COSMIC February Newsletter
This is a shortened version of our non-member newsletter. If you would like the complete newsletter in the future, sign up here. If you are interested in full access to COSMIC news and programming, find out how to join here.
COSMIC Convergence Registration Opens Soon
On March 3rd, we will open registration for the 2025 COSMIC Convergence, which will be held June 4-5 in Los Angeles. Please save the date.
You must be a member of COSMIC to register, so join COSMIC today to ensure your access to the community on the cutting edge of ISAM capabilities and we’ll see you in person this June.
Upcoming COSMIC Programming
COSMIC Caucus Meetings
The Industry Caucus Quarterly Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 12th at 1pm ET / 10am PT
The Academia Caucus Quarterly Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 18th at 1pm ET / 10am PT
February COSMIC Working Meetings
The Policy & Regulation Focus Area meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 11th at 3pm ET / 12pm PT.
The Workforce Development Focus Area meeting will be held on Thursday, February 13th at 2pm ET / 11am PT.
The Research & Technology Focus Area meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 19th at 1pm ET / 10am PT.
The Missions & Ecosystems Focus Area meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 26th at 2pm ET / 11am PT.
The Demonstration Infrastructure Focus Area meeting will be held on Thursday, February 27th at 2pm ET / 11am PT.
ISAM and COSMIC News
COSMIC News: NASA Includes ISAM Amongst 2025 NIAC Winners
SpaceNews: Researchers propose UN goal to curb space debris
Scientific America: Why We Need to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in Space
COSMIC Member News: Successful Capture Demonstration With REACHH
ISAM Insight: Are New Space Innovations Actually Making It to Space?
COSMIC in Space News: Space Force still mapping out strategy for in-orbit logistics and satellite services
The Washington Post: Scientists find life-friendly molecules in NASA’s asteroid samples
COSMIC Opportunities to Participate
Sign Up To Brief the COSMIC Community
If there is a specific ISAM-related topic you’d like to brief the entire COSMIC membership on regarding advancements or developments by your organization or sector-wide, please fill out this form.
Support ISAM Testing
The Demonstration Infrastructure Focus Area invites you to submit information about existing demonstration infrastructure resources that can be made available to other ISAM practitioners. If you have testing facilities that have not been submitted, please fill out the DI Inventory.
Submit Your Public ISAM News
Do you have new content that COSMIC should be sharing with the broader ISAM community? You can submit information to be shared by our communications team using this link.
COSMIC Focus Area Updates
Demonstration Infrastructure
The DI Focus Area’s working meeting featured development action of the ISAM Testbed Inventory, out-briefs of the 2024 completed products, and began organizing efforts for the 2025 deliverables. Members engaged in a thoughtful discussion regarding the use and efficiency of the emerging USG Test Facilities Report and recommendations for an Initial Capabilities Document for in-space testbeds, among other improvements for collaboration.
Policy and Regulation
PR reviewed their 2024 accomplishments, including two products now available on the COSMIC Collaboration Site: the ISAM Regulatory Repository and the Policy Education Seminar Series. The group also previewed potential 2025 products and activities on outstanding regulatory and policy issues.
Missions and Ecosystems
The ME Focus Area had a busy January, releasing their Opportunity Marketplace for ISAM to the COSMIC membership, among other products that are being finalized in advance of the 2025 COSMIC product selection.
Research and Technology
January RT Focus Area working meeting featured out-briefs on the 2024 products, including a demonstration on database interface tools developed as part of the Year One ISAM Technology Inventory effort. Participants engaged in an exercise to sharpen the FA’s focus in the new year, particularly along the lines of ensuring that the evolving Technology Inventory can evolve and adapt to meet the emerging needs of both ISAM practitioners and the growing community of ISAM clients.
Workforce Development
January’s WD Focus Area working meeting featured a recap of efforts in 2024 and opportunities and efforts on the horizon for 2025. After a strong showing in the Midpoint Showcase for the C3 Challenge, WD FA members are gearing up for multiple events as part of the final showcase in April, as well as working with other institutions to develop workforce programs by serving as the facilitator between companies, government, and academia. Additional improvements are anticipated in the new year on their baseline products, including the Hard Problems list, ISAM Advocates database, and the ISAM References list.
COSMIC-wide
In response to membership input, COSMIC now is hosting monthly Community Briefings. The January briefings were presentations by Chase Hamilton of the International Trade Group at Akin Gump entitled “Export Controls for In-Space Activities: Compliance and Recent Changes” and Bryan Guernsey, the Principal Technical Advisor at Logistics Management Institute (LMI) Consulting, LLC entitled “Space Logistics Simulation for Movement and Maneuver.”
Upcoming ISAM Conference Sessions and Panels
Newly Listed: Commercial Space Conference
On February 12th, the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are jointly hosting the 27th Annual Commercial Space Conference – Launching Tomorrow: Government and Industry Taking Space to New Heights at the Conrad Washington DC, the center of the nation for commercial space policy discussions.
Find out more information here: https://web.cvent.com/event/94f2ea30-f277-4b19-bfc2-c988ae1367ab/summary
Newly Listed: OSC/NIST Seminar: Building an In-Space Circular Economy
The Office of Space Commerce and NIST are hosting an event on February 13th to explore the circular space economy. This innovative approach aims to utilize space-based resources sustainably by minimizing waste and maximizing the reuse and recycling of materials in space operations.
Numerous COSMIC members will be speaking and in attendance.
Find out more at https://www.nist.gov/news-events/events/2025/02/seminar-building-space-circular-economy
Save The Date: 2025 COSMIC Convergence
The 2025 COSMIC Convergence will be hosted June 4-5 in Los Angeles, California and feature two days of ISAM education and collaboration. Building upon the progress of COSMIC’s first year, this in-person event will allow participants to dive deeper into the potential and needs of the emerging in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing domestic sector.
Formal registration opens March 3rd and will be found at https://cosmicspace.org/cosmic-convergence-2025/
South by SouthWest (SXSW), Friday, March 7. Find out more information at schedule.sxsw.com/2025/events/PP154264
AFRL 2025 Space Technologies Technology Interchange Meeting, March 24-28 March. Find out more at defenseinnovationmarketplace.dtic.mil/technology-interchange-meetings/2025-space-tech/
Space Power Workshop April 29-May 1, 2025, themed “Commoditization of Space: Maintaining Resiliency in the Age of Faster and Cheaper.” Find out more at https://web.cvent.com/event/fe95b534-c286-4b54-b81a-e6c046fa3143/summary
Space Tech Expo USA, June 3-4. Find out more information at www.spacetechexpo.com/conference/
AI for Contested Space Workshop, September 23-25. Contact AIContestedSpace@ll.mit.edu for more information