Convening
Meridian Launches Space Cooperation into Orbit at 2024 Diplomacy Forum
Watch the 2024 Space Diplomacy Forum SUMMARY On April 30, the Meridian Space Diplomacy Forum assembled a cross-section of current and rising space leaders to discuss avenues to advance international partnerships, create a responsible global regulatory framework, and maximize the benefits of the growing space economy. Over 200 attendees convened at Meridian House for the program, with another 900 joining online. Meridian brought together over 30 distinguished speakers from 10 nations, including governmental institutions, private companies, foreign embassies, and non-profits—for a day filled with dynamic discussions.
This lineup was headlined by Ambassador Richard Verma (Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, U.S. Department of State), Colonel Pam Melroy (Deputy Administrator, NASA), Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana (Ambassador, Embassy of Rwanda), Dr. John Plumb (Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, U.S. Department of Defense), Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano, Jr. (Director-General, Philippine Space Agency), and Matt Ondler (President, Axiom Space).
They addressed a range of timely issues, including 21 st Century space governance, the rise of emerging spacefaring nations, public-private partnerships, and the nexus of space and defense. The event was made possible through the generous support of C5 Capital, Axiom Space, and Akram and Lourdes Elias. National Security News was the Forum’s official media partner. On the evening of April 29, Meridian and the Embassy of Canada co-hosted a curated dinner to kick off the Space Diplomacy Forum.
The salon-style dinner focused on the Artemis Accords, a series of non-binding norms reaffirming nations’ commitment to responsible and collaborative conduct in space. The dinner convened representatives from Artemis Accords signatory nations, including the ambassadors of Luxembourg, Uruguay, Rwanda, and Bulgaria. American space leadership was also well-represented, with officials from the Departments of State, Transportation, and Commerce in attendance.
The dinner also served as an opportunity to honor Michael Suffredini (Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Axiom Space) and Major General Charles Bolden (USMC-Ret.) (12 th NASA Administrator, 2009 – 2017) with the Meridian Global Leadership Award for Space Diplomacy for their demonstrated ability to strengthen ties between nations on Earth by forging camaraderie and advancing progress on a range of celestial issues.
His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba (Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the U.S. and Minister of State) and the UAE were also honored with the award during the main forum for the nation’s growing contributions to space diplomacy. The Diplomacy Forum also advanced Meridian’s DiplomacyRISE initiative, which aims to strengthen America’s international relations talent ecosystem by investing in the next generation of global affairs practitioners.
This included a Space Diplomacy 101 “Lunch and Learn” session on the sidelines of the event. Dr. Ezinne Uzo-Okuro (Senior Fellow, Harvard University and Former Assistant Director for Space Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy) provided insight to high school and college students on some of the main tenets of space diplomacy and major issues in international space affairs. Following the conclusion of the main forum, Meridian hosted its annual “Careers in International Affairs” Networking Reception for young professionals.
This year’s reception focused on opportunities at the intersection of STEM and international affairs, allowing attendees to engage with practitioners representing interdisciplinary fields across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Representatives from NASA and the Department of State delivered remarks, providing valuable career insights to the audience. The Space Diplomacy Forum also served to launch Meridian’s larger space diplomacy endeavors.
In the coming months and years, Meridian will advance international norms for government and industry, democratize space for pre-emerging and emerging space faring nations and accelerate the global space economy. We look forward to working with both U.S and international governments, both established space industry and startups, as well as academic institutions, NGOs and philanthropic entities to attain enduring impact in this emerging diplomatic frontier.
Forum Sessions RESPONSIBLE EXPLORATION watch Global space activities are rapidly accelerating, catapulted by NASA’s Artemis program, where NASA and a growing number of international and commercial partners will conduct a campaign of many firsts, including landing the first woman and first person of color on the surface of the Moon and enabling the first long-term human presence at another celestial body. This excitement has spawned a golden era for space, opening doors to a multitude of new opportunities in various sectors of society, as well as new challenges for international diplomacy, space governance, the sustainability of the space environment, and safe space operations.
This session discussed the various factors shaping responsible exploration in the modern space age and their implications for U.S. foreign policy. Colonel Pam Melroy (USAF-Ret.), Deputy Administrator, NASA Ambassador Rich Verma, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, U.S. Department of State Moderator: Kristin Fisher , Space and Defense Correspondent, CNN SECURING SPACE AT THE NEXUS OF DIPLOMACY AND DEFENSE watch The global space economy is growing—including in the national security sector.
Intelligence gathering and military communications rely on satellites, making emerging technologies in space of particular interest to defense agencies. At the same time, strained communications with actors like China and Russia heighten concerns about their respective military aspirations in space. This session addressed U.S. efforts to advance commercial innovation, space engagement, and national security while simultaneously prioritizing safety and stability of the domain.
Dr. John Plumb, Assistant Secretary for Space Policy, U.S. Department of Defense Moderator: Kurt Scherer, Managing Partner, C5 Capital MOONSHOTS: THE NEW SPACE ECONOMY FOR EMERGING SPACEFARING NATIONS watch Over the past decade, 25 countries have established their own national space agency. Even more are launching their own satellite into lower earth orbit, often in collaboration with their private sector. Countries and subregional blocs are entering the global space arena to advance a diverse set of policy and economic goals, such as to bolster their capacities in telecommunications, environmental monitoring, and threat prevention.
However, space economies do not follow a “one-size-fits-all” strategy. Financial constraints, geography, natural resources, private-sector capacity, and human capital must inform how nations approach space. This session discussed factors for emergent spacefaring ecosystems to consider when developing a customized roadmap for their own space economy. It also underscored the value of leveraging partnerships to achieve their space ambitions.