinking. These opportunities 

are all well-aligned to the NASA’s learning and 

development strategy. Participants get to work 

on active OTPS projects and gain hands-on 

experience developing impactful solutions to 

pressing challenges. 

The Policy Fellowship is open to early-to-midcareer NASA employees. Our Policy Fellow gets 

the chance to better understand, navigate, and 

ECONOMIC

IMPACT REPORT

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

October 2022

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Cover of the NASA Economic Impact report for October 2022 showing 

the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on launch pad. 

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A Trusted Knowledge Resource for NASA 
inform the policy landscape within which they 

work while providing OTPS with relevant technical 

subject matter expertise. The Solver-in-Residence 

detail is open to mid-to-late career NASA 

employees. Over the course of a year, our Solverin-Residence identifies a challenge aligned with 

one or more OTPS focus areas and develops and 

executes a study to evaluate a range of solutions 

to that challenge. 

OTPS offers students the chance to apply their 

interests and expertise to meaningful OTPS 

projects. Through the OTPS University Capstone 

Program, OTPS provides students at partner 

schools with the opportunity to work on a 

research project aligned to one of the OTPS focus 

areas and provides them real-world experience 

conducting analysis to inform decision making. 

The three schools OTPS worked with this year 

were John Carroll University based in University 

Heights, Ohio, and Prairie View A&M and 

University of Texas at El Paso, which are both 

based in Texas. 

OTPS also provides opportunities for students 

through NASA’s internship and GEM fellowship 

programs which are run by the Office of STEM 

Engagement. In 2023, OTPS hosted four students 

whose projects focused on orbital debris, quantum 

sensing, and improvements to NASA’s research 

and development activities. In addition to their 

study work, the students were given multiple 

opportunities for professional development and 

participated in several student-focused programs 

to broaden their exposure to NASA and other 

space-related activities. 

OTPS and other NASA interns gather on the Navy steps of the White 

House Eisenhower Executive Office Building following a meeting with 

members of the National Space Council.

OTPS team members meet with early career staff at Glenn 

Research Center.

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A Trusted Knowledge Resource for NASA 
OTPS strives to build agencywide awareness 

of space policy issues and cultivate a cohort 

of learners and enthusiasts within NASA. Each 

month, OTPS hosts the Informal Space Policy 

Network (ISPN), a forum where NASA employees 

can share priorities and ongoing work, address 

challenges, and exchange ideas about space 

policy issues. The forum also invites guests to 

present on topics of interest that spark discussion. 

The OTPS Seminar Series invites disruptive, 

innovative thinkers to inspire and ignite the 

minds of the NASA workforce. This year, OTPS 

welcomed prominent leaders including Richard 

Danzig, Norm Augustine, David Bray, and Carmen 

Medina; renowned authors like Richard Rumelt 

and David Brin; and cutting-edge academics like 

Moriba Jah and Matthew Weinzierl. Seminar topics 

included, affecting change within a bureaucracy 

through compromise and common ground, the 

creation of effective strategies, understanding 

economic, social, and environmental ecosystems 

of the future, and how emerging augmented and 

artificial intelligence can help promote sustainable 

practices in space. 

OTPS Presence and 

Influence within the Broader 

Space Community 

As a trusted knowledge resource and advisor to 

NASA leadership, OTPS often represents NASA 

and engages with the broader space community 

at key events and through media opportunities 

across the world on impactful matters. OTPS 

participation includes keynote speeches from 

senior leaders, panel discussions, poster 

presentations, roundtable discussions, podcast 

interviews, academic invitations, and more. 

This year, the OTPS team represented NASA at 

more than 100 events hosted by interagency 

groups, industry partners, academic institutions, 

and space community organizations. For a 

complete list of events and media engagements, 

please visit Appendix B.

OTPS team members visit Glenn Research Center Simulated Lunar 

Operations Laboratory (SLOPE) with students from John Carroll 

University who are part of the OTPS Capstone Program.

Ken Wright and OTPS GEM Fellow Assad Abdul-Hamid participate in 

the National GEM Consortium Annual Conference.

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A Trusted Knowledge Resource for NASA 
Helping NASA Solve 

Big-Picture Problems

In 2023, OTPS provided critical inputs, feedback, 

and potential solutions to NASA leadership across 

four key areas that are top of mind for the agency: 

technology, space sustainability, Moon to Mars, 

and the future of NASA. 

For a detailed look at OTPS’ technology work, 

read our companion report. 

SPACE SUSTAINABILITY: 

Tackling the Growing Risk of 

Orbital Debris 

Maintaining the ability to use space is critical 

to our economy, our national security, and our 

nation’s science and technology enterprise. NASA 

takes the threat of orbital debris seriously as these 

objects can endanger humans and spacecraft 

operating in orbit, jeopardize access to space, 

and impede the development of a low-Earth orbit 

economy, including commercial participation. 

