My Personal Journey into Space Policy Geekery

Politics – a topic everyone loves to argue about. However, space is generally a universally loved subject. We can disagree about how much money is spent on it, who pays, and what actions are taken toward what objectives, but we all love that work is being done in space. This is seen when we achieve big discoveries: gravitational wave detection, Pluto fly-by, humans landing on another world. Here in Florida, space is especially beloved.

Earlier this month, I participated in my fourth Florida Space Day. Yesterday, we held the wrap-up meeting. Our goal is to effectively communicate with state legislators to promote space. After each annual event, we go over our lessons learned to improve the process for the next year. We try to make each year better and more impactful than the previous.

To understand why Space Day is so important to me, I need to go back in time four years. I was a doctoral student, enjoying my studies but wanting very much to get involved in space policy. I was President of the Florida Space Development Council, a National Space Society chapter, and was able to participate in Space Day thanks to FSDC sponsorship. I was thrilled to take part. When up in Tallahassee for the event, I was sitting on a job offer from CASIS, contemplating taking it (I did), but also wondering what a career in space policy would look like. As a student, the legislators loved meeting me. I felt like a sponge, absorbing everything.

The following years, I became a team lead and a subcommittee head, and I left my studies to enter the professional world. It really wasn't until this year that I felt that I could hold my own among the seasoned professionals advocating with me. Spreading the love of space is easy. Giving specific examples and answering the questions of busy and over-scheduled part-time state legislators is complex. This year, my fourth, I feel that I finally have the process down.

Building that confidence and expertise prepared me for my second space policy meeting yesterday: Congressman Bill Posey's Space Advisory Council. Twelve of us gathered with the Congressman to discuss relevant space topics of interest. In no particular order, this included: Orion and the Space Launch System, NASA commercial cargo and crew, education and public outreach, asteroid mining, launching from the United States versus elsewhere, certifications, the FAA's role in spaceflight, federal research grants, the presidential candidate's opinions on space, Air Force range, gravitational waves, the Chinese space agency, RD-180 Russian rockets, and NASA's budget planning.

I'm the only woman on the council and was the youngest by far. It was an honor to serve on the council with such a distinguished crowd. I proudly contributed to the conversation with my informed and sometimes unpopular opinions that I hope challenged some of the perceptions in the room. I've been doing quite a bit of research and self-study lately, and I'm hoping that my fresh look at the issues can be of use to the Congressman and even others on the council. It was a fun afternoon!

It amazes me to see how much I've learned in four years. And this is just the start of my space policy journey. What comes next, I can't wait to see!

Congressman Bill Posey's Space Advisory Council - February 18, 2016

Adventures in Tallahassee with Florida Space Day

For the fourth year, I drove up to Florida's capital, Tallahassee, on Tuesday for Florida Space Day. During this day, our group of space industry representatives meets with as many legislators as we can schedule in order to thank them for their support and to ask for their continued support. For the third year, I was a team lead for a small team of four people schedule to meet with six legislators and drop off information at a handful of other offices. Although I'm not part of a sponsoring entity this year, I drove up on my own dime because I believe in the cause – and it's fun!

The event begins with a light reception at the Challenger Learning Center the evening before so that teams can becoming acquainted with one another. This also means catching up with colleagues and meeting new people. This year, AIAA Executive Director and former astronaut Sandy Magnus joined us; she's astronaut #47 I've had the pleasure to meet. Typically, a large number of us go out to dinner after, usually to Harry's across the street.

Hello pre-reception, happy to be here! - February 2, 2016

My morning started early on Wednesday with a 7:30 breakfast at the Challenger Center to meet up with my team. Cissy Proctor, the new director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity spoke to us at 8:00. She quoted from their new marketing campaign: "Some states promise you the moon. Florida delivers it."

