California Space Authority

The California Space Authority (CSA) is a nonprofit corporation representing the commercial, civil, and national defense/homeland security interests of California's diverse space enterprise community in four domains: Industry, Government, Academia, and Workforce. CSA is also a participating member in the Coalition for Space Exploration.

Overview

Former schoolteacher, Assemblywoman and Congresswoman Andrea Seastrand currently serves as the Executive Director of CSA, which is governed by a statewide board of directors, composed of twelve members elected by the CSA Membership. Four directors are selected from each of CSA's three regions (Northern, Central, and Southern California) during elections that are held in the Fall in which each director is elected to a 3-year term. The terms of office are staggered such that half of the seats on the board are up for election each year. The Board may fill additional 1-year seats with CSA members to ensure adequate representation is met across CSA's constituent types (industry, government, academia, large, small, etc.).

Designated as California's Spaceport Authority, CSA is tasked by the state of California to operate as a member-based "enterprise" association that works closely with individual, corporate, state and local government and academic stakeholders throughout the state. The main purpose of CSA is to facilitate California's competitiveness within the aerospace industry. In this capacity, CSA is also authorized to facilitate development of California-based spaceports.

Including space-related companies, individual entrepreneurs, government agencies, non-profit organizations and College and University research programs, California's space enterprise provides or supports the delivery of hundreds of space-related products and services to the state and the nation. The total economic impact of California's space enterprise (Commercial, Civil, National Security) is estimated to be in excess of $120 billion dollars. Representing 24% of the global space market, California space enterprise impacts over 251,000 jobs statewide.

Some of the major responsibilities of the CSA are to:

* Serve as the official voice of the State of California on space technology issues to the federal government, other state governments, local governments and the private sector;
* Act as the official policy advisor to the Governor and State Legislature on space-related matters;
* Link statewide resources and capital to California space and technology enterprises;
* Promote California as an international center of space technology;
* Coordinate the development of the California Strategic Space Plan, and;
* Design and administer a competitive grant program.

History

The predecessor organization to the California Space Authority (CSA) was the California Space and Technology Alliance (CSTA). The first CSA Board of Directors was seated in January 2001.

The California Space and Technology Alliance was established in 1996 as a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization to foster development of space industry and was officially recognized by the state when Governor Pete Wilson signed Assembly Bill 1475 into law in October 1997. AB 1475, co-sponsored by state Senator John Vasconcellos and Assemblymembers Jim Cunneen, Elaine K. Alquist and Liz Figueroa created the CSTA "to foster the development of specified activities in California related to space flight." The vision of the CSTA was that "California leads the world in space education, research, technology, manufacturing, services and transportation."

The bill also authorized the CSTA to function as the California Spaceport Authority (one of five spaceport authorities in the nation) and set forth the duties of the CSTA. One such duty was to administer the Space Flight Competitive Grant Program.

Prior to enactment of AB 1475, California, which had been a leader in the space industry, did not have a coordinated, statewide voice on space issues. By creating the CSTA, AB 1475 provided a vehicle for such a unified voice. The CSTA served as the official policy advisor to the Governor and the Legislature on space-related matters, while acting as an advocate for the state on space technology issues (CA Government Code 15333.3).

CSA's strategic purpose

To retain, grow and create California space enterprise.

CSA's mission

To provide California space enterprise voice, visibility, and a competitive edge.

Sources

* [http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/reports/1998-11/98-431.htm CSTA Report to Committee RTC#98-431] City of Sunnyvale, Nov 17, 1998
* [http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/projects/astwg/Gooch.ppt "California Gold for the New Millennium"] CSA PowerPoint Slide presentation to NASA
* [http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/2004/06/22/news/local/news03.txt "Spaceship's flight gets local kudos"] Santa Maria Times archived story, June 22, 2004
* [http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles/2005/09/29/news/news07.txt "Space Center plans to be discussed"] Lompoc Record article, Sept 29, 2005

External links

* [http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org California Space Authority] Official website