Non-resident Scholar Kimitake Nakamura’s most recent book was selected the IAA Social Sciences Book Award (2025)

We congratulate Kimi (Space Policy Institute Non-Resident Scholar Kimitake Nakamura) for his newest book “Norm Formation in Space Law”, to be selected as the IAA Social Sciences Book Award 2025.

The IAA Social Sciences Book Award is an annual honor presented by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). It recognizes excellence in publication within the field of social sciences related to astronautics, space policy, and space law. The award is typically given to a member or corresponding member of the Academy whose book demonstrates outstanding scholarly achievement or significant impact in these disciplines.

English version of the book can be found HERE.

Japanese version HERE,

For more information, please refer to the previous post and the IAA book award page (2025 awards not updated yet)

SPI Professor Pascale Ehrenfreund receives 2025 IAF Excellence in International Cooperation Award

The IAF Excellence in International Cooperation Award is presented during the IAC 2025 Opening Ceremony on Monday 29 September 2025 to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their efforts to promote and facilitate global engagement and cooperation in the space sector.

“Pascale Ehrenfreund is the President of the Committee of Space Research (COSPAR) and Research Professor of Space Policy and International Affairs at the Space Policy Institute/George Washington University in Washington DC. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Space Foundation and as Member of the Global Future Council on Space of the World Economic Forum. For three decades she contributed as Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator and Teamleader to ESA and NASA astronomy and planetary missions as well as experiments in low Earth orbit and on the International Space Station. Pascale Ehrenfreund was the President of the International Space University (2021-2023), the President International Astronautical Federation (2019-2022), the Chair of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) (2015-2020) and the President of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) (2013-2015). Pascale Ehrenfreund is enlisted in the Stanford World Ranking Top 2% Scientists 2022 and holds a Master degree in Molecular Biology, a PhD in Astrophysics, and a Master degree in Management & Leadership. The asteroid 9826 Ehrenfreund 2114 T-3 bears her name.”

SPI Director Dr. Scott Pace Participates in UN Working Group “Dynamic Coalition on the Interplanetary Internet”

SPI Director Dr. Scott Pace will participate in the Dynamic Coalition on the Interplanetary Internet (DC-Interplanetary), a working group which will assemble during the next UN Internet Governance Forum meeting in Saudi Arabia.

The United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) serves to bring people together from various stakeholder groups in discussions on digital public policy. While it does not produce negotiated outcomes, the IGF informs and inspires those with policy-making power in both the public and private sectors. As a year-round process, the IGF includes policy, outreach, and community and capacity-building activities, all dedicated to facilitating a common understanding of how to maximise digital opportunities and address digital risks and challenges. IGF intersessional work culminates in annual meetings, where delegates discuss current and critical issues, share good practices and exchange policy recommendations with one another. The IGF’s resulting outputs are transmitted to global and national decision-making bodies.

The Interplanetary Networking Special Interest Group (IPNSIG) envisions a common network environment even in space will empower science, exploration and commercialization activities which will all become a benefit for humanity. This suggests a need for a governance ecosystem toward the establishment, operation and use of the Interplanetary Internet. In 2023, IPNSIG released a report laying out recommendations on governance of how the Interplanetary Internet ecosystem can be realized which can be used as a basis for future discussions at the “Dynamic Coalition on the Interplanetary Internet”.

Headshot of Professor Scott Pace

SPI Professor Aaron Bateman Wins 2024 Amos Perlmutter Prize

SPI Professor Aaron Bateman’s article titled “Information Security in the Space Age: Britain’s Skynet Satellite Communications Program and the Evolution of Modern Command and Control Networks” has been selected for the 2024 Amos Perlmutter Prize.

The article was published in the Journal of Strategic Studies. The Amos Perlmutter Prize is awarded once a year to the top paper published in the Journal of Strategic Studies by a junior faculty member.

You can read more about the award here.

SPI Alumnus Josh Ingersoll Appointed to UN Youth Advisory Board on Technology Policy

SPI Alumnus Josh Ingersoll has been appointed to the UN’s first Youth Advisory Board on Technology Policy (Through the ITU). Twelve board members globally under 30 years old will serve a 2-year term advising ITU Sec-Gen Doreen Bogdan-Martin on a variety of Tech Policy issues including using Satellite Telecommunication to bridge the digital divide. Josh is one of two members representing the Americas.