Florida's Capitol in Tallahassee. The dolphins are fitting. - February 2, 2016

A view of Tallahassee from the top 23rd floor of the Capitol - February 2, 2016

Our team's first meeting with Space Coast area Senator Thad Altman was scheduled to be at 8:30 but had to be rescheduled. I took the opportunity to admire a beautiful painting in his office of a rocket launch and my undergraduate university's campus. Our team then had lots of time to kill, so we hung out in the Florida Space Day exhibit hall in the 3^rd floor of the Capitol building. It was then that I really got a chance to speak with astronaut Sandy Magnus. We spoke about travel, blogging, and why she loves Florida.

My alma mater Florida Tech in this painting with a space shuttle launch - February 2, 2016

Florida Space Day exhibits line the 3rd floor rotunda of the Capitol - February 3,2016

Meeting astronaut Sandy Magnus - February 3, 2016

I've never had a negative meeting during Florida Space Day. Generally speaking, Florida lawmakers are very supportive of the space industry. Most are very enthusiastic, even going as far as to say they wanted to be astronauts or they wanted to take a special trip from wherever their home is to see a rocket launch. One year I met a House Representative whose uncle was a private astronaut who flew to the International Space Station. You never know how the conversations will go.

Our team meeting with Rep. "Coach P" Rene Plasencia of Orlando - February 3, 2016

This year I had the most challenging meeting yet. This Tea Party-leaning Republican representative did not believe that any government spending should go to the space program at all, including grants and incentives to private industry. It is difficult to convince someone dead against all spending that some spending is not only beneficial, but necessary. The country's space industry wouldn't exist without government investment and infrastructure. Thankfully, he was very supportive of the commercial space industry and innovation.

Our meeting with Senator Altman was rescheduled to the late afternoon, so what was to be our first meeting became our last. The senator is one of our biggest supporters in the Florida senate and it's always a pleasure to speak with him. He took our team to see the Senate Chambers, empty at the moment. I hadn't been down to the floor before. It's such a grand room!

Senator Thad Altman kindly showed us the Senate Chambers - February 3, 2016

Florida Space Days always ends with a party, this time held at the Challenger Center. NASA's Spaceman was still around, so I got a picture. I swapped stories with my colleagues and met a few more people. Then, I was off again for a 4 hour drive back home. And thus concluded another great Space Day!

Hurrah for another successful Florida Space Day! - February 3,2016

Why I Took My Baby to a Professional Networking Event

I wasn't looking to make a statement. Initially I wasn't going to take her to the Florida Space Day pre-event reception. It's a professional event and bringing a baby would be seen as unprofessional, I concluded. My newborn is not yet taking a bottle, so for survival, she needs to be with me at all times. If being away from me isn't an option and taking her would seem unprofessional, then I would need to skip the event.

But then I began to question my own assumptions. Why would taking my baby to a professional event be unprofessional? When she is wrapped around my chest in three layers of what is essentially a very long scarf made to carry babies, she doesn't cry or fuss, she can barely be seen unless I uncover her. She silently eats and drifts off to sleep. She herself is not a disturbance. But her presence is a disturbance, one can say. Babies are a nearly universal conversation starter and many parents love sharing stories about their experiences. Baby talk when a baby is around is inevitable.

But that's no different to the disturbance my pregnancy caused. I didn't stay locked away when I was visibly pregnant. I was professionally active up until a week before the birth and even gave a talk 10 days before she was born. Anyone who saw my giant belly connected me to motherhood and baby talk was plentiful. No one deemed it unprofessional to attend professional events with my baby in my womb.

I polled social media, looking for outside opinions. Three men and two women thought that I should skip it while seven women thought that I should take her. Even my own mom the attorney mentioned that she brought me to hearings when I was a baby. I wasn't looking for consensus or majority opinion, I wanted perceptions and points of view.

In the end, I decided to attend. I sacrifice a lot for my child. I shouldn't sacrifice something that I want to do because of someone else's opinion of my child. The venue was a restaurant and the event was casual and celebratory. Nearly everyone in attendance had known me for years and had seen me pregnant over the months. Some were genuinely excited for me. Josephine was a big hit and did take up a lot of the conversation. But I also got to talk shop and be part of the Space Coast space community that I so very much love.

