Polaris
Stories from Payload’s weekly space policy newsletter, Polaris.
A Policy Proposal For Happy Hour in Orbit
“This is not to squash anyone’s dreams. This is to say you can’t just go up there and use lead pipes to make bathtub gin.”
Organizations Band Together to Save NASA Science
The organizations’ plan is to educate members of Congress on the importance of NASA science, and the wide-ranging benefits the agency provides to the whole country.
A Q&A with Rep. Grace Meng
“I haven’t even spoken to Acting Administrator Sean Duffy,” she said. “I don’t know when a new [permanent] administrator will potentially be confirmed. There are a lot of unknowns, so absolutely we are so nervous.”
Smithsonian Opens New ‘Futures in Space’ Hall
Monuments to the commercial space age are getting a new home at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, just around the corner from historic relics of government-driven space success, like the Mercury Friendship 7 capsule that carried John Glenn to orbit.
FCC Considers Cutting Regs as Trump Celebrates US Space Potential
Last week, the FCC took a big step towards one of the Trump administration’s key goals in space: eliminating bureaucracy that bogs down innovation in the private sector.
Rep. Stevens’ Bill Would Invest in US Rare Earths Supply Chain
The commercial space economy runs on rare Earth minerals, but the rare Earths in space today have one thing in common: the vast majority come from China.
Hypersonics and Heritage with Rep. Vince Fong
Fong, who joined Congress in June 2024 after a special election, chatted with Payload about how commercial space can support US space ambitions, the administration’s NASA budget request, and the long history of space and aeronautics achievement in his district.
CU Boulder Establishes Space Policy Professorship
A new professorship at the University of Colorado Boulder aims to bridge the gap between space engineering, business, and law, by emphasizing the importance of space governance to the whole industry.
Where Does Space Fit Into NATO Funding Boost?
“I think in general allies are looking to invest more [in space] …particularly at this point at a national level,” she said. “There’s a lot of interest, primarily in commercial capabilities and accessing off-the-shelf capabilities.”
Report Proposes Fixes For The Aerospace Talent Gap
It’s time for the aerospace and defense sector to learn to do more with less.
Two New Space Bills Introduced on Capitol Hill
The legislative wheels are turning, with senators introducing two new space-focused bills last week and one NASA bill set to get marked up in the House tomorrow.
Space Force Partners on Rocketry Challenge
“It represents exactly the kind of talent and passion we want to foster,” Maj. Bryan Davis, the Space Force’s chief of marketing, told Payload in an email.
UN Releases Space Debris Primer
Decades ago, the UN was already thinking about the risks and liability concerns raised by debris falling out of orbit. Now, as falling space debris becomes a more common occurrence, the UN’s Office for Outer Space Affairs is reminding nations that it has a process for dealing with it.
