Forum: The Future of the U.S. Space Program

On May 14, Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute hosted an event to discuss the future of the U.S. space program.
The fifth annual A. Alfred Taubman Forum on Public Policy convened several panels of experts to discuss topics such as the economic benefits of private industry’s involvement, the scientific discoveries resulting from NASA’s continued space efforts and the potential for future exploration, and the government’s policies and decision making process.

The moderator was Darrell West, Vice President and Director, Governance Studies, Brookings Institute.

Topic 1: The Impact of Private Investment into Space Exploration

Panelists:

– Adam Harris, Vice President, Government Sales, SpaceX
– Antonio Elias, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, Orbital Sciences Corporation
– John Roth, Vice President, Business Development, Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Space Systems

Topic 2: The Scientific Community’s Most Important New Discoveries

Panelists:
– Michael Meyer, Lead Scientist, Mars Exploration Program, NASA
– Nadine Barlow, Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Northern Arizona University