This is my first child but not the only child I hope to have. Should I as a mother be banished from professional society each time I have a little one? Although no one said anything negative, I'm sure that there were people in attendance who disapproved of my decision and think less of me professionally because of it. I'm unconcerned by their bias. My mind and my professional capabilities are not diminished because I reproduced.

More importantly, several people, mostly women but also one man, were grateful that I had brought the baby with me. One young lady a couple of years younger than me made a point to thank me twice throughout the night for being such an inspiration. It seems to me that babies at an event like this may seem unprofessional because it's uncommon. We just aren't used to seeing it. Although I did not set out to normalize it, I'm glad that my action may have contributed positively. Professional women should not be ashamed to also be mothers.

Florida Space Day kindly welcomed my little Josephine on their social media accounts with this photo.

Josephine and me at the Florida Space Day pre-event reception - January 7, 2016

Keeping Florida in the Space Game, One Legislator at a Time

Communication. As a scientist-in-training, I was told over and over again how important communication is. I didn’t know what form of communication may take in my career. Students are often pushed to the front of the class or auditorium to give presentations, a mostly self-taught skill that is often more valuable than the material being presented. Outreach to fellow students, younger students, and the general public was encouraged and common. But no one ever taught me how to communicate to legislators and appropriators, those who set the laws and grant public funds. This, too, has been a self-taught skill, one that I am still learning.

Wednesday was my third Florida Space Day. Before joining the ranks of Tallahassee-bound space professionals, all I had done was speak to a few policymakers in Washington, D.C. about space science, once. That first year, I was so excited to spread the love of space in Tallahassee, but also so nervous. My knowledge of state issues was limited and I didn't feel like an informed enough spokesperson for the industry. Thankfully, an expert on my team did most of the talking, so I listened, learned, and spoke up when I felt the need. One year later, I had absorbed enough information and developed enough confidence to jump into the conversation and add my spiel to the mix.

This year, I was the veteran in a small team with two newbies. The need was for me to lead the discussions. I wasn't sure that I was ready to do the talking, but as the saying goes, fake it until you make it! I read up on the issues of the moment, studied our legislative targets, and listened to advice from others as to what points were the most important this year. I convinced myself that even though I have much to learn, I do know what I’m talking about, enough for a 10 minute conversation at least.

One of my teammates was well established in the industry working for a large engineering company and could pipe in with extra information and his own two cents. My other teammate was an undergraduate engineering student, as nervous as I was during my first time, but could speak about her desire to stay in Florida to work in aerospace after she graduated. With my knowledge of the industry and my experience with a new start-up company, I added another component to the discussion. We were a good team.

This year, my team was assigned seven legislators to visit and speak with. By the end of the day, we had spoken with four legislative aids, met with one Representative of the Florida House, and dropped information off at two offices who were unable to meet with us. Additionally, we sat in three talks with government officials who spoke about how the space industry in Florida effects their work. It was a full day!

As always, everyone we met was so supportive of the space industry. Some people dream of being astronauts as a child and never lose that dream. That is true for me, and that is true for some of the legislators we met who went on to other fields. We in Florida our proud of our space heritage and so excited for the new space endeavors that are taking place or will soon take place here.

There is fierce competition elsewhere, so we Floridians really need to work to keep the space industry here growing and thriving. I read just today that Florida is #3 in the nation in the aerospace industry. We used to be #1, and last year we were bragging that we were #2. SpaceX chose Brownsville, Texas as the site for its private spaceport because the Shiloh launch site isn't moving forward fast enough to be a real option, and Blue Origin is about to announce their orbital launch site and may very well choose another east coast option. As supportive as everyone in Florida is of the industry, we need to continue to improve and evolve or we will slip further into obscurity and history. I am making it my mission to ensure that doesn't happen.

In the rotunda of the capitol building, STS-34 astronaut Mike McCulley sat greeting passersby and signing autographs. I struck up a conversation with him about what kinds of planes he used to fly. NASA had a table with “swag” so I grabbed a sticker or two. I was also honored to be interviewed by Jason of SpaceFlight Insider about my company Swiss Space Systems and how I was participating in Florida Space Day.

In addition to communicating with legislators and their aids, we also communicated with the public at large. I was part of a small team live tweeting the event. I gathered space-loving quotes from the legislators and officials who we met with and posted pictures when I could. When I can't attend an event, I always appreciate it when others who are there keeps me in the loop real-time via Twitter, and now that I’ve taken up tweeting, I've decided to do what little I can.

Normally, a group of space geeks would be outside watching the skies during a launch day. But we were half the state away, too far to see the afternoon’s ULA Delta IV launch with our own eyes. So we broadcast the launch on the monitor in the rotunda and encouraged everyone in the area to gather around to see it. A dozen or so of us were in a conference room waiting for a meeting which was about to begin at any minute and couldn't break away, so several people streamed the launch on their phones and we all gathered around to watch, commenting on the beauty and pointing out technical details. Had anyone walked through that door, it would have been pretty obvious that we were a group of space enthusiasts!

The day wrapped up with a reception on the 22^nd floor of the capitol building. Crowds mingled, food was eaten, and speeches were given. My favorite moment was when former astronauts Bob Cabana and Mike McCulley stood up at the podium together to answer questions that only astronauts can answer and reminisce about old times. We applauded the rocket launch and the day, celebrating another successful Florida Space Day. As the sun set, I wished Tallahassee goodbye and see you next year!

What the Space Industry in Florida Wants, And How It Happens

Today's the day! Each year, the space industry in Florida comes together to visit the state capital of Tallahassee to spread the love of space through Florida Space Day. We form teams of three or four, then visit as many legislators as we can in the day. With over a dozen teams, we each team is assigned 6 to 10 legislators, so all are visited throughout the day.

As team lead and the only Space Day veteran on my team, I scheduled us appointments to speak with two freshman representatives of the Florida House, four legislative aids to four other representatives, and a drop-by of one office. Additionally, my team will visit the Director of the Florida Department for Economic Opportunity, and I have a quick interview scheduled with SpaceFlight Insider.

What do we talk about during these quick 15 minute visits?

Firstly and most importantly, we thank them for their support! Florida is (last I checked) #2 in the nation for the space industry. We strive to be #1, but that involves continued support and the willingness to change the business environment and innovate. In the past 5 years, I've seen significant change in the space industry in Florida particularly due to efforts by Space Florida and the influx of newspace, but we have more ground to cover if we're going to hold our position as a space state and work toward becoming #1.

Along those lines, we ask for continued support, especially in regards to the funding of Space Florida and pro-business initiatives. There are specific bills and recurring funding initiatives that need to be continued in order for Florida to maintain its position and continue to do good work in the industry. Space Florida's budget, space industry tourism marketing, quick response training funding, the qualified defense and space contractor tax refund, the qualified target industry tax refund, and the manufacturing machinery and equipment sales and use tax are among the initiatives being supported by the industry.

And finally, the support and funding of education programs: the funding of Space Week for middle schoolers, the funding of space research grants and programs, the promotion of space education programs in Florida universities. Two of the three higher education universities that I attended are in Florida and although we are fantastic at what we do, our programs are surprisingly small, especially compared to many other states whose university space initiatives are powerhouses. I'm very proud when I see my alma mater universities and even universities in Florida that I have no connection to succeed. Part of me is still a scholar and wants to promote education and research initiatives as a means of growing the workforce and educating the public at large. And as I work towards starting a family, primary education will also be on my mind, and Florida is not known for strong primary education. We can do better.

Last night was the Florida Space Day pre-reception at the Challenger Learning Center in Tallahassee. It's a chance for this year's participants to gather together to meet and discuss the plan for the next day. I met one of my team members last night and will meet another tomorrow. This year, 32 companies and universities are participating, plus some folks from NASA and Space Florida.

I has just arrived after a long drive and was standing by the hors d'oeuvre table when a man introduced himself as Mike. Sometimes I can pick up the astronaut vibe and sometimes I can't, but he soon informed me that he's Mike McCulley of STS-34 who will be signing autographs tomorrow. And of course our resident KSC Director and astronaut Bob Cabana was present and bumped into me, literally, I think on purpose to get my attention. He made a short speech during during which the former marine told us, “Pay attention! We have a good, positive story to tell.” Space Florida CEO and Space Day co-chair Frank DiBello also gave a short speech about how the space industry is a catalyst and driver to carry Florida into the future.

A large group of us wrapped up the evening with dinner nearby. And now, breakfast time! I'm off to make a difference.

Space Enthusiast Set to Invade Tallahassee: Florida Space Day Prep

At the end of 2012, I was a planetary science doctoral student eager to spread my wings in the space policy arena. I had been interested in policy for a while, but it wasn't until I heard a talk by an astrophysycist-turned-policy guy when I started grad school that I realized that the field wasn't beyond me. In fact, my science background gives me an advantage. I had started getting involved two years prior, but I wanted to do more. I wanted to make a difference in my community.

I had heard about Florida Space Day earlier in the year. The space and aerospace industry in the state collectively visits legislators in Tallahassee each year to promote the industry as a whole and to thank the legislators for their support. According to the website, “Florida Space Day was developed to ensure that Florida remains at the forefront of the nation’s space program.” I really wanted to get involved, but I didn't know how. I wasn't working for any of the companies involved.

At the time, I was president of the Florida Space Development Council, the local chapter of the National Space Society. My fantastic VP got us hooked up with the right people so that we could participate. I was so excited! I joined the Implementation Committee and organized meetings with several state senators and representatives for my team. I research our targets' biographies and read up on some of the proposed bills and funding priorities. I was ready!

But I was also a tiny bit shy, not having the confidence that I have now. I let the more experienced members of my team do most of the talking, and I learned. I learned a ton! I also snuck into a closed meeting of the Steering Committee to meet the pro-space lieutenant governor at the time. I got in trouble for it after, but it was so worth it. She's a neat lady, very knowledgeable about space, and she was wearing purple pumps (my favorite color).

I sat in on a senate Finance and Tax Appropriations Subcommittee meeting where the Space Day co-chair was giving testimony. I posed with a guy in an astronaut suit. We wrapped up the day with a reception at the top of the capitol building where at least three astronauts were in attendance. I was in love. I was on a high for the entire drive back home.

I was so impressed with the knowledge and support of our state legislators! Everyone who my team spoke with was pro-space. We met with a senator who is a leading space advocate in the state, a senator who wants to be an astronaut, and a representative whose uncle flew on the International Space Station as a private astronaut. The reception that we received from our state legislators really made it clear to me why Florida is one of the top states in the country for the space industry.

The following year, I returned as a member of the Implementation Committee, but also took on a new role as the Partnership & Outreach Subcommittee. It had been a few years since the group had recruited new partners in an organized effort, so I assembled a team to help me do that. We invited several new partners to join us! Fresh faces are always great to see, especially with newspace companies emerging and setting up business in Florida.

For last year's Space Day, my team successfully met with 12 legislative offices, the most of all of the Space Day teams that year! Again, everyone we met with was pro-space, a heartening experience. I attended a House session where our Space Day teams were introduced. I enjoyed the evening reception at the top of the capitol, this time participating in the race to the top using the stairwell (I was not the fastest by far). Once again, I returned home exhilarated from the experience.

It is time again for Florida Space Day to return to our state capital, and this time I'm representing my new company Swiss Space Systems. Today was the last planning meeting before next Wednesday's event. I'm in the process of scheduling appointments with legislators for my team. We discussed agendas and last minute items. We were given tips on how best to present ourselves and communicate with legislators. We were shown a beautiful new NASA banner that will hang with the Florida Space Day banner in the rotunda of the capitol. We received final team assignments. I'm all set to move forward and I can't wait until I drive up to Tallahassee on Tuesday!

More information about Florida Space Day can be found at floridaspaceday.com.