Orbital debris consists of human-made objects 

orbiting Earth that no longer serve a purpose, 

including mission-related and fragmentation 

debris, nonfunctional spacecraft, and abandoned 

rocket stages. Though the space community 

agrees orbital debris is a challenge, it remains 

difficult to address due to the unknown costs and 

methods of cleanup, or the benefits the cleanup 

methods may create. 

At the American Astronautical Society (AAS) 60th 

Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium 

in March, OTPS released a report titled “Cost and 

Benefit Analysis of Active Debris Remediation.” The 

report identified the most cost-effective methods 

for cleaning up orbital debris and provided a 

transparent framework for making those estimates, 

with some key findings: 

• Contrary to sentiment in the space community 

that space debris cleanup is impossible, the 

report found credible ways to do so. 

• The most effective remediation method to 

reduce risks to operations are approaches 

for removing small debris and nudging large 

debris to avoid collisions. 

Recognizing the hazards that large debris pose, 

the report also identified an extremely low-cost 

approach for grabbing and deorbiting such debris 

that could reduce the cost by a factor of 10 

compared to currently advertised prices. Current 

follow-on work includes modeling improvements 

of cost and benefits associated with the different 

types of debris and technologies. 

Insights from the report supported the creation 

of three Space Technology Mission Directorate 

(STMD) funding solicitations that resulted in eight 

awards for early-stage development of debris 

remediation concepts, with another two funding 

solicitations due to close by year end. 

Helping NASA Solve Big-Picture Problems 

Image of orbital debris 

surrounding our planet Earth. 

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Supporting Research and Analysis to 

Promote Space Sustainability 

OTPS utilizes multiple mechanisms to help NASA 

understand risk and develop policy solutions that 

may seek to modify behavior, provide market 

incentives, and fully illustrate our rapidly changing 

space environment. 

OTPS sponsored a research call, “Economic, 

Social and Policy Analyses of Orbital Debris and 

Space Sustainability” via Research Opportunities 

in Space and Earth Science (ROSES)-22. By 

integrating physical and social science research, 

the project sought to expand knowledge of 

a highly complex problem that requires an 

interdisciplinary approach. Teams proposed 

technical models, economic and policy analysis 

tools, and sought to generate evidence-based 

policy solutions. 

In September, OTPS held a workshop at NASA 

Headquarters to review project results and 

findings from the Massachusetts Institute of 

Technology and Middlebury College teams. This 

research seeks to build up a global community 

of practice in the economics and policy of space 

sustainability, and led to the creation of a new 

open-source tool that will help all users of space 

make better decisions. Both teams published 

their work and presented their findings at the 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and 

Development (OECD) Space Forum in December. 

In July, OTPS announced the selections of two 

new grants via ROSES-23. A team from Princeton 

University based in Princeton, New Jersey, will 

work on “Analysis of Policy Opportunities for 

Cislunar and Lunar Orbit Debris Mitigation and 

Space Sustainability.” A team from the Stevens 

Institute for Technology based in Hoboken, New 

Jersey, will work on “Space Logistics Analysis and 

Incentive Design for Commercialization of Orbital 

Patrick Besha speaks at the Organization for Economic Cooperation 

and Development (OECD) Space Forum meeting in Paris, France. 

Jericho Locke (far left) and Tom Colvin (far right) participate in 

“Orbital Debris: Mitigate, Track, or Remediate” at ASCEND in 

Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Helping NASA Solve Big-Picture Problems 
Debris Remediation.” A State University of New 

York-College of Environment Science and Forestry 

team from the 2022-23 effort based in Syracuse, 

New York, will also complete its work this coming 

year, aiming to develop the first national-scale 

public polling focused on orbital debris and space 

sustainability. 

OTPS also cooperated with the OECD and other 

space agencies on a call to generate original 

research and analysis related to the economic 

and policy impacts of orbital debris. Over a 

dozen international teams participated in the 

“Economics and Policy of Orbital Debris and 

Space Sustainability” call and produced highquality research due to publish early next year. 

OTPS provided funding, subject matter expertise, 

review for all team proposals, and coordinated 

partnership opportunities between the research 

teams in the U.S. and internationally. 

MOON TO MARS: 

Enabling NASA to Achieve the 

Moon to Mars Objectives at a Time 

of Increased Global Interest in 

Lunar Exploration 

As NASA lays out its Artemis activities, it expects 

to set precedents in spaceflight for decades. 

Dozens of international and domestic lunar 

missions are likely to happen before the Artemis 

3 crew lands on the Moon. The number and 

complexity of missions near and to the Moon 

raise new policy questions for NASA and the 

United States Government. OTPS has developed 

a framework for assessing the major policy issues 

that could arise over the course of the Moon to 

Mars campaign to assist decision-makers in the 

mission directorates as they design and execute 

specific elements. 

