Space Workforce Forum

A structured listening session across the space ecosystem, workforce conditions, pipeline readiness, and the signals shaping the next two decades of U.S. space industry.

What Is the Space
Workforce Forum?

What We’re Here
to Understand

Where and
When

Reserve Your
Seat Now

Venue
Information

Wednesday,
May 7, 2025

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET

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Robert H. Smith
School of Business
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.
In-Person + Livestream

Office of
Space Commerce

Phase 1 · Listening Forum

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Livestream Access

What Is the Space Workforce Forum?

The Space Workforce Forum is a structured, facilitated listening event organized by the Office of Space Commerce (OSC), Policy, Advocacy & International Division (PAID), as part of the Commercial Space Policy & Industry Strategy programming.

Phase 1 is designed to establish a shared state of awareness across the space ecosystem by combining structured listening with curated workforce perspectives. This phase is intentionally accessible and inclusive, enabling broad situational understanding of workforce considerations shaping the space sector.

The forum will be conducted in-person at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, with a live stream option for broader ecosystem awareness. Remote participants may observe proceedings and submit questions through a moderated Q&A channel.
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This is a listening and learning event. No policy decisions or commitments will be made or implied. All inputs are aggregated and non-attributable.

Space Workforce — Scope
Individuals directly or indirectly enabling the full lifecycle of civil and commercial space missions within U.S.-based entities.

Includes
→ Core operators
→ Enabling infrastructure
→ Multi-use technical talent
→ Certified pipeline participants

Excludes
→ General STEM without mission linkage
→ Unrelated aerospace activity

What We’re Here to Understand

Four objective themes guide listening sessions.
All inputs inform situational awareness, not policy prescriptions.

OBJECTIVE 01

Shared Definitions & Scope

Develop a shared, operational definition of the space workforce that clarifies scope, lifecycle coverage, and boundary conditions.

OBJECTIVE 02

Cross-Sector Perception Mapping

Document how workforce constraints are described across industry, academia, workforce organizations, and associations.

OBJECTIVE 03

Existing Programs Inventory

Inventory current workforce programs, partnerships, and pipeline efforts to understand coverage, alignment, and fragmentation.

OBJECTIVE 04

Gap & Uncertainty Identification

Distinguish validated workforce gaps from perception-based concerns and identify areas requiring additional data or engagement.
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May 7, 2025 · 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET

University of Maryland
Robert H. Smith School of Business,
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW,
Washington, D.C. 20004

The event schedule will be released soon.

Reserve Your Seat

In-person space is limited. Virtual/livestream access is open to all. Pre-registration required for both formats.

In-Person
Registration

Attend the Space Workforce Forum in person at the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Capacity is limited, register early
to secure your seat.

Lunch and refreshments provided
Full access to plenary and breakout sessions
Valid photo ID required for entry
ADA accommodations
available on request

Virtual /
Livestream Access

Observe plenary sessions in real time via Zoom. A moderated Q&A channel allows virtual participants to submit questions during plenary programming. Breakout sessions are in-person only.

Plenary sessions only — no breakout access
Q&A through moderated channel
Access link sent 48 hours before event
Separate virtual registration required

Zoom Access Coming Soon

Event Posture
& Guidelines

The Space Workforce Forum is a structured listening event, not a policy forum, advocacy session, or debate. Understanding the event posture before you register ensures the right expectations on all sides.

No advocacy, solutioning, or debate
All inputs aggregated and non-attributable
Attendance does not imply policy endorsement
Media credentialing separate from registration
Questions: Theresa.Quitto-Dickerson@noaa.gov

View FAQs

Venue & Practical Information

Venue

Robert H. Smith
School of Business 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, D.C.
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Getting There

Metro: Federal Triangle (Orange/Silver/Blue) – 2-min walk
Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial (Green/Yellow) – 5-min walk

Limited street parking ·
Nearby garage options available

Accessibility

Fully ADA accessible venue. To request accommodations, indicate during registration or contact jcrocker@umd.edu

Submit requests at least 10 business days before the event.

Meals & Refreshments

Lunch provided for in-person attendees and generously sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
Morning and afternoon refreshments during breaks.

Dietary accommodation requests accepted at registration.

