Space Policy Institute

Welcome to SPI

The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs is a world leader in research, graduate study, and informed discussion related to issues of science, technology, and public policy. The Space Policy Institute celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2017. The Institute conducts research, offers graduate courses and organizes seminars, symposia, and conferences on topics related to domestic and international space policy. SPI is associated with the International Science and Technology Policy academic program, which leads to a Master of Arts degree at the Elliott School. The Institute operates within the Elliott School, but does so with support from The George Washington University as a whole, in addition to funding from a number of individual, corporate, foundation, and government sources. The Institute is directed by Dr. Scott Pace.

SPI Research Professor Dr. Henry Hertzfeld Presented at UNCOPUOS

SPI Research Professor Dr. Henry Hertzfeld was part of the US delegation to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Dr. Hertzfeld presented key issues of liability in outer space during the meeting of the UNCOPUOS Legal Subcommittee in...

SPI Director Dr. Scott Pace Participated in Geospatial World Panel Discussion

SPI Director Dr. Scott Pace was invited to be part of a panel discussion on the topic of space sovereignty and security. The panel was moderated by Mr. Sanjay Kumar, CEO of Geospatial World, and also featured Amb. Syed Akbaruddin, now Dean of the Kautilya School of...

SPI’s Professor Aaron Bateman presented his book, Weapons in Space at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

SPI’s Professor Aaron Bateman presented his book, Weapons in Space: Technology, Politics, and the Rise and Fall of the Strategic Defense Initiative at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. SPI’s Professor Aaron Bateman also spoke with members of the...

SPI Faculty Associate Michael Keidar Featured in GW’s Research Magazine

The groundbreaking work of Dr. Michael Keidar, A. James Clark Professor of Engineering and SPI Faculty Associate was the focus of the latest feature of GW’s Research Magazine. The article zeroes in on Professor Keidar’s laboratory work on plasma and its...

GW Team Advanced in the Manfred Lachs Space Law North American Regional Moot Court Competition

The team of Abigail Thomas & Yuqian Wang advanced to the Quarter-finals of the Manfred Lachs Space Law North American Regional Moot Court held at Georgetown Law. The team was coached by SPI Professor Henry Hertzfeld, who noted, “[A]ll of the judges comments...

SPI Professor Aaron Bateman Wins 2024 Amos Perlmutter Prize

SPI Professor Aaron Bateman’s article titled “Information Security in the Space Age: Britain’s Skynet Satellite Communications Program and the Evolution of Modern Command and Control Networks” has been selected for the 2024 Amos Perlmutter Prize. The...