These issues include: 

• the prioritization of landing locations 

• the designation of safety zones 

• the proper notifications of lunar activity by 

other actors 

• the interference, designation of, or restricted 

use of operationally or scientifically valuable 

locations 

• end-of-life disposal 

• cultural and ethical considerations 

Setting the Example When it Comes to 

the Societal and Ethical Considerations 

of Space Exploration 

As a global role model, NASA must consider 

the societal and ethical considerations of space 

exploration. NASA’s Moon to Mars objectives have 

2023 OTPS Policy Fellow Katie McBrayer and Zach Pirtle lead a 

session at the Artemis and Ethics Workshop. 

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Helping NASA Solve Big-Picture Problems 
a recurring tenet for the responsible use of space 

flight architecture, to ensure the future worlds we 

create are ones where humanity collectively wants 

to live. 

In April, OTPS organized a workshop at NASA 

Headquarters that signified the first structured 

approach NASA has taken to think about future 

societal considerations since Apollo. The 

office invited 55 experts across a relevant and 

diverse range of social science, humanities, and 

technical fields. Participants listened to talks 

and engaged in brainstorming sessions on key 

ethical challenges in spaceflight. They discussed 

how ethical questions were handled in other 

scientific endeavors, such as the Human Genome 

Project, and possible policy options to address 

these concerns. NASA Representatives included 

members of the Exploration Systems Development 

Mission Directorate (ESDMD), STMD, SMD, the 

Office of International and Interagency Relations 

(OIIR), and the NASA centers. 

In September, OTPS published a workshop 

synthesis report titled, “Artemis, Ethics, and Society: 

Synthesis from a Workshop.” The report includes 

key questions, cultural and practical challenges, 

and policy and management options that space 

organizations can utilize. This was debuted at 

the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) 

annual meeting and a summary of findings and 

takeaways from the workshop were shared at the 

OTPS intern Laura Ratliff participates in a breakout session at the 

Artemis and Ethics Workshop. 

i

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy

Artemis, Ethics and 

Society: Synthesis 

from a Workshop

Zachary Pirtle, Katherine McBrayer, Alyse Beauchemin 

Reviewers:

OTPS: Gabriel Swiney, Laura Delgado Lopez, Gabe Merrill 

Mission Directorate POCs: Nujoud Merancy, Jacob Bleacher, Amy 

Kaminski, Jenn Gustetic, Ryan Watkins, Debra Needham

September 21, 2023

Report ID 20230012799

NASA Headquarters 

300 E Street SW

Washington, DC 20024

Cover of the NASA 

“Artemis, Ethics and 

Society: Synthesis from a 

Workshop” report. 

(From left to right) Mark Lupisella (GSFC), Gabe Merrill, and Zach 

Pirtle share a few smiles during the Artemis and 

Ethics Workshop. 

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy

18

Helping NASA Solve Big-Picture Problems 
Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and 

New Discovery (ASCEND) conference in October. 

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy also 

included themes from the report in her keynote 

speech at the 74th International Astronautical 

Federation’s (IAF’s) International Astronautical 

Congress (IAC). Her speech titled, “Going for 

Humanity: Creating a Responsible and Sustainable 

Universe,” put out a broad call for countries 

around the world to think more proactively about 

societal and ethical considerations. 

Providing Significant Support to NASA’s 

Cross-Directorate Federated Board 

NASA’s Cross-Directorate Federated Board, an 

internal coordination body including members of 

senior leadership from each mission directorate, 

ensures that agency priorities and general 

architectural direction are tightly and efficiently 

integrated for Artemis, Moon to Mars, and other 

activities that require coordination across the 

mission directorates. OTPS provides significant 

support to the Federated Board’s Executive 

Secretariat and enhances its ability to operate in 

both depth and breadth. In 2023, The Federated 

Board met 37 times, covering 19 themes 

with a total of 53 review topics that enabled 

shared insights or discourse. Two themes that 

encompassed eight topics were Moon to Mars 

Strategy and Objectives and the ESDMD Moon to 

Mars Architecture. 

NASA’s Moon to Mars Strategy and Objectives 

were created to map out NASA’s achievable vision 

of sustained human presence and exploration 

throughout the solar system. In addition to the 

four tracks of goals and objectives, a set of nine 

recurring tenets (RTs) address common themes 

broadly applicable across the objectives and are 

fundamental to achieving the Moon to 

Mars objectives. A.C. Charania and Kurt ”Spuds” Vogel visit JPL and pose for a photo 

in front of a mock-up of the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) that would be 

part of a Mars Sample Return architecture. 

Deputy Administrator 

Pam Melroy and 

former OTPS Associate 

Administrator 

Bhavya Lal. 

