Polaris
Stories from Payload’s weekly space policy newsletter, Polaris.
Dems Sound the Alarm on FAA’s Dealings With Starlink
Democratic lawmakers are sounding the alarm about SpaceX’s Starlink potentially winning a multi-billion FAA contract—a move that “would stink of corruption” because of Elon Musk’s position in the Trump administration, according to one member.
Nations Lock Down EO Capabilities As Ukraine War Continues
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago this week catapulted EO tech into the spotlight, providing a bird’s eye view of everything from Russia’s build up of military equipment along the border to the theft of Ukrainian grain. Seeing the benefits of EO before and during the conflict, industry officials said other countries have been…
Rep. Brian Babin on SLS, Artemis, and Committee To-Dos
“There’s no other way we’re going to get back to the surface of the Moon before the Chinese without the SLS. It’s not going to happen,” he said.
Congress’ Very Busy Week in Space Policy
Amid the mile-a-minute news cycle that is 2025 so far, we can’t blame you if you’ve missed some of the space action on Capitol Hill. So here are five things we’ve been watching over the past week.
US Chamber Launches Space Leadership Council
The council will work with lawmakers to help shape policy in a way that benefits the commercial sector on topics from acquisition to licensing to spectrum.
Op-ed: Why Outdated Regs Are Holding Back the Nuclear Space Race
Regulators must find ways to balance safety and national security concerns surrounding nuclear systems and materials with the mandate for America to lead in space and the drive for a thriving commercial space economy, especially as nuclear technology becomes safer and less risky thanks to new advancements.
Trump’s First 100 Days of Space Policy
“We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.”
Kendall Predicts Bigger, Stronger Space Force By 2050
“Space is going to be the decisive domain. The ability of the entire joint force to project power depends upon our success in space,” he said in his final think tank engagement as Air Force secretary.
What We’re Watching This Year in Space Policy
New leaders in DC and a booming space economy are likely to make 2025 an important one for space policy discussions on topics ranging from NASA’s long-term goals to federal funding levels to buying commercial to regulatory processes.
Meet A New Face in the National Security Space Community
Rep.-elect Jeff Crank (R-CO) is excited about the future of space—especially, what he can do as a freshman lawmaker to help the commercial space community keep growing.
Space Force at 5 Years: An Interview with Chief Master Sergeant John Bentivegna
As the Space Force prepares to celebrate its fifth birthday this month—and its growth from a single Guardian to a uniformed force of nearly 10,000—Polaris chatted with Space Force Chief Master Sergeant John Bentivegna about how the service has changed in its half decade, and what’s next.
2024 Year in Review: Space Policy
Let’s take a look back at the year in space policy, which included the finish lines for some initiatives—and the reopening of previously closed cases for others.
CSF Rebrands To Represent Whole Commercial Space Industry
The trade association formerly known as the Commercial Spaceflight Federation is getting a new name, a concise mandate, and a way to support the politicians who support space.
