Once again, the Alliance for Space Development is taking our critical advocacy to the virtual domain! Due to the continuing situation with COVID-19, along with recommendations from the CDC and the city of Washington DC, the Alliance for Space Development has decided to keep this year’s Fall Fury event entirely virtual. We will be utilizing conference lines similar to the previous Fall Fury and March Storm events.

The 2021 Virtual Fall Fury Sign-Up link.

This year’s event will begin in Mid-September and extend to the first weeks of December. Over the next few weeks, ASD will be scheduling meetings with key congressional offices and splitting volunteers into action teams.

Virtual training will be provided for all signups. Our training will include specifics on who we are, what we are advocating for, and how to participate in these virtual meetings. We make sure that everyone can contribute to our advocacy efforts regardless of prior experience. Don’t be afraid to sign up if it’s your first time advocating! Training date and time will be communicated to all signups, and the training will be recorded for those who are unable to attend live.

Please direct any questions or comments to Executive Coordinator Ian Burrell at [email protected].

Background information

The 2021 Virtual Fall Fury Event will be a premier advocacy event for pro-space enthusiasts and industry workers. Throughout the Autumn season, join fellow space enthusiasts from around the country to advocate for the 2021 Citizens’ Space Agenda. Developed by the Alliance for Space Development, our policy points were developed by our member organizations including the National Space Society, Space Frontier Foundation, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, and many others. This year, the Alliance will advocate for four policy points:

1. Support planetary defense by fully funding the Near-Earth Object Surveillance Mission (NEOSM).
2. Support commercial development of Low Earth Orbit by fully funding the LEO Commercialization Program.
3. Support commercial development of the lunar surface.
4. Start developing and demonstrating Space Solar Power.

The first of these points is a continuation of our previous efforts, which have made great strides in the past two years. With NASA’s new focus on planetary defense from the public’s interest, the previously advocated NEOCAM mission has been moved to a new mission called NEOSM. This could likely be the year we see full funding of this mission and a success on our part.

Continuing our efforts from previous years, we are again turning attention towards the development of Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Humans have inhabited LEO for 20 years since the creation of the International Space Station. The station does not have an infinite lifetime, and will be decommissioned sometime in the coming years. An alternative needs to be developed to continue NASA research, provide a global testbed, and develop commercial products in LEO. With several U.S. companies developing LEO stations, we are asking for full funding for Commercial LEO Development.

The commercial efforts of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) and the Human Lander Systems program aim to make the lunar surface a place of human exploration and development for the coming decades. The Alliance for Space Development believes commercially-focused developments and vehicles will allow for sustained human access to the Lunar surface. Since many of these programs rely on government funding, we are asking congress to continuously fund these cislunar projects to completion.

We are also continuing our efforts to promote Space Solar Power (SSP). SSP refers to the collection of the sun’s energy in the space environment, then beaming that energy for collection on the Earth’s surface. After a discussion with representatives from ASD member organizations, we believe our country’s capabilities with space access, solar power, and energy transfer have reached a level where we can begin looking at an SSP program. With increasingly cheaper access to orbit and a growing need for energy across the globe, this program could pave the way to U.S. dominance in LEO. Several agencies, companies, and international competitors have begun their own research into SSP programs.

ASD 2021 Objectives [PDF] (updated July 2021)

(More information about past legislative blitzes.)