 I'd like to go ahead and welcome Bavia Law, who serves as a senior advisor to the NASA Administrator for Budget and Finance. She was also a member of the Biden Transition Agency review teams for both NASA and the Department of Defense. This is going to be one exciting opportunity to hear about space sustainability from the new administration. Welcome, Bavia. Thank you, Crystal. Can you hear me? Yeah, you sound great. Awesome. Well, thank you for inviting me to join you today. It's been, as you said, an incredible five months at NASA. I know better now than we ever did that we are in a new age of space development full of opportunities. Constellations that involve tens of thousands of satellites. CubeSats from elementary school children that have little ability to maneuver. And on-orbit servicing assembly and manufacturing that can upend our current Earth-centric paradigms. What we thought was disruptive before, say, reusable launch vehicles is old news. We are on to the new. And while the new is great for growing the space economy, as you all know something so close to my heart, it also presents challenges. As I know you've been discussing in this conference and other venues, the orbital debris population follows a power-law-size distribution. Meaning that there is more small debris than large. There are more than 100 million objects ranging from dust particles to flecks of paint from satellites that are too small to be tracked. And these are the debris that present the most near-term mission-ending risks to operational spacecraft. And to date, and this is something that is actively under consideration, these are the debris that we have worried the most about at NASA. And while the utmost precautions are taken to reduce the potential for collisions, especially with our flagship International Space Station, impacts with these objects do occur. I'm sure some of you know, just a few weeks ago, during a routine inspection of Canada Arm 2, experts from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency found orbital debris damage to one of its boom segments. Luckily, the debris did not affect the arm's functional abilities. The damage is mostly limited to a small section of the thermal blanket. And Canada Arm is continuing to conduct its planned operations. But the strike highlights just how important this issue is and how seriously NASA is taking it, and always has. NASA is a founding member of the Interagency Space Debris Coordination Committee, IADC. IADC established the first international consensus-based space debris mitigation guidelines in 2002. The guidelines emphasize that re-entry of a spacecraft or orbital debris stage or orbital stage should not pose an undead risk to people or property. NASA has also been instrumental in supporting the U.S. delegation to UN Copius to develop the Copius Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines in 2007 and guidelines for the long-term sustainability of outer space in 2019. NASA has promoted the U.S. government orbital debris mitigation standard practices with the international community and continues to work with the international community to further improve international orbital debris mitigation best practices such as these guidelines. And we can talk a bit more in Q&A about specific NASA activities underway. But there is so much more to be done, which is why we actually, I'm so excited to tell you all about it, we've assembled an orbital debris review team in-house to evaluate how NASA can be a more effective leader in the area of space sustainability. But the reality is that orbital debris is not something NASA or even the United States can take on alone. In my mind, and this is how I'm conceptualizing our review team as well, orbital debris mitigation has three parts. Reduce the amount of debris we generate, know where everything is and not just obviously not just the debris, but also valuable things that debris would hit and be able to maneuver so you can avoid getting hit. And of course, remove the debris, the three parts. Given the speed with which the space sector has grown and is expected to grow, we are facing challenges on all three fronts. To reduce the amount of debris, we need to agree as a community, among other things, not just within the United States, but internationally as well on standards and best practices on how to design, launch and operate spacecrafts so they don't produce debris. To know where everything is, to understand the space and debris environment, we need more and better sensors, better data analysis and fusion capabilities. Again, global agreement on how we collect and share data is critical. To be able to maneuver, assuming the quality of the information about potential close approaches or collisions is good, satellites need maneuvering capability, which as we know not all satellites do. Last but not least, we need to start to think about how we will remove some of the worst offending objects. This active debris removal will be expensive. ESA and other funders will pay the equivalent of well over a million dollars per kilogram to remove a secondary payload adapter left by Ariane Space's second Vega mission in 2013. Again, I'm not implying that we need to remove all the debris out there, but just a little back of the envelope math, given that there is more than 8,000 metric tons of debris in space, if we extrapolate from this one point calculation alone, and there is probably a range of costs, we are talking about trillions of dollars in debris removal. This is a challenge, but of course it's also an opportunity. Space is a big diverse and innovative sector, and together we can come up with amazing approaches that don't just involve technology, but also regulatory policy and other kinds of innovations. We are also lucky that we have somewhat of an analogy, not a perfect analogy, but nonetheless an analogy that we can learn from. Climate change. Think about it. The orbital debris problem tracks the climate change problem pretty closely. We want to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we put out, we want to monitor, track, model what we are doing and how much progress we are making, and we want to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Each of the things that earlier I said were issues we want to address in the space debris world as well. Now, in the climate world there is all sorts of clever technological policy and regulatory schemes under consideration, carbon sequestration technologies, gap and trade schemes, regulatory fees, and these are only some of the tools that have been used for environmental management, and the space communities should really build on these lessons. Both Congress and the White House have laid out plans that were developed with interagency input. Space Policy Directive 3, the National Space Policy. Earlier this year, OSTP with input from NASA and other agencies put out an orbital debris R&D plan. It is important that we begin to implement this plan. I spent about 25 years