U.S. Task Force – Policy & Advocacy
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN (rolling)
The US Task Force welcomes all participants that qualify for SGAC membership (ages 18-35). Complete this form and we will be in contact.
SGAC’s U.S. Task Force is an American-led team of young professionals and students in the space industry. We envision the sustainable, fair, and cooperative development of outer space to benefit all people on Earth. We aim to further this vision through developing policy recommendations and background materials, facilitating discussions with experts, and encouraging broad involvement in policy.
This Task Force operates under the SGAC Space Generation Advocacy and Policy Platform (SGAPP).
Ongoing Activities
Since its founding in January 2021, the U.S. Task Force has accomplished a tremendous amount. As part of SGAC’s mission to represent the young space generation, the Task Force has brought students and young space professionals from around the world together to communicate our vision of a sustainable, fair, and cooperative future in space to the U.S. policy community.
Perspective Blogs: Our mission is to provide a platform for SGAC members to share their perspectives on space policy topics. Contact us if you are interested in writing a blog. Authors of all levels are encouraged to participate.
Educational Materials: The Task Force produces memos, recommendations, and additional resources on pressing space policy topics. These materials are shared with the policy community, as well as a broader audience to encourage involved in policy discussions.
Webinar Series: Public webinars with topical experts encourage policy discussion with a broad audience. Our Space in 2050 series explores how history has shaped current events and how evolving policies may shape what space exploration endeavors look like in 2050. The Series takes a long-term perspective to better understand the challenges we, the younger generation, will face in the decades to come and what actions should be taken in the present.
Policy Briefs and Resources
Commercial Partnerships
Rahim Talibzade
Space in 2050 Webinar Series
Episode 1 – Space Debris
Episode 2 – Space Diplomacy
Blog and Newsletters
Sept 2022 Perspective
(Trevor Owen) Orbital Debris: why don't we just clean it up?
Aug 2022 Perspective
(Sabrina Khan) 2023-2032 Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey
April/May 2023 U.S. Policy Newsletter
(Cody Knipfer)
May 2023 Perspective
(Barbara Milewski) Rocket Exhaust: The Need for Proper Regulations
May 2023 Perspective
(Tatiana Quercia) Satellite Data Sharing: Paths Toward Data Democracy
April 2023
(Lindsey Wiser) Takeaways from the Space Generation Fusion Forum
Sept 2022 Perspective
(Anja Sheppard) Space Sustainability: we need to do more
U.S. Task Force Leadership
Lead - Lindsey Wiser
Lindsey is an Astrophysics Ph.D. Candidate at Arizona State University, where she studies exoplanet atmospheres, science mission development, and space law/policy. She earned her B.S. at Johns Hopkins University studying Engineering Mechanics and Earth and Planetary Science. Lindsey is passionate about all things space and aviation, enjoys the outdoors, and loves her cat.
Deputy Lead - Sunny Narayanan
Dr. Anand “Sunny” Narayanan is currently a Professor at Florida State University (FSU). As a first-generation, immigrant, Indian American, Sunny has held a life-long interest in encouraging diversity through educational outreach and interdisciplinary projects. Sunny holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in Medical and Space Physiology, and B.S. degrees from West Virginia University in Mechanical Engineering and Biology.
Policy Lead - Anja Sheppard
Anja Sheppard is a PhD student at the University of Michigan where she is investigating robotic perception for space exploration. She is a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow, and holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Dallas. She has also 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 discourse in humanities spaces to those working on space technologies.
Advocacy Strategy Lead - Hanh Nguyenle
Hanh is a Master of Public Administration (MPA) student at the London School of Economics, where she applies public policy and environmental economics ideas to space issues. She received her B.S.F.S. at Georgetown University, studying Science, Technology, and International Affairs with a concentration in security. Hanh previously worked in Government Relations at the Space Foundation and interned at Astroscale U.S. and United Launch Alliance. Hanh enjoys reading science fiction, discovering new music, and, recently, baking (as a quarantine baker).
Advocacy Strategy Lead - Cody Knipfer
Cody is the Advocacy Strategy Lead for the U.S. Task Force for Space Policy. His professional expertise is in the space policy sector, having worked in government affairs for a commercial space firm, several space trade associations, and on Capitol Hill. He holds a B.A. in international relations and political science from McDaniel College, and a M.A. in international science and technology policy, specialized in space policy, from George Washington University's Space Policy Institute. While not an aerospace engineer, he has successfully assembled every available LEGO space set.
Programs Lead - Josh Burns
Josh is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Northeastern University, where he studies Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and Diplomacy. Josh is very focused on issues of international diplomacy in space and public-private business development in space applications, and plans on entering the field upon graduation. In his spare time, Josh enjoys swimming and photography.
