Science on The Hill: The Science and Policy of Space Junk

Author: Deidre Hudson Reuss

2024 is the eighth year that Scientific American and Nature Portfolio—part of Springer Nature— hosted Science on The Hill, an event that seeks to ensure that the knowledge, findings and insights generated by research reaches policymakers who are helping make decisions that affect all of us.

This year’s discussion on Capitol Hill was titled ‘Safeguarding the Sky: The Science and Policy of Space Junk’, dedicated to addressing the problem of our planet’s increasingly crowded orbital environment.

The gathering featured a panel of three distinguished experts:

Dr. Moriba Jah, associate professor of aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin and co-founder and chief scientist at Privateer Space, Moriba Jah Universal, and GaiaVerse

Michelle L. D. Hanlon, space lawyer and Executive Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi, CEO of For All Moonkind, and founder of the Institute on Space Law and Ethics

Dr. Brian Weeden, lead for the policy and regulatory team at The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy

and was attended by congressional staffers representing elected U.S. officials across the political spectrum from both the House and Senate, as well as staff from the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, NASA, CRS, and others.

I spoke to Laura Patton, Head of Government Affairs, US at Springer Nature, who orchestrated this year’s panel.

Tell me a little about the history of Science on The Hill

All credit goes to a former colleague, Rachel Scheer! She started it in 2017 after a conversation with former Rep. Jerry McNerney, a Democrat from California and devoted reader of Scientific American, to discuss ways to connect experts in the scientific community directly with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. That conversation ultimately resulted in Science on the Hill. The Science on the Hill event series is part of Springer Nature’s commitment to advance discovery by bringing together thought leaders in the science and political communities to discuss the most important science topics of the day. Thanks to the pandemic, it's gone through a few different formats with a few different partners, but the ultimate goal stays the same.

Why is this such a valuable format?

Hill staff hear from lobbyists and constituents all the time; the missing voices in so many policy debates are often academics and researchers. I love that Springer Nature can play a convening role in bringing academics from around the country to the Hill to talk to policymakers, and that staff from both sides of the aisle are exposed to new resources and perspectives. 

This year the focus was on Safeguarding the Sky. How did you decide on the topic?

Because everyone loves space! It's an interesting, exciting topic and a great area for Democrats and Republicans to find common ground. Also, our expert panel, Moriba Jah, Michelle Hanlon, and Brian Weeden, really impressed upon the audience what a critical problem space junk is and why the US government needs to act in this area. I think it was especially striking for the audience that we projected a live feed of all the objects above us at that very moment.

What were the outcomes?

We've had continuing conversations between some of the congressional staff that attended the event and the researchers that presented, which is exactly the outcome we want! Making those connections is a key goal of Science on the Hill. 

Find out more, read related content and watch the recording of Science on The Hill 2024 ‘Safeguarding the Sky’.

Laura Patton - Head of Government Affairs, US.

Laura works to disseminate and promote research from Springer Nature publications to a Congressional audience and other key policymakers, as well as build understanding of the scholarly publishing ecosystem. Before joining Springer Nature in 2022, she worked in congressional relations at the RAND Corporation. Laura started her career in Congress where she served as an aide to Representative David Obey, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. She has an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University.