in Boston before I moved to DC. In Boston we would call the orbital debris problem a wicked hard problem. To solve problems like this we need all hands on deck and the hands had better be global. It is not a problem Americans can solve alone, but we can and we should be the leaders. The solutions the government co-creates with the private sector will lead to an even bolder and brighter future in space for all of humanity to enjoy. I want to keep my remarks short and I want to turn it to Crystal for questions and I'm looking forward to a really good discussion. Thank you, Bavia. That was a great quick overview of where the agency is at, what they're thinking about, about some really important issues around space sustainability. I know that I immediately took note that there is a new active debris review team at NASA and I look forward to hearing more about that in the future. In fact, I was fiercely taking notes. I do want to turn this over to the audience. So if anyone out there I've seen that some questions have already come in and we will just jump right into these. Bavia's agreed to take a few questions so we won't probably be able to get to them all, but please go ahead and add those into Mentimeter. The first question that I wanted to hit on you with you, Bavia, is touching on international community issues. And so you can see it on screen there. What steps... Nope, I'm sorry. That is actually not the correct question. I apologize. I'm going to grab the correct one. So here it is. Are there opportunities for emerging or non-traditional space countries to participate in Artemis? So as you know well, space exploration is neither inexpensive nor easy. We want the world to join us, not only for a sustainable presence on and around the Moon, but stay with us as we go on to Mars and beyond. NASA's Office of International and Interagency Relations, OIR, is an interface with NASA's counterpart around the world. And our folks there would be happy to engage in potential collaborations related to Artemis program. NASA has publicly available reports on the potential for specific science and technology development activities on the Moon and around the Moon. And we would be excited to engage with both current and new partners on the potential for joint activities. There is plenty to be doing together and not enough money to go around. So all hands on deck, let's do it. Great. I'm sorry, returning to the first question that we flashed up. I just put them in the wrong order. My apologies. You know, the Moon is a busy place these days. And so one of our audience members is wondering, you know, what steps does the international community need to take to ensure operations can be coordinated and conducted safely? You know, it's a new set of opportunities. So how does NASA see that? Great question. Thanks, Crystal. I mean, as you know, and our administrator is this morning was in Congress testifying on the Hill. You know, he is moving aggressively forward on the Artemis program, which includes landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon and parallel with the program itself. And that kind of relates right to the question you asked. NASA has also developed a statement of a shared vision to create a safe and transparent environment to facilitate exploration science and commercial activities not only on the Moon, but deep space, Mars, comets, and asteroids. Artemis Accords, as these principles are called, established a commitment to ensure transparency, peaceful uses of space, the open and timely sharing of scientific data, and compliance with all international obligations. As you may know, the Accords have been signed by 12 nations. We hope to be having the rest of the world join us as well. Just recently, South Korea, New Zealand, and Brazil joined in the past month or so. The first signatories under the Biden administration. The Artemis program will be the largest and most diverse human space flight exploration coalition in history. And note, I underscore the word coalition. We are not going there alone. We are going with partners. We expect that over the course of the coming months and years, our countries will join the Artemis program and commit to the principles of the Accords. And I mean, obviously, the Accords represent a strong initial start. There is much work to be done to establish responsible norms of behavior in space. Specifically, along with the departments of state and defense, NASA will be participating in an interagency process to support the development of norms of behavior in space for all operations, including national security. So, yes, the moon is a busy place in the coming years. And there is a lot we need to do together with the international community to ensure coordination and safe conduct of operations with Artemis Accords as a center of our strategy to do so. Wonderful. I'm sure we're going to be hearing more and more about that in the coming months. The next question I'd like to is actually referencing back to your remarks. It's fairly specific. One of our audience members would like to know, is the NASA Active Debris Review Team the same as the previous year's O-D-M-S-P-I-W-G? Got to love acronym CITI. Specifically, is it government-only, or does it include commercial and academia? So the Orbital Debris Review Team I'm leading is an internal NASA-only team. And our goal is to better examine how NASA could be a better leader in ensuring space sustainability. Up until now, NASA has focused mainly on protecting our own assets. I talked earlier about making sure ISS is safe. We have a team at Goddard that looks at our robotic missions. We have an Orbital Debris Program Office, which does a lot of the modeling characterization, the data around the space debris environment. We are looking in this review team on things that NASA could be doing beyond what we do in protecting our own assets and being leaders in the broader community. And we hope to be sharing our thoughts with you in the coming months. Great. Well, I know the community is going to be eager to hear from you on that. And I'm excited to hear that you're actually leading the team. So wonderful. Our next question switches topics just a little bit. And so what, you know, specifically in terms of plans or programs, does NASA have to help mature and field active debris removal technology? So overall, big picture, NASA is globally recognized for its technical competence and has played a leadership role in promoting orbital debris mitigation best practices within the national community on the debris removal removal front specifically. NASA is currently focusing, any of this may change in going forward, but we are currently focusing on early stage technology developments as opposed to operational systems. So since 2011, the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts NIAC program has funded six early stage research studies relevant to orbital debris mitigation and removal. And we can get you the studies if you'd like. More recently