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy 

19

Helping NASA Solve Big-Picture Problems 
The Federated Board’s Executive Secretariat 

played a key part in reviewing the initial set of 

objectives and incorporating public feedback to 

refine them. The Executive Secretariat also led 

the integration and internal review process for the 

recurring tenets. This year, in addition to Federated 

Board activities, the Executive Secretariat wrote 

the “Assessment to the Recurring Tenets,” for RT-6 

and RT-9 which give more context to what the RT 

means, what guides it, what success looks like 

and identifies future considerations. 

RT-6 emphasizes the importance of responsible 

use, centered on preserving lunar and Martian 

environments and protecting science value at 

high-interest sites. It also includes considerations 

associated with international commitments, norms 

of behavior, and national regulations. 

RT-9 emphasizes the importance of supporting 

industry efforts to develop innovative solutions 

and expand the capabilities for Moon to Mars 

activities. It fosters a sustainable cislunar economy 

and captures potential benefits through spinoff 

technologies and other downstream impacts 

on Earth. 

THE FUTURE OF NASA: 

Ensuring NASA has the 

Technologies and Capabilities 

Needed for the Future 

The broader ecosystem within which NASA works 

is ever evolving, which presents both opportunities 

for innovation and challenges in execution. OTPS 

is at the forefront of several efforts to understand 

how external factors may influence the design 

of future missions. By monitoring trends across 

the space sector, OTPS helps ensure that NASA 

leverages such changes to its best advantage. 

Approaching Disruptive Technologies to 

Meet Mission Needs 

In her keynote speech at Quantum World 

Congress in September, Deputy Administrator Pam 

Melroy announced the approval of two quantum 

sensing studies from OTPS to help bring the 

From left to right, Ellen Gertsen, A.C. Charania, and Charity Weeden at 

the Zero Gravity Research Facility at NASA’s Glenn Research Center. 

A.C. Charania participates in the “Quantum in the National Interest” 

panel at Quantum World Congress. 

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Helping NASA Solve Big-Picture Problems 
quantum community together and inform NASA’s 

path forward. 

In one study, NASA is a co-author with the NRO 

and the USSF, to examine overlaps in interest 

for quantum sensors and associated subsystem 

technologies. The goal of the other study, which 

strictly focuses on NASA, examines existing efforts 

and identifies priorities that would help focus 

quantum sensing research and related activities 

on areas where it benefits NASA most. This work 

may be used to inform a future agency quantum 

sensing strategy. 

Framing How NASA Thinks About 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

Under the guidance of the agency chief 

technologist, OTPS is looking at a strategic 

approach to understanding and coordinating AI at 

the agency. In particular, the ACT, in collaboration 

with NASA’s Chief Scientist and Chief 

Information Officer, is leading an effort to provide 

recommendations on how to implement “Executive 

Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development 

and Use of Artificial Intelligence,” including how to 

establish the role of chief AI officer. OTPS is also 

helping NASA understand how AI can fit into the 

agency’s long-term vision to work digitally in the 

future by acting as an ambassador for NASA, 

engaging with external organizations and other 

government agencies in the AI field. 

Ensuring NASA Has a Robust Industrial 

Base and Supply Chain 

OTPS is the primary interface between NASA and 

the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry 

and Security (BIS) and the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct a 

comprehensive survey that will help ensure that 

NASA’s industrial base and supply chain are robust 

enough to accomplish its exploration, science, and 

technology missions. 

OTPS team members visit the Quantum Space Telecommunication 

Algorithms Research (Q-STAR) Lab at Goddard Space Flight 

Center (GSFC).

(From left to right) Elaine Gresham, Alex MacDonald, Ellen Gertsen, 

and A.C. Charania attend NASA’s Quarterly Leadership Summit.

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21

Helping NASA Solve Big-Picture Problems 
APPENDIX A: OTPS Publications 

i

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy

Artemis, Ethics and 

Society: Synthesis 

from a Workshop

Zachary Pirtle, Katherine McBrayer, Alyse Beauchemin 

Reviewers:

OTPS: Gabriel Swiney, Laura Delgado Lopez, Gabe Merrill 

Mission Directorate POCs: Nujoud Merancy, Jacob Bleacher, Amy 

Kaminski, Jenn Gustetic, Ryan Watkins, Debra Needham

September 21, 2023

Report ID 20230012799

NASA Headquarters 

300 E Street SW

Washington, DC 20024

Artemis, Ethics, and Society: Synthesis from a Workshop

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy 

Cost and Benefit 

Analysis of Orbital 

Debris Remediation

Authors: Thomas J. Colvin, John Karcz, Grace Wusk 

Reviewers: Patrick Besha (OTPS), Bo Naasz (STMD)

March 10, 2023

NASA Headquarters

300 E Street SW

Washington, DC 20024

Cost and Benefit Analysis of Orbital Debris Remediation

i

September 30, 2022

Report ID 20220015973

NASA Headquarters

300 E Street SW

Washington, DC 20024

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy 

Lunar Landing and 

Operations Policy 

Analysis

Gabriel Swiney, Amanda Hernandez

This report would not have been possible without the extensive 

cooperation of experts across NASA. The work of NASA’s CrossArtemis Site Selection Analysis team has been particularly valuable,

and we have relied on experts across mission directorates, centers, 

and within NASA Headquarters for every section of this report. This 

effort underscores the reality that creating a safe, sustainable, and 

predictable presence on the Moon and beyond is a task for the entire 

agency.