Event Posture

Structured listening forum. No advocacy, solutioning, or debate.
All inputs aggregated and non-attributable. Participation does not imply endorsement of any policy position.
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Contact & Questions

Policy, Advocacy &
International Division
Office of Space Commerce
Space.Commerce@noaa.gov

Media inquiries:
Space.Commerce@noaa.gov
email header
“Media Request: [Your organization]“

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the Space Workforce Forum and OSC’s commercial space workforce listening program.

What is the Space Workforce Forum?

The Space Workforce Forum is a structured, practitioner-informed listening event hosted by the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. It brings together leaders from commercial space industry, academia, workforce development organizations, and government to surface conditions, frictions, and emerging signals across the space workforce ecosystem.

The forum is not a policy announcement, a rulemaking proceeding, or a solution-generation workshop. It is a disciplined signal capture event — designed to improve the quality of information available to decision-makers as they shape national commercial space workforce policy and investment strategy.

Who should attend?

The forum is designed for practitioners and decision-makers who operate at the intersection of the space economy and workforce systems.
That includes:
Commercial space operators, workforce directors, and talent strategy executives

Academic program directors, department chairs, and research faculty

Workforce development professionals, training program managers, and apprenticeship leads

Federal and interagency policy advisors with space-adjacent workforce equities

Standards bodies, certification organizations, and professional associations

The right participant is not necessarily the most senior voice — it is the most informed one. If you see the workforce challenge firsthand, your perspective belongs in the room.

What happens to what participants share?

All inputs are aggregated and non-attributed. Nothing shared in a breakout session is linked to a specific individual or organization in any output.

Forum inputs feed a structured synthesis process that produces:
A “What We Heard” signal summary report

Leadership-ready briefings for federal decision-makers

Draft workforce development roadmaps aligned to national space policy objectives

Participants are contributing to the evidence base — not making policy commitments, not endorsing positions, and not entering into any formal agreement with OSC or the Department of Commerce.

Is this forum affiliated with a rulemaking, regulation, or policy decision?

No. The Space Workforce Forum is an informational listening event. Participation does not constitute endorsement of any policy position, and outputs from the forum do not carry regulatory or binding authority.
OSC operates this forum as part of its mandate to engage the commercial space ecosystem and support informed decision-making by leadership — not to prescribe outcomes or accelerate action before the evidence base is ready.

How are breakout sessions structured?

Breakout sessions are small, facilitated group discussions organized intentionally across sectors. Each session is guided by standardized prompts aligned to the forum’s workforce theme areas.

Sessions are designed as guided listening environments — not working groups, panels, or workshops. Facilitators draw out observations and patterns from subject matter experts without steering toward solutions or generating recommendations.

Participants rotate through multiple session cycles throughout the day, allowing for cross-theme engagement and layered insight development. All inputs are captured in a standardized format to support post-forum synthesis.

What outputs will be produced from this forum?

Forum outputs are designed to serve the broader space ecosystem — not just participants. Planned outputs include:

A publicly available “What We Heard” signal summary report

Internal leadership briefings on emerging workforce conditions and systemic friction points

Draft workforce development roadmaps identifying priority investment areas and coordination mechanisms

Inputs to ongoing commercial space policy and industry strategy development at OSC

All outputs are produced under OSC’s non-attributable, neutral convener posture. No individual, organization, or sector is identified in public-facing materials.

How do I register?

Registration is available via [REGISTRATION LINK — INSERT BEFORE LAUNCH]. Curated participants will receive a personal invitation directly from OSC. General registration opens [DATE TBD].
Space is limited. Priority is given to practitioners with direct experience in the space workforce ecosystem across industry, academia, government, and workforce development sectors.

Will there be future forums or listening sessions?

Yes. The Space Workforce Forum is part of OSC’s broader Space Listening & Enablement program — a structured, repeatable system for engaging the commercial space ecosystem across workforce, infrastructure, financing, and sustainability domains.

Future forums and listening sessions will be announced through OSC’s official communications channels. Organizations and individuals interested in staying connected to OSC’s commercial space policy and industry strategy work are encouraged to [SUBSCRIBE / CONNECT — INSERT LINK].

This page will be updated as new engagement opportunities are announced.

Privacy Act Statement & Public Burden Statement

Updated 3/25/2026