Episode 21: Space Policy with Kari Bingen and Stephen Kitay

Join host Stephanie Cannon for a discussion with SSP professors Kari Bingen and Stephen Kitay as they discuss the future of space policy.

About the Guests

Kari A. Bingen is the director of the Aerospace Security Project and a senior fellow in the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Her interests lie at the intersection of technology and policy, national and economic security, and the collaborative roles of the public and private sectors in advancing both. Before joining CSIS, Kari was the chief strategy officer at HawkEye 360, an innovative space technology company. She previously served as the deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security, a U.S. Senate-confirmed role in which she oversaw the nation’s defense intelligence and security enterprises—comprising more than 120,000 personnel and an annual budget exceeding $54 billion. Prior, Kari was the policy director on the House Armed Services Committee and staff lead for its Strategic Forces Subcommittee, advising members of Congress on defense policy, programs, and budgets. Prior to government service, she worked in the national security space sector, supporting U.S. defense and intelligence community organizations, first as a space systems analyst at SRA International’s Adroit C4ISR Center, and later as a senior space policy analyst at the Aerospace Corporation. In addition to her work at CSIS, Kari is passionate about “paying it forward” as an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University.  She is a member of the U.S. National Intelligence University’s Board of Visitors, a member of the U.S. Strategic Command Strategic Advisory Group, and serves on a number of corporate and nonprofit advisory boards.  She holds a degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mr. Stephen L. Kitay, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy. In this role he is responsible for establishing policy and guidance to assure U.S. and allied warfighters the benefits of space capabilities and to help guide the Department’s strategy for addressing space-related issues. He also leads Departmental activities in international space cooperation. Prior to his current position, Mr. Kitay most recently served as a Professional Staff Member on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Service Committee. In this position, he was responsible for advising the Chairman and members of the committee regarding oversight of national security space programs, policy, and budget within the Department of Defense. Mr. Kitay previously supported the committee on oversight of intelligence policy, programs, and budgets within the Department of Defense. Before joining the House Armed Services Committee, Mr. Kitay served as a government civilian in the Intelligence Community working on a variety of national intelligence programs, to include space systems at the National Reconnaissance Office. Prior to that, he served as an active duty Air Force officer performing program management and engineering duties in support of various acquisition, research, and development activities that ranged from national security space to munitions and weapon programs, including the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) program. Mr. Kitay holds a Masters of Business Administration from University of West Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University.

Views expressed are personal and do not represent the views of GSSR or any other entity.