Reviewers: Jacob Bleacher, Ruthan Lewis, Gabriel Merrill, Zachary Pirtle, 

Emily Sylak-Glassman

Lunar Landing and Operations Policy Analysis

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA PLANETARY DEFENSE

STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN

In support of the National Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan for 

Near-Earth Object Hazards and Planetary Defense 

APRIL 2023

Double Asteroid 

Redirection Test

Near-Earth 

Object Surveyor

www.nasa.gov

NASA Planetary Defense Strategy and Action Plan

Appendices 

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APPENDIX B: OTPS Participation in Events and Conferences 

JANUARY 2023

Event: SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY 

Role: Bhavya Lal, Speaker

Topic: Public Management of Technology Development 

Event: AIAA SCITECH 

Role: Bhavya Lal, Panelist

Topic: The Space Exploration Portfolio: Strategy 

and Implementation

Event: AIAA SCITECH PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE MARS 

EXPLORATION 

PLANNING TELECON

Role: Bhavya Lal, Moderator

Topic: Past, Present, and Future of Mars Exploration

Event: AIAA SCITECH FORUM 360

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: Creating Revolutionary Capability: Connecting 

Science Fiction and Science Vision

FEBRUARY 2023

Event: U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 

Role: Bhavya Lal, Participant

Topic: Roundtable Discussion: Industry and Commercial 

Partnerships

Jordan Sotudeh and Trina Braxton share some smiles at a team 

development outing. 

Former OTPS Associate Administrator Dr. Bhavya Lal and Dr. Matthew 

Daniels from the Office of Science and Technology Policy visit the 

NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) spacecraft in a clean 

room at JPL. NISAR is a joint Earth-observing mission between the 

United States and India and will be the first radar of its kind in space 

to systematically map Earth. 

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Appendices 
MARCH 2023

Event: GROUND SPACE ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP 

(GSAW)

Role: A.C. Charania, Keynote Speaker

Topic: Interoperability Integration with Enterprise

Event: SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW)

Role: Bhavya Lal, Virtual Speaker

Topic: Challenges of Orbital Debris

Event: AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY (AAS) 

ROBERT H. GODDARD SYMPOSIUM

Role: Bhavya Lal, Keynote Speaker

Topic: Challenges of Orbital Debris 

FEBRUARY 2023

Event: INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANIZATION (ISRO) 

JET PROPULSION LABORATORY (JPL) SITE VISIT

Role: Bhavya Lal, Speaker

Topic: U.S. and Indian Space Collaboration

Event: HUMAN RESEARCH PROGRAM INVESTIGATOR’S 

WORKSHOP (HRP IWS)

Role: Grace Ray, Poster Presentation

Topic: Models for Facilitating Government-Funded 

Activities in the Post-ISS LEO Ecosystem

Event: UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE

Role: Bhavya Lal, Panelist

Topic: U.S. and China Space Relations

Event: COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHT FEDERATION (CSF)

Role: A.C. Charania, Speaker

Topic: Agency Chief Technologist Overview

Event: COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION 

(CST) CONFERENCE 

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: Space Beyond Orbit

Event: SPACECOM – THE GLOBAL COMMERCIAL SPACE 

CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION

Role: Erica Rodgers, Panelist

Topic: Space Stations of the Future

Erica Rodgers participates in “Space Stations of the Future” at 

SpaceCom in Orlando, Florida.

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Appendices 
MARCH 2023

Event: SPACE GENERATION ADVISORY 

COUNCIL (SGX2023)

