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.

Prof. Scott Pace testifies at the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Hearing (February 26, 2025)

Prof. Scott Pace witnesses at the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee about the Artemis Program and NASA’s path to human exploration of the Moon, Mars, and Beyond. Link to the committee’s page is here After the testimony. With his students on duty all over...

Update! GW Space Society(GWSS) Podcast

Please take a look at the GW Space Society Podcast and enjoy our GWSS presidents discuss with space industry professionals on various...

[Recordings posted] Prof. Scott Pace and Adjunct Prof. John J. Klein, speak at “The 25th International Symposium on Security Affairs” hosted by National Institute for Defense Studies(NIDS)

On-site speakers from left to right: Dr. Yasuhito Fukushima(NIDS), Dr. John J. Klein(SPI/GWU), Dr. Kevin Pollpeter(DAF), Dr. Bleddyn Bowen(Durham University), Dr. Scott Pace(SPI/GWU), Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan (Australian Strategic Policy Institute), Dr. Kazuto...

SPI Student Adam Stegall Published in Quest, Receives Honorable Mention for Sacknoff Prize for Space History

SPI student Adam Stegall was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly, and received an honorable mention for the Sacknoff Prize for Space History. His paper, “Kennedy’s Hidden Stimulus: The Experimental Economics of the...

Op-Ed by SPI Alumni Ben Staats : Want ‘Competitive endurance?’ Focus on maneuver in space

The author, Major Benjamin Staats is an Army Space Operations Officer who currently serves at US Space Command. He is a graduate of the George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute at the Elliot School of International Affairs and is a Schriever Space Scholar...

Prof. Scott Pace presented at the Cislunar PNT Workshop in Vienna, Austria entitled: The Road Ahead: From Cislunar PNT to the Solar System Internet.

The presentation was part of the UNOOSA/International Committee on GNSS, Workshop on Cislunar Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) held on 11 – 13 February 2025 at the Vienna International Centre, Austria. Please find Dr. Pace’s presentation slides...

Get to Know the Space Policy Institute

Contact:

1957 E St NW Suite 403

Washington, D.C. 20052

Phone: (202) 994-1592

spi@gwu.edu