February Events in Astronomical Science Policy
Ashlee Wilkins
Welcome to the monthly event roundup of the AAS Policy Blog, in which we share a list of events that fall under the umbrella of astronomical science — i.e., astrophysics, planetary science, and/or heliophysics — policy. Events might be congressional hearings, advisory committee meetings, Capitol Hill briefings, networking opportunities, and/or public lectures. Most events occur here in Washington, DC, are open to the public, and/or will be live streamed. Some may require advanced registration for in-person attendance (either for security or capacity reasons), and we try to note that in the listing. If an event is on this calendar, someone from the AAS Public Policy team will likely be in attendance, so come say hello!
Other relevant policy event calendars:
- Space Policy Online Event Calendar, for all things space, including civil, commercial, and defense
- American Institute of Physics FYI This Week, for recaps and events happening in physical sciences policy
Sometimes events are announced on timescales shorter than one month; we will update this post whenever we have something new to add. Please email us if you have a correction or an event that you think should be included in this roundup.
Beyond the events highlighted below, there are some other notable deadlines/important milestones coming up this month:
- 6 February (tentative): Tentative first launch date of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy, one of the next-generation super heavy lift rockets for crewed and robotic exploration from low Earth orbit (LEO) and beyond.
- 8 February: Current continuing resolution (CR) funding the federal government's discretionary programs ends. Congress must either come to a final resolution for FY2018 federal spending or pass another CR to prevent a shutdown of the federal government.
- 12 February: Anticipated release date of the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) President's Budget Request.
February 2018 Events
Space in the Abe-Trump Era: New Threats, New Actors
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation
1 February
9:00 am − 1:00 pm
George Washington University
Washington, DC
Congressional Briefing on the State of US Science
National Science Board
1 February
10:00 am (House) and 2:00 pm (Senate)
2325 Rayburn andd 253 Russell
Briefing on the just-released 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators Report. More details and event registration.
Science Policy Happy Hour
Engaging Scientists and Engineers in Policy (ESEP)
1 February (Thursday)
5:30 pm − 7:30 pm
Elephant and Castle
1904 14th Street NW
Washington, DC
Details and future ESEP events
Engineering Miracles for Scientific Discoveries with the James Webb Space Telescope (John Mather)
7 February
8:00 pm
National Air and Space Museum
Washington, DC
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting
15 − 19 February
Austin, TX
Mars Exploration Program Assessment Group (MEPAG) Virtual Meeting
Planetary Science Division, NASA
20 February (Tuesday)
1:00 pm − 3:00 pm
Details and call-in information
National Science Board Full Committee Meeting
National Science Foundation
NASA Science Mission Directorate
21 − 22 February (Wednesday − Thursday)
NSF HQ
Alexandria, VA
If you wish to attend the meeting in person, "Public visitors must arrange for a visitor's badge at least 24 hours in advance by emailing your name (as it appears on your photo ID) and organizational affiliation to [email protected]. Due to tightened security procedures at NSF’s new headquarters, please allow an extra 15 minutes for visitor processing to ensure you make your meeting on schedule."
Agenda and webcast information
Second Public Meeting of the National Space Council
"Moon, Mars, and Worlds Beyond: Winning the Next Frontier"
21 February (Wednesday)
Kennedy Space Center
Live stream available on NASA TV
Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) Meeting
Planetary Science Division, NASA
21 − 23 February (Wednesday − Friday)
Hampton, VA
From OPAG: "The main OPAG meeting will be Feb 21-22, and February 23 will be technology forum to identify (and ultimately agree on) technologies that support near-, mid- and far-term outer planetary system missions."
Meeting Details and Agenda
Planetary Sciences Advisory Committee Meeting (PAC)
Planetary Science Division, NASA
21 − 23 February (Wednesday − Friday)
NASA HQ
Washington, DC
Details and virtual access information
Best Practices for a Future Open Code Policy for NASA Space Science
Space Studies Board, National Academies
26 − 28 February (Monday − Wednesday)
Irvine, CA
Community white papers will be accepted for committee input through 31 January. Meeting details and agenda
Review of Progress Toward Implementing the Decadal Survey Vision and Voyages
Space Studies Board, National Academies
26 − 28 February (Monday − Wednesday
Keck Center
Washington, DC
Tuesday (27 February) is the only meeting day open to the public. Meeting details and agenda
Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee (AAAC)
NASA/NSF/DOE
27 February (Tuesday)
12:00 pm − 4:00 pm
Teleconference only
Agenda and call-in information
Deep Space Gateway Concept Science Workshop
NASA
27 February − 1 March
Denver, CO