Therese Jones
NASA
Sustaining Space, and Launching a Space Career
Location: 1080 Physics Research Building
Faculty Host: 1080 Physics Research Building
Abstract: As space activity increases, with nearly daily rocket launches, over 11000 active satellites on orbit, and both an increase in commercial and international lunar landings, a coordinated approach is needed to ensure a sustainable space environment. From measuring rocket emissions and understanding impact of reentries to Earth's atmosphere, to actively avoiding on-orbit collisions, to servicing and refueling spacecraft, removing space debris, manufacturing and recycling in-space, and coordinating lunar exploration so as not to interfere with others' operations or destroy future science activities, a holistic and long-term approach is needed to help manage and mitigate the impacts of space activities. This talk will cover NASA efforts on space sustainability, and contributions of international and commercial actors in this domain. The talk will also touch on career pathways into the space sector, from private sector to public, and how students and young professionals can engage and be positioned for success on the non-academic job market.
Bio: Therese Jones serves as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Science and Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) at NASA Headquarters, working on strategic planning across NASA missions, primarily focused on space sustainability and developing a sustained lunar presence. From 2018-2023, she served as the Senior Director of Policy at the Satellite Industry Association, where she supported work on regulatory, legislative, defense, space sustainability, cybersecurity, export control and trade issues of critical importance to the Association’s 60+ member companies. Previously, Therese was an assistant policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, where she focused on space policy, and prior to that worked as an astrophysics researcher focusing on galaxy formation and evolution. Therese holds a master's in Policy Analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, a master’s in astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and bachelor’s degrees in astronomy and astrophysics, physics, German, and international studies from The Pennsylvania State University. In her spare time, she works on numerous initiatives supporting students and young professionals entering the space industry, including co-founding the Zed Factor Fellowship, founding the AIAA Diversity Scholarship, serving on the Board of Advisors of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, and serving as a founding partner of spaceinterns.org.
