The International Space Safety Foundation Supports President Trump’s nomination of Representative James Bridenstine to be NASA Administrator

The Houston, Texas based International Space Safety Foundation (ISSF), and the ISSF’s sister group, the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS), based in the Netherlands, the two leading non-profit organizations promoting the safe and sustainable long-term use of space, today expressed their strong support for President Trump’s nomination of James Bridenstine to be the NASA Administrator.  Both organizations see his nomination as a positive step forward, and expect Representative Bridenstine to provide the much-needed leadership for combining NASA’s long safety experience and outstanding technical resources with the visionary drive and innovation spirit of commercial entities.

Michael Kezirian, PhD, President and CEO of ISSF, stated that “we at the ISSF stand ready to support Jim Bridenstine as the new NASA Administrator and look forward to continue the dialog with him on promoting the advances in space safety as a necessary condition for the development and growth of a vibrant commercial space industry.” Kezirian and the ISSF particularly support Bridenstine’s view that the safety regulatory environment for the commercial space industry must be lean and provide certainty and clarity to business, and are convinced that those goals can be achieved by applying proven best practices to protect the participant and uninvolved public alike. “At the ISSF, we see space safety as a collective responsibility of the aerospace industry,” explained Kezirian.  “We must bring NASA’s experience of more than fifty years of human spaceflight to industry through the development and compliance with common safety standards.” In this context, ISSF advocates the creation of a Commercial Space Safety Institute, and hope to work with Representative Bridenstine to make that a reality once he is confirmed as NASA Administrator.

Tommaso Sgobba, Executive Director of IAASS added “At a time when space is no longer an exclusive arena of governments and national space agencies, with many new, ambitious entrants entering the spaceflight business, the effective control of operational risks is the key factor for industry growth and expansion. Bridenstine’s views as a member of the Science, Space and Technology Committee of the US House of Representatives on the increased commercial involvement in space exploration and the importance of a return to the Moon and the vision to ultimately reach Mars as a proving ground for private industry are very encouraging for the international community of space safety professionals.” He also considers Bridenstine’s experience as a Navy pilot to be a valuable asset, and noted that “space bound systems and aviation traffic will share a more and more crowded airspace, with aviation increasingly relying on space-based safety-critical services, and air launches perhaps becoming an important segment of the launch business.”

About James Bridenstine:

Mr. Bridenstine was elected in 2012 to represent Oklahoma’s First Congressional District. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. Mr. Bridenstine began his Naval aviation career flying the E-2C Hawkeye off the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. It was there that he flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. While on active duty, he transitioned to the F-18 Hornet and flew as an “aggressor” at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center. After leaving active duty, Mr. Bridenstine returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma to be the Executive Director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium and flew counter-drug missions in Central and South America in the Navy Reserve. He holds a triple major from Rice University and an M.B.A. from Cornell University. Mr. Bridenstine is currently a member of the 137th Special Operations Wing of the Oklahoma Air National Guard.

About IAASS and ISSF:

The International Space Safety Foundation (ISSF) and the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS) are sister non-profit organizations with similar aims. They are dedicated to furthering policies of international cooperation and scientific progress in the field of space safety through educational initiatives, certifications, and funding of research. ISSF and IAASS and seek to advance technical, organizational, and socio-political cultures to make space missions, vehicles, stations, extraterrestrial habitats, equipment, and payloads safer for the general public, ground personnel, space travelers, and crews. They also support the preservation of the orbital environment to ensure safe use and access by present and future generations.

The ISSF is a non-profit 501c(3) registered in California with its senior leadership based in Houston, Texas.  The IAASS is a registered association under Dutch law, is based in Noordwijk (Netherlands). Both organizations work closely together and have a world-wide membership which is comprised of space agencies, aerospace corporations, and space safety professionals. More information can be found at:

Source: ISSF

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