NOTE: Episode 80 is a follow-up of episode 79, so I kindly request you to first listen to episode 79 to connect with our discussion in episode 80.
In this episode, we dive deep into the complex web connecting US elections, geopolitics, and international relations, with a particular focus on their profound impact on the space industry.
How do shifting political landscapes and electoral outcomes influence space policy, international cooperation, and global space leadership? From the role of Congress in shaping space budgets to the impact of presidential priorities on NASA, private space ventures, and global collaborations, we explore how space has become a critical frontier in geopolitics.
Join us as we analyze recent and upcoming elections, discussing the ripple effects they have on the space industry’s future—from space exploration to satellite competition, security, and beyond.
About the guest speaker:
Victoria Samson is the Chief Director, Space Security and Stability for Secure World Foundation and has over twenty-five years of experience in military space and security issues. Before joining SWF, Ms. Samson served as a Senior Analyst for the Center for Defense Information (CDI), where she focused on missile defense, nuclear reductions, and space security. Before her time at CDI, Ms. Samson was the Senior Policy Associate at the Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers, a consortium of arms control groups in the Washington, D.C. area, where she worked on issues related to ballistic missile defense and nuclear weapons reduction. Before that, she was a researcher at Riverside Research Institute, where she worked on war-gaming scenarios for the Missile Defense Agency’s Directorate of Intelligence.
Ms. Samson is the head of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF)’s Security Task Force and is a member of the Space Security Working Group of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)’s Committee on International Security and Arms Control (CISAC). Ms. Samson holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in political science with a specialization in international relations from UCLA and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
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