at the request of Congress, NASA conducted several agency-wide reviews of technologies that support active debris removal. The last such review was 2019 and described 16 different investments. Our space technology mission director, STMD, was funding to remove or otherwise mitigate orbital debris. These reviews continue to identify technology gaps that need to be closed in order to enable active debris removal. But have not identified major technology breakthroughs that would warrant another in-depth study at this time, but things change. More work needs to be done in areas such as proximity operations, sensors and instruments, efficient propulsion, guidance and navigation, autonomy, robotic manipulation. And many of these technologies are being matured through currently funded projects such as solar electric propulsion, satellite servicing, and other small spacecraft missions all in the STMD directorate. In addition, NASA is funding research through academia with a primary focus on improving algorithms related to de-spinning uncooperative debris and controlled the orbit of large objects. NASA routinely attracts new orbital debris removal concepts through its annual NIAC, New Innovative Advanced Concepts program I mentioned earlier, Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer, SBIR and STTR programs. And also, and this is something I just recently learned, the space technology research development demonstration and infusion ready solicitations. These solicitations draw participation from a number of commercial entities interested in pursuing this capability as a business venture, approaches ranging from debris capture through the use of small spacecraft or sales as drag devices. We are thinking about the possibility of future public-private partnerships and these programs demonstrate the potential for commercialization of NASA-developed technologies. And all throughout, STMD continues to invest in promising early-stage concepts and technologies that could alter the landscape for identifying technically cost-effective. And again, I want to underscore the term cost-effective. I was talking earlier about the back of the envelope cost of ADR. So we want to be thinking about cost-effective, viable or build debris removal approaches. Our review team will have more on this and we look forward to feedback from the community as well. Yeah, and we had another question that really builds on your comments there and so they're kind of broadening the scope a little bit and they're curious, do you think NASA is going to support or would support a new international agreement to remove or reduce orbital debris? You know, how do you see this playing out in the international fields? So that's a great, great question and one we should probably consider in our internal discussions. You know, if you want to send some, you know, more thoughts on potential approaches, please do. But NASA is, you know, a strong proponent of doing things internationally. I think I read somewhere recently that only about 30% of debris is, or 30% of everything that's in space is U.S. owned and anything that we do in space has to be and with respect to orbital debris removal has to be coordinated internationally. So international coordination is critical and we need to be doing this in that way as opposed to some unilateral approach. So send us ideas and we are listening. Excellent. So we do have another international question and I understand that this is one that's, you know, the policy is probably still forming. You are a new administration, but we did have someone ask, you know, if Congress would decide to lift restrictions on cooperation or engagement with China, you know, what is NASA's thoughts on that and how would you expect NASA to react? So NASA will continue to follow U.S. law, in particular the Wolf Amendment that provide guidance on how and if NASA can engage with China. There is no ifs, buts, or thens around that. In recent years NASA has engaged in certain cooperative activities with China in full accordance with this law. For example, both NASA and China have spacecraft in orbit around Mars, along with ESA, India, and the UAE. NASA and CNS say the Chinese National Space Agency are sharing data on our respective spacecraft as NASA does with other agencies with spacecraft around other celestial bodies to assure spacecraft safety and collision avoidance. We will continue to do whatever is in the best interests of the United States, and as long as we are in accordance with the law, which is one of our most important criteria, which is the criterion for engaging internationally. Wonderful. So just to close out on one final question for you. You've had this incredible opportunity, and you've been a driving force in the Biden administration in deciding what they're going to do about a lot of topics, and space sustainability, obviously being one that we care the most about here at this summit. And I was wondering if you just have any concluding thoughts or remarks you'd like to make on just your impressions. What is this administration's commitment to this topic? Are there any behind the scenes insights you can share in terms of where you expect things to go broadly with the administration in the next few months and years? So, yeah, I think if you look at just the 2022 PBR, you will see the funding increases for Earth Science for climate change. So sustainability is a pretty strong priority for the administration. Space sustainability is not that different from atmospheric, you know, biosphere sustainability. So it is a clear priority. We are still developing some of our ideas on how we are wanting to proceed. And as we have more, you know, the National Space Council gets in place and Executive Secretary is appointed, we will begin to speak about our plans and formulate our plans to greater degrees of specificity. So I hope you will invite me back. And others from NASA, and we will have to have a chance to collaborate more Fortunately, I think we need to start. We're looking at the OSTP R&D plan on orbital debris mitigation. That is a real clear place to start. But there is so much more to do. So hopefully we'll have a chance to work together. Yeah, absolutely. And I know we're thrilled to see, you know, the direction that the Space Council takes, NASA, OSTP, everyone in the administration on all of these topics. So thank you so much for your insights today. We were thrilled you were able to join us. I know this is an incredibly busy week at NASA. And obviously you guys aren't exactly at 100,000 percent in terms of staffing up. So we really appreciate your time and interest in speaking with us today. And I look forward to talking again in the future. Thank you, Crystal. Yes, it was a pretty exciting time at NASA this week. Pam Melroy, our Deputy Administrators here. So we have now a full complement of leaders. And yes, it's full speed ahead. Thanks again. Yeah, we love Pam. She was at one of our earlier summits. So enjoy and we'll talk to you soon.