Meridian Space Diplomacy Initiative
Meridian’s Space Diplomacy Initiative fosters relationships between the U.S. and other nations while deepening knowledge of space and international affairs. The initiative advances international norms for government and industry, works to democratize space for pre-emerging and emerging spacefaring nations, and helps accelerate the global space economy for the United States and its allies. These goals are achieved through track 1.5 diplomacy, cross-sector convening, geopolitical training, and professional exchanges.
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITY
Space systems are increasingly central to national security, economic resilience, communications infrastructure, and global crisis response. At the same time, the space domain is contested, shaped by counterspace capabilities, cyber interference, gray-zone activity, orbital debris, and growing civil, commercial, and military entanglement.
These dynamics introduce strategic uncertainty and place leaders in high-stakes crisis environments where decisions must often be made with limited technical literacy and incomplete information. The Meridian–SPACEAIMS Executive Training on Space Security equips senior leaders with strategic literacy, structured decision-making tools, and practical crisis-management experience needed to operate effectively in contested space environments.
The program blends concise executive briefings with an immersive, in-person tabletop exercise focused on coordination, signaling, and crisis resolution rather than technical detail.
The Training will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
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THE NEED FOR SPACE DIPLOMACY
Space activity accelerates daily, unlocking unprecedented innovation, cooperation, and competition opportunities. Space has incredible societal, economic, and scientific potential, and there is an increasing need for multilateral, sustained diplomatic relations to support these ventures. With significant challenges on the horizon, including global security, management of space debris, and international commercial regulation, the existing system of space governance remains limited and antiquated.
WHY U.S. LEADERSHIP IS KEY
American leadership in space remains paramount. Beyond being critical to U.S. economic growth, scientific and technological progress, and national security, it is also crucial to ensure responsible stewardship of the outer space environment. Space should remain an open, safe, and shared space for the benefit of all.
A CALL FOR PARTNERSHIP
However, the U.S. cannot do this alone. Alliances based on shared values and partnerships built on trust, optimism, and commitments to interstellar peace will be necessary to ensure humanity’s sustained progress in space.
THE PATH FORWARD
21st-century space policy requires perspectives and engagement across borders from diverse stakeholders, including civil space agency officials, policymakers, diplomats, scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and national security representatives. This makes international engagement and the art of diplomacy, in both its traditional forms and modern applications, essential to unlocking cosmic cooperation.
Guided by our mission to strengthen alliances and partnerships, increase U.S. competitiveness and build geopolitical resilience, Meridian’s Space Diplomacy Initiative:
- Empowers U.S. public and private sectors to increase international partnerships that will maintain U.S. leadership in space to promote economic prosperity, scientific and technological progress, and national security.
- Galvanizes U.S. and international diplomats and space sector professionals to advance international norms and regulatory frameworks in space based on shared values.
- Maintains free and expanded exploration of space by nations in a manner that ensures safe and responsible stewardship of the outer space environment.
- Cultivates greater distribution of economic, scientific, technical and societal benefits of the growing space sector among pre-emerging and emerging spacefaring nations.
Since 2018, Meridian has convened Washington’s foreign diplomatic corps on a biweekly basis to hear from and interact with organizations and individuals on the frontlines of the political, social, security, and economic issues in Washington and beyond. The Space Diplomacy Series gathers the diplomatic corps alongside the commercial space sector and U.S. government space leaders on a regular basis to explore a wide range of issues from space sustainable awareness to export control measures and commercial regulation.
The SME Global Space Cooperation Program is a membership-based program that cultivates international partnerships for American commercial space startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while building the confidence and capability to operate compliantly across borders.
Meridian partners with Space Exploration Engineering (SEE) and Camber Research to provide hands-on operational guidance and export control expertise, creating a platform for American companies to engage meaningfully with government agencies, foreign partners, and international commercial markets.
The hybrid kick-off session for the SME Global Space Cooperation Program will be held on Friday, February 27. For more information visit: https://meridian.org/technology/sme-global-space-cooperation-program/
As space becomes increasingly multipolar, commercialized, and contested, the need for international cooperation has never been greater. Meridian’s Space Diplomacy Forum: Shared Horizons will convene diplomats, international space agency representatives, U.S. government officials, and space executives from around the world to navigate these challenges and shape a shared future.
To learn more about the March 25th Space Diplomacy Forum, visit: https://diplomacyforum.meridian.org/space
Coming in 2026, this Meridian-led hybrid training course on diplomacy, international affairs and geopolitics for astronomers, astrophysicists, space industry executives and other non-governmental space sector stakeholders will enhance their capacity to contribute and advocate for international governance norms for space as well as scientific and technologically sound U.S. space policies.
This seminar series for American diplomats, Congressional staff members and space industry leaders based in Washington, DC, provides knowledge and relationships to make informed decisions on evolving international space policies, partnerships and agreements.
Through partnerships with national governments and the commercial space industry, Meridian curates tailored U.S. study tours on civil and commercial space opportunities for public and private space sector leaders from other nations.
The Meridian–SPACEAIMS Executive Training on Space Security equips senior leaders with strategic literacy, structured decision-making tools, and practical crisis-management experience needed to operate effectively in contested space environments.
The Training will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Since 2018, Meridian has convened Washington’s foreign diplomatic corps on a biweekly basis to hear from and interact with organizations and individuals on the frontlines of the political, social, security, and economic issues in Washington and beyond. The Space Diplomacy Series gathers the diplomatic corps alongside the commercial space sector and U.S. government space leaders on a regular basis to explore a wide range of issues from space sustainable awareness to export control measures and commercial regulation.
The SME Global Space Cooperation Program is a membership-based program that cultivates international partnerships for American commercial space startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while building the confidence and capability to operate compliantly across borders.
Meridian partners with Space Exploration Engineering (SEE) and Camber Research to provide hands-on operational guidance and export control expertise, creating a platform for American companies to engage meaningfully with government agencies, foreign partners, and international commercial markets.
The hybrid kick-off session for the SME Global Space Cooperation Program will be held on Friday, February 27. For more information visit: https://meridian.org/technology/sme-global-space-cooperation-program/
As space becomes increasingly multipolar, commercialized, and contested, the need for international cooperation has never been greater. Meridian’s Space Diplomacy Forum: Shared Horizons will convene diplomats, international space agency representatives, U.S. government officials, and space executives from around the world to navigate these challenges and shape a shared future.
To learn more about the March 25th Space Diplomacy Forum, visit: https://diplomacyforum.meridian.org/space
Coming in 2026, this Meridian-led hybrid training course on diplomacy, international affairs and geopolitics for astronomers, astrophysicists, space industry executives and other non-governmental space sector stakeholders will enhance their capacity to contribute and advocate for international governance norms for space as well as scientific and technologically sound U.S. space policies.
This seminar series for American diplomats, Congressional staff members and space industry leaders based in Washington, DC, provides knowledge and relationships to make informed decisions on evolving international space policies, partnerships and agreements.
Through partnerships with national governments and the commercial space industry, Meridian curates tailored U.S. study tours on civil and commercial space opportunities for public and private space sector leaders from other nations.
The Meridian–SPACEAIMS Executive Training on Space Security equips senior leaders with strategic literacy, structured decision-making tools, and practical crisis-management experience needed to operate effectively in contested space environments.
The Training will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Recent Programs
Leadership
Memberships
Meridian offers space corporations and institutions memberships to participate in monthly convening programs and track 1.5 diplomacy along with opportunities to meet visiting international space delegations and other benefits. For more information on membership levels and opportunities, email MCDE@Meridian.org.