Role: A.C. Charania, Moderator

Topic: Deep Space Exploration

Role: Tom Colvin, Speaker

Topic: OTPS Role Overview

Event: ALLAN BROMLEY MEMORIAL LECTURE

Role: Bhavya Lal, Keynote Speaker

Topic: Moon to Mars Policy Challenges

Event: ASCENDX TEXAS 

Role: A.C. Charania, Guest Speaker

Topic: Technology Pathways Driving the Future

Event: NASA LANGLEY IDEAS2VALUE SYMPOSIUM

Role: Ken Wright, Keynote speaker

Topic: Utilizing Future Scenarios and Storytelling to 

Impact Today’s Strategies

APRIL 2023

Event: INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF ASTRONAUTICS 

PLANETARY DEFENSE CONFERENCE 2023

Role: Bhavya Lal, Virtual Keynote Speaker

Topic: Planetary Defense

APRIL 2023

Event: NASA AMES/UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL 

SURVEY WORKSHOP 

Role: Bhavya Lal, Keynote Speaker

Topic: Technologies to Fill Observation and 

Capability Gaps for the Off-World Mineral 

Resource Economy

Event: TITANS OF NUCLEAR PODCAST

Role: Bhavya Lal, Guest

Topic: Space Nuclear

Event: 2023 GLOBAL SPACE LAW CENTER SYMPOSIUM

Role: Gabriel Swiney, Panelist

Topic: Law and Policy Issues in the New 

Orbital Economy

Event: ROUNDTABLE ON INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION 

POLICY

Role: Bhavya Lal, Participant

Topic: Industrial Innovation Policy

Event: SPACE GENERATION FUSION FORUM (SGFF)

Role: A.C. Charania, Keynote Speaker

Topic: Agency Chief Technologist Overview

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: Heads of Agency: Space Agencies Role in the 

Global Space Ecosystem

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Appendices 
APRIL 2023

Event: NATIONAL SPACE SYMPOSIUM 

Role: Bhavya Lal, Ellen Gertsen, Facilitators

Topic: Behavioral Norms in Space Roundtable: 

Building Rules of the Road to Space

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: Space Meets Innovation: Inspire Creative 

Thought

Role: Bhavya Lal, Panelist

Topic: Planetary Defense Strategy

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: Lunar Infrastructure

Role: A.C. Charania, Participant

Topic: Space Technology Roundtable

Role: Bhavya Lal, Moderator

Topic: Next Steps on Nuclear Power and Propulsion

Event: HARVARD UNIVERSITY SPACE WEEK

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: The Artemis Accords: Pursuing International 

Collaboration in Times of Geopolitical Tensions

Event: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS EL PASO COLLEGE 

OF ENGINEERING’S SOUTHWEST EMERGING 

TECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM (SETS)

Role: Ave Kludze, Panelist

Topic: Careers in Aerospace

Event: VIRGINIA TECH ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED 

ALUMNI AWARD CEREMONY

Role: Ken Wright, Speaker and Awardee

Topic: Innovation – Leading from the Future

MAY 2003

Event: NASA PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUMMIT

Role: A.C. Charania, Keynote Speaker

Topic: Applying Insights from Industry for NASA 

Technology Development

Event: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AEROSPACE 

DEPARTMENT SEMINAR SERIES

Role: Bhavya Lal, Guest Speaker

Topic: Nuclear Propulsion

Event: CYBERLEO CONFERENCE

Role: Erica Rodgers, Presenters

Topic: CyberSMAX

(From left to right) Bhavya Lal, Ellen Gertsen, A.C. Charania, and Katie 

McBrayer capture a moment at the National Space Symposium.

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Appendices 
MAY 2003

Event: NASA ADVISORY COUNCIL TECHNOLOGY, 

INNOVATION, AND ENGINEERING 

COMMITTEE MEETING

Role: A.C. Charania, Speaker

Topic: OTPS and ACT Overview

Event: HUMANS TO MARS SUMMIT H2M 2023

Role: Bhavya Lal, Moderator

Topic: DRACO Program – Nuclear Propulsion

Role: Gabriel Swiney, Panelist

Topic: Artemis Accords: An international Campaign to 

the Moon and Mars

Role: Bhavya Lal, Guest Speaker

Topic: NASA Objectives: What’s Next

Event: DEFENSE INNOVATION UNIT (DIU) STATE OF THE 

SPACE INDUSTRIAL BASE WORKSHOP 2023

Role: Bhavya Lal, Keynote Speaker

Topic: NASA’s Moon to Mars Strategy and Potential 

Policy Issues

Event: SUSTAINABLE AEROSPACE TOGETHER FORUM

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: What Will the Future of Flight Look Like? Next 

Generation Concepts

Event: ROCKETS ON THE HILL

Role: A.C. Charania, Keynote Speaker

Topic: ACT Background and Space Career Opportunities

MAY 2003

Event: ARS FRONTIERS

Role: Bhavya Lal, Panelist

Topic: Internet Everywhere: Satellites Are 

Suddenly Sexy

Event: AUTHENTIC AMERICANS IN THE OFFICE OF THE 

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (OCFO) – ASIAN 

AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC 

ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH

Role: Bhavya Lal, Panelist

Topic: Authentic Americans in the OCFO

Event: SPACE DIPLOMACY OPEN FORUM 

Role: Bhavya Lal, Speaker

Topic: Space Diplomacy

JUNE 2003

Event: SPACEX CRS-28 LAUNCH

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: From Dreams to Reality: How Science Fiction 

has Impacted Space Exploration and Policy

Event: AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

Role: A.C. Charania, Speaker

Topic: Space Law Symposium

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27

Appendices 
JUNE 2003

Event: NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE, 

ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE (NASEM) 

