Exploring Insights from Emerging Space Agencies

SWF hosted an expert panel of graduates from the George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute to share findings from their report entitled “Exploring Insights from Emerging Space Agencies.” This report analyzes the motivations for recently standing up a national civil space agency by conducting a general assessment of newly formed space agencies established between 2014 and 2019; furthermore, it also does a deep dive into two selected case study nations, Luxembourg and the United Arab Emirates.

This project was completed as part of the George Washington University’s Global Capstone program, with the support of the the Secure World Foundation (SWF), the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Aerospace Security Project, the NASA Office of International and Interagency Relations (NASA OIIR), and the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

The full report and the Executive Summary are available here.             

Moderator: Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director, SWF

Speakers:

• Renata Knittel Kommel, George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute
• Ashley Peter, George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute
• Luc Riesbeck, George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute

For more information, please contact SWF Washington Office Director Victoria Samson.

Speaker Bios:

• Renata Knittel Kommel is an M.A. graduate of the George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute. She previously graduated from PUC University of São Paulo with a B.A. in International Affairs. She held internships with the Brazilian Mission to the United Nations, the Satellite Industry Association, and the Secure World Foundation. Renata has also worked as a member of the Space Security Index research team and as a Research Associate at LMI Advisors. Currently, she works at A3 Technology Inc supporting the FAA Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).
• Ashley Peter is an M.A. graduate of the George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute. She also holds a B.S. in Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences and Management Science from MIT. Ashley currently works at NASA Headquarters, supporting the Programmatic & Strategic Integration office within the Artemis program for deep space human exploration.
• Luc Riesbeck is an M.A. graduate of the George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute. They received their bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences with a minor in Global China Studies from New York University Shanghai in 2018. Their area of research is in commercial space and space sustainability issues, including solutions for active debris removal, on-orbit satellite servicing, and other applications for advanced robotics for rendezvous and proximity operations in space. Luc is also an alumni of the Brooke Owens Fellowship. They currently serve as a Space Policy Research Analyst at Astroscale U.S.

Event Materials 

Powerpoint Presentation