Project Overview
As part of SGAC’s mission to represent the young space generation, the NCAC Task Force brings together students and young space professionals to communicate our vision of a sustainable, fair, and cooperative future in space to the NCAC region (North America, Central America, and the Caribbean). We publish policy briefs, perspective articles, and policy positions, and we facilitate discussions with experts to encourage broad involvement in policy.
This Task Force operates under the SGAC Space Generation Advocacy and Policy Platform (SGAPP).
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN & ROLLING:
The NCAC Task Force welcomes all participants that qualify for SGAC membership (ages 18-35). Complete this form and we will be in contact.
Policy Briefs & Resources
Webinar Series
Ep. 5 – The Artemis Program
Ep. 4 – Net Zero Emissions
Ep. 3 – Climate Action
Ep. 2 – Space Diplomacy
Ep. 1 – Space Debris
Blog and Newsletters
NCAC Task Force Leadership
Lead - Lindsey Wiser
Lindsey is an Astrophysics Ph.D. Candidate at Arizona State University, where she studies exoplanet atmospheres using space telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope, and atmosphere modeling tools. Lindsey also currently works with the science team for the NASA Pandora mission, expected to launch in 2025. In addition to her science, Lindsey has contributed to numerous projects in space policy and law. Lindsey is a 2019 Brooke Owens Fellow, and in 2020 she earned her B.S. from Johns Hopkins University studying Engineering Mechanics and Earth and Planetary Science. Lindsey is passionate about all things space and aviation, and love the outdoors, a good book, and cuddling her cat.
Co-Lead - Anja Sheppard
Anja Sheppard is a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan where she is investigating robotic perception for space exploration. She is a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow and a Draper Scholar, and she holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Dallas. Anja also currently works for the Mars 2020 Perseverance operations team on the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) instrument. She has contributed to research at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. Anja is very passionate about encouraging an ethical approach to space exploration by bridging the gap between policy and ethics to space technology.
Policy Lead - Shreya Srivathsan
Shreya Srivathsan is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan studying political science, interdisciplinary astro, with a potential minor in public policy. On campus, Shreya is involved with Michigan Debate, Michigan Foreign Policy Council, Michigan Daily, and serves as a fundraising chair on houseboard at Martha Cook. During election season, you can find her working as an election officer with Ann Arbor. She recently finished a fellowship with Running Start, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women to pursue public office. Shreya’s deep passion for politics has led her to a keen interest in political journalism and commentary. Her long-term aspirations lie in the field of outer space law alongside intellectual property, where she aims to make a significant impact. Particular focus areas that she enjoys studying are reconnaissance satellites and defense systems.
Special Projects Lead - Roxy Williams
Roxy is a senior Afro-indigenous Software Engineering student at the Latin American University of Science and Technology in Costa Rica. She is currently the Regional Coordinator for the NCAC region in SGAC. Roxy founded The Black Panthers, an empowerment group for vulnerable communities in space. Recently nominated for the Women’s Space Awards for her contributions in the sector, Roxy is the lead of the Diversity and Gender Equality long-term project DIVINAS (Diversity In Astronaut Selection) and led a sub-team designing a Mercury Sample Return Mission. She won the Space Station Design Workshop competition in the Institute of Space Systems of the University of Stuttgart and collaborated with the Brazilian Institute of Space Research on a CubeSat project. Roxy received global awards including the SGAC Pioneer Award and the IAF Emerging Space Leader.
Communications Lead - Kryn Ambs
Kryn is a Payload Mission Manager at Axiom Space and a 2018 Brooke Owens Fellow. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Aviation from Eastern Michigan University, a Bachelor’s of Science in Spaceflight Operations and Human Factors from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Graduate Certificate in Commercial Space Studies, a program jointly led by the International Space University (ISU) and Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). Kryn hails from the Great Lake state of Michigan and enjoys hiking, camping, flying airplanes, globetrotting, and teaching herself an array of new things.
Programs Lead - Cari Fay Reinert
Cari serves as the Program Coordinator of Space Commerce Institute at Space Foundation. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with her B.S. in International Political Economy and has held internships with NASA Headquarters, the Aerospace Corporation, and BryceTech. Cari is a 2023 Brooke Owens Fellow and loves to spend time connecting with her peers in aerospace, exploring the outdoors, learning about trees, teaching English, and creating art. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of space commerce, climate adaptation strategies, and environmental economics.