STUDY WORKFORCE, INFRASTRUCTURE 

AND TECHNOLOGY

Role: Bhavya Lal, Participant

Topic: How Technology is Prioritized at the 

Agency Level

Event: NASA – NASEM SPACE HISTORY AND 

POLICY FORUM

Role: Bhavya Lal, Co-Moderator

Topic: India Space Policy – Then and Now

Event: AWESOME CON

Role: Bhavya Lal, A.C. Charania, Panelists

Topic: The Impact of Science Fiction

Event: SPACE TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION MEETING

Role: Bhavya Lal, Guest Speaker

Topic: NASA’s Recent, Current, and Future Activities

Event: OFFICE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND 

POLICY (OSTP)

Role: Bhavya Lal, Participant

Topic: Cislunar Pathfinding Roundtable

JUNE 2003

Event: GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Role: Bhavya Lal, Keynote Speaker

Topic: Space Policy Institute Dinner

Event: NATIONAL SPACE COUNCIL: FROM APOLLO TO 

ARTEMIS GENERATIONS: CELEBRATING OUR 

HISTORY AND CHARTING OUR FUTURE FORUM

Role: Ken Wright, Moderator

Topic: In Space for Earth

JULY 2023

Event: ZED FACTOR FELLOWSHIP

Role: A.C. Charania, Keynote Speaker

Topic: Leadership Summit

Event: AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY

Role: A.C. Charania, Keynote Speaker

Topic: John Glenn Memorial Symposium

Event: INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS 

ENGINEERS (IEEE)

Role: A.C. Charania, Session Chair

Topic: International Geoscience and Remote Sensing 

Symposium (IGRSS) 2023

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Appendices 
JULY 2023

Event: NATIONAL SPACE CLUB

Role: Gabriel Swiney, Guest Speaker

Topic: Moon to Mars Policy Issues

Event: AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY JOHN 

GLENN MEMORIAL SYMPOSIUM

Role: Ellen Gertsen, Moderator

Topic: Policy – Enabling Objectives Panel

Event: HBO DOCUMENTARY

Role: Bhavya Lal, Guest

Topic: Near Space

Event: NATIONAL SPACE COUNCIL ROUND TABLE 

DISCUSSION FOR NASA INTERNS AND FELLOWS

Role: Ken Wright, Facilitator

Topic: The National Space Council and its role in 

Space Policy

AUGUST 2023

Event: TECHTANK PODCAST

Role: Tom Colvin, Guest

Topic: Space Policy

Event: NASA GEM FELLOW PRESENTATIONS

Role: Ken Wright, Speaker

Topic: The Importance of Staying Connected

SEPTEMBER 2023

Event: COMMERCIAL SPACE DAYS

Role: Alex MacDonald, Panelist

Topic: Innovation Economy in Space | The Great Debate

Role: Alex MacDonald, Panelist

Topic: Innovation and Market Development in Space | 

The Great Debate Reloaded

Event: NASA INNOVATIVE ADVANCED CONCEPTS 

(NIAC) SYMPOSIUM

Role: A.C. Charania, Speaker

Topic: Agency Chief Technologist Overview

Gabriel Swiney speaks at the National Space Club breakfast in 

Huntsville, Alabama.

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29

Appendices 
Ellen Gertsen and Charles Norton, Deputy Chief Technologist, Jet 

Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) show off their smiles at ASCEND 

Las Vegas.

Ellen Gertsen joins Krystal Azelton, Secure World Foundation 

(left), and Julie Kearney, FCC (right), at the “Summit on Emerging 

Technology Policy” panel at the Georgetown Law Institute for 

Technology Law and Policy. 

SEPTEMBER 2023

Event: LUNAR EXPLORATION ANALYSIS GROUP (LEAG) 

ANNUAL MEETING

Role: Zach Pirtle, Speaker

Topic: Ethical and Societal Implications of Artemis and 

Moon to Mars Workshop

Event: QUANTUM WORLD CONGRESS

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: Quantum in the National Interest

Event: GEORGETOWN LAW INSTITUTE FOR 

TECHNOLOGY LAW AND POLICY

Role: Ellen Gertsen, Panelist

Topic: Summit on Emerging Technology Policy

Event: NATIONAL GEM CONSORTIUM 

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Role: Ken Wright, Panelist

Topic: The future of the Aerospace Industry through 

Generational Eyes

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Appendices 
OCTOBER 2023

Event: 74TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL ASTRONAUTICAL 

CONGRESS (IAC)

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: Innovative Technology Infusion Approaches for 

Future Deep Space Exploration Missions

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: Global Networking Forum (GNF) Panel: Enabling 

Science and Exploration in Deep Space - 

Partnership and Infrastructure Opportunities

Event: LUNAR SURFACE INNOVATION 

CONSORTIUM (LSIC)

Role: A.C. Charania, Keynote Speaker

Topic: The Consortium and NASA’s Lunar Technology 

Development Efforts

Role: Zach Pirtle, Speaker

Topic: Artemis and Ethics Overview

Event: NASA LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

Role: A.C. Charania, Speaker

Topic: Leadership and Project Management Insights 

and Lessons

A.C. Charania participates in “Enabling Science and Exploration in 

Deep Space - Partnership and Infrastructure Opportunities at the 74th 

Annual International Astronautical Congress (IAC). 

