View U.S. Leadership in Lunar Spectrum Policy By Shayna Gersten PublishedMarch 17, 2025 Over the next decade, NASA and many commercial and international entities plan to send missions to the Moon. All of these missions will use spectrum to communicate with Earth. However, the international regulatory frameworks overseeing radio spectrum beyond Earth’s orbits (such as “lunar spectrum”) are underdeveloped, creating the potential for interference and disruptions to communications…
View Why Should the United States Prioritize Mars? By Clayton Swope PublishedMarch 14, 2025 During his inaugural address on January 20, 2024, President Donald Trump indicated he will prioritize U.S. space endeavors focused on Mars. While NASA has a long history of Martian exploration, including operating ongoing missions to the Red Planet, the president’s remarks suggest Mars may play a more central role in NASA’s agenda during the coming years. Unless accompanied by…
View Protecting the Homeland: The Iron Dome for America By Ioannis Nikas, Grayson Phillips PublishedMarch 5, 2025 On January 27, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) entitled “The Iron Dome for America.” Citing the potentially “catastrophic threat” from across the missile spectrum, its stated purpose is to “provide for the common defense of [American] citizens and the Nation.” In an evolving and diverse threat environment, this order calls for a…
Why Did South Korea Create a New Space Agency? By Jacob Bradley PublishedNovember 8, 2024 On May 27, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced the creation of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), which replaced the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) as the lead government organization for Korea’s space program and research activities.[i] KASA was created to reorganize disparate Korean agencies to foster greater efficiency and space innovation. Under…
View Why Hasn’t Starliner Returned? By Clayton Swope PublishedAugust 19, 2024 On June 5, 2024, an Atlas V rocket launched Boeing’s Starliner on its first crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Though it successfully docked with the station, Starliner exhibited anomalies related to its propulsion systems, raising concerns about whether the spacecraft could safely return astronauts to Earth. At the time of writing, NASA…
View Why Did China and Russia Stage a Joint Bomber Exercise near Alaska? By Kari A. Bingen PublishedJuly 30, 2024 On July 24, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) intercepted two Chinese Xian H-6K bombers and two Russian Tu-95MS Bear bombers flying near Alaska. Both types of bombers are nuclear capable. The bombers were intercepted by American F-16s and F-35s and Canadian CF-18 fighter jets. While the aircraft remained in international airspace and did not fly into Canadian…
