Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Congressman Lamar Smith on the New Era in Space

July 2018

Past Event

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Congressman Lamar Smith on the New Era in Space

Past Event

Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters

July 24, 2018

Apollo 11 view of the Earth rising over the surface of the moon

July 2018

Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

Read Transcript Read Transcript Read Transcript Read Transcript

Speakers:

Hon. Wilbur Ross

U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Hon. Lamar Smith (R-TX)

Chairman, Committee on Science, Technology & Space, U.S. House of Representatives

Earl Comstock

Director, Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, U.S. Department of Commerce

Hon. Ian Steff

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Acting Assistant Secretary for Global Markets and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service

Dr. Steve Volz

Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

James Uthmeier

Senior Advisor & Regulatory Reform Officer, Office of the Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce

Kevin O’Connell

Director, Office of Space Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce

Dr. Joe Pelton

Director, Space and Advanced Communications Research Institute, George Washington University

Maintaining U.S. leadership in the face of global competition warrants a reevaluation of the U.S. political and legal landscape governing space. On July 24, Hudson Institute was joined by the Secretary Wilbur Ross and House Science, Space, & Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith to discuss the Department of Commerce's evolving role in the space sector.

The web of national, regional and international institutions—organized to guide and serve an industry undergoing dramatic transformation—needs to be updated. Rising to meet this challenge, Congress and the Executive Branch have been working together to reshape the legal environment for the commercial use of outer space. Keynote addresses by Secretary Ross and Congressman Smith will be followed by a panel with senior government officials responsible for executing the reform agenda laid out by the Trump Administration.

# First video: Introduction by Hudson President and CEO Kenneth Weinstein and Keynote Address by Congressman Lamar Smith.
# Second video: Discussion with Secretary Wilbur Ross.
# Third video: Panel Discussion: Regulatory Efficacy & Efficiency in Space Commerce.

February 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

“Iron Curtain” at 80: Why the Special Relationship Is Essential to Defeating the New Authoritarians

Featured Speakers:

Rt. Hon. Priti Patel, MP

Daniel Kochis

Joel Scanlon

February 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

“Iron Curtain” at 80: Why the Special Relationship Is Essential to Defeating the New Authoritarians

UK Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs the Rt. Hon. Priti Patel, MP, will join Hudson for a conversation on the future of the special relationship and what the adoption of a conservative foreign policy would mean for Britain and the transatlantic alliance.

Featured Speakers:

Rt. Hon. Priti Patel, MP

Daniel Kochis

Joel Scanlon

Learn More

March 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Securing America’s Critical Mineral Supply Chain: A Conversation with Congressman Rob Wittman

Featured Speakers:

Mike Gallagher

Congressman Rob Wittman

March 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Securing America’s Critical Mineral Supply Chain: A Conversation with Congressman Rob Wittman

Join Distinguished Fellow Mike Gallagher and Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA) for a discussion on the congressman’s recently introduced Securing Essential and Critical US Resources and Elements (SECURE Minerals) Act and Congress’s role in securing America’s economic security.

Featured Speakers:

Mike Gallagher

Congressman Rob Wittman

Learn More

February 2026

Past Event

Toward a Stronger US-Taiwan Partnership: Unpacking the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade

Featured Speakers:

Rupert Hammond-Chambers

Bonnie Glaser

Moderator:

Riley Walters

February 2026

Past Event

Toward a Stronger US-Taiwan Partnership: Unpacking the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade

Join Hudson for an expert panel on why these deals are so important for both nations, what they mean for the future of US supply chains, and what potential challenges remain for implementing these deals.