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31

Appendices 
OCTOBER 2023

Event: ACCELERATING SPACE COMMERCE, 

EXPLORATION, AND NEW DISCOVERY 

ASCEND) 2023

Role: A.C. Charania, Panelist

Topic: Bridging the ‘Valley of Death’: Overcoming the 

Challenges of Technology Infusion

Role: Tom Colvin, Jericho Locke, Panelist 

and Moderator

Topic: Orbital Debris: Mitigate, Track, or Remediate

Role: Erica Rodgers, Session Chair

Topic: Technical Paper Session EESE-06 “Emerging 

Commercial Services and Capabilities”

Role: Erica Rodgers, Session Chair

Topic: Technical Paper Session EDUC-03: Space Design 

and Architectures Student Competition Winning 

Teams Presentations

Role: Katie McBrayer, Presenter

Topic: Artemis Efforts and Lessons Learned

Event: THE 17TH ESPI AUTUMN CONFERENCE

Role: Alex MacDonald, Panelist

Topic: Comparing and Contrasting European and U.S. 

Space Ambitions

Role: Patrick Besha, Panelist

Topic: Embracing Multipolar Partnerships

NOVEMBER 2023

Event: GATEWAY PROGRAM, PLANNING, AND CONTROL 

OFFICE (PP&C) RETREAT

Role: Ellen Gertsen, Keynote Speaker

Topic: OTPS Overview

Role: A.C. Charania, Speaker

Topic: Q&A Session on Path from Industry to NASA

Event: STUDENTS FOR THE EXPLORATION AND 

DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE (SEDS)

Role: A.C. Charania, Keynote Speaker

Topic: Space Vision 2023 Parallax

Event: GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Role: Charity Weeden, Guest Speaker

Topic: Space Policy Institute Dinner

Patrick Besha participates in “Contrasting European and U.S. Space 

Ambitions” at The 17th European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) 

Autumn Conference.

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Appendices 
NOVEMBER 2023

Event: AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR GRAVITATIONAL AND 

SPACE RESEARCH (ASGSR)

Role: Erica Rodgers, Keynote Speaker

Topic: The Intersection of Space Technology Interests, 

Biological, and Physical Sciences Research in 

Space

Event: NASA’S OFFICE OF STEM ENGAGEMENT BETTER 

TOGETHER CONFERENCE

Role: Kenneth Wright, Session Chair

Topic: Strategic Foresight

Event: HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPACE LAW (HUSL)

Role: Charity Weeden, Guest Speaker

Topic: Q&A Session with Students

Event: GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

Role: Alex MacDonald, Speaker

Topic: Economic Origins and Potential Economic 

Future(s) of Space Exploration

NOVEMBER 2023

Event: INTERNATIONAL SPACE UNIVERSITY CAFÉ

Role: A.C. Charania, Guest Speaker

Topic: Agency Chief Technologist Overview

DECEMBER 2023

Event: INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

Role: Charity Weeden, Participant

Topic: Space for Connectivity and Sustainable 

Development Roundtable

Event: NASA UNITED EARLY CAREER GROUP 

Role: A.C. Charania, Speaker

Topic: Future of NASA Speaker Series

Role: Grace Ray, Facilitator

Topic: Workshop Townhall

Event: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY SPACE 

ENTERPRISE COUNCIL

Role: Charity Weeden, Speaker

Topic: An Overview of OTPS

Event: INTERNATIONAL, NORTH AMERICAN AND 

EUROPEAN STATISTICAL CLASSIFICATIONS FOR 

SPACE ECONOMY MEASUREMENT

Role: Alex MacDonald, Co-Presenter

Topic: Publication Launch Event

Event: 18TH GALLOWAY SPACE LAW SYMPOSIUM

Role: Therese Jones, Panelist

Topic: Sustainability and Resource Utilization

OTPS Associate Administrator Charity Weeden poses with Margaret 

Kieffer (OIIR) and Amber McIntyre (OIIR) at the Space Policy 

Institute dinner. 

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Appendices 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy

NASA Headquarters

300 E Street SW

Washington, DC 20546

www.nasa.gov

Visit NASA OTPS

www.nasa.gov/otps/ 

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy