The Aerospace Corporation and the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) led the annual International SSA/STM Policy Exchange on 7 April 2025. This invitation-only event was held in conjunction with the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The session was cohosted by the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and the Space Agency of the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR).
The exchange’s overarching theme was the emergence of new “opportunities and challenges” given the 2025 geo-political context. The primary desired outcomes were to; 1) Build and reinforce relationships based on shared interests and concerns; 2) Promote transparency among stakeholders; 3) Build understanding for TraCSS Global Vision, European Union, and other initiatives, and reinforce need for close coordination among emerging national and regional SSA data centers; 4) Discuss new opportunities and challenges, what policy problems those differences create, and what policy solutions should be considered; 5) Provide updates on current activities and progress by international, governmental SSA/STC/STM stakeholders; 6) Consider international organizational structures that may help coordinate among national and regional SSA data centers and if there is a role in the future for the UN COPUOS, or other multilateral entities.
