Conference Agenda

Telecommunications policy has entered a new phase as satellite constellations in low Earth orbit (LEO) become a critical communications infrastructure layer. Large-scale LEO systems including Starlink and Amazon LEO are reshaping broadband access, spectrum management, and international telecommunications governance. Firms are exploring even more ambitious concepts—including orbital computing AI data centers to leverage continuous solar power - while space-inclusive network architectures already reach smartphones today.
Panel Thesis: The rapid integration of satellite constellations, cloud computing, and edge networking is creating a new space–cloud–edge communications ecosystem that existing telecommunications policy frameworks were not designed to govern. Addressing this emerging infrastructure requires interdisciplinary research spanning telecommunications policy, space governance, network architecture, and data infrastructure economics.
Existing regulatory systems—including FCC non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) licensing and ITU coordination mechanisms—were developed for a far smaller satellite ecosystem. Even as the FCC prepares to automate satellite licensing processes, proposed mega-constellations, potentially numbering tens of thousands to one million satellites, test the limits of those governance frameworks. From a communications policy perspective, the expansion of LEO systems introduces challenges related to spectrum coordination, orbital congestion, debris mitigation, and sustainable market structure. Satellite networks are also increasingly central to broadband policy debates as governments endeavor to extend connectivity to rural and underserved regions. These developments raise broader questions about digital sovereignty, competition policy, and equitable global access to orbital and spectrum resources.
Research Contribution: The panel identifies emerging governance challenges at the intersection of telecommunications policy and orbital sustainability, and proposes a research agenda for analyzing space-based communications infrastructure as part of the global communications ecosystem.
Audience Takeaways: Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the emerging policy toolkit for managing orbital sustainability, the research questions shaping this field, and the implications for communications policy scholarship and regulation.

Relevance to TPRC: The rapid expansion of LEO constellations represents a structural shift in global communications infrastructure. Building on prior TPRC scholarship on satellite communications policy, spectrum governance, and global communications infrastructure, this panel connects telecommunications policy research with emerging governance challenges in the orbital environment and explores how sustainability of the space communications ecosystem can be incorporated into future communications policy frameworks.

Panel Format:

Moderator framing remarks (5 minutes)

Panelist presentations (8–10 minutes each)

Respondent integrative summary remarks (5 minutes)

Moderated Q & A with attendees (40-45 minutes)

Moderator: Sharon Strover

Professor, School of Journalism and Media, University of Texas Austin

Panelists: Moriba Jah (invited) — Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, University of Texas at Austin; specialist in space traffic management and orbital data science

Larry Esposito (confirmed) — Professor Emeritus, Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder; planetary scientist and space science mission researcher

Julie Baker (confirmed) — Chief Operating Officer, Ursa Space Systems; commercial Earth observation and space data analytics

Kiran Gude (invited) — Head of Regulatory Affairs, Amazon LEO; satellite regulatory policy and spectrum governance

Respondent: Sean O’Keefe (confirmed)

Professor Emeritus, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University
Former NASA Administrator