This spring, SFS launched two new academic offerings in space studies: an undergraduate concentration in the science, technology and international affairs (STIA) major and a graduate certificate. Spearheaded by Professor Sarah Stewart Johnson, a professor with a joint appointment in the department of biology and SFS, Johnson has spent her career trying to understand the presence and preservation of biosignatures within planetary environments.
“Space is undergoing its most dramatic transformation since the Kennedy era, as scientific breakthroughs, geopolitical competition and commercial innovation rapidly expand human activity beyond Earth. At the same time, the domain remains largely ungoverned, creating both extraordinary opportunity and significant risk,” Johnson says.
SFS Dean Joel Hellman sees expanding into space studies as part of the responsibility to keep innovating in curriculum:
“Space is the next frontier of international affairs, and it helps keep SFS in the vanguard to expand into this burgeoning field. SFS and STIA have a unique vantage point for space studies that balance scientific exploration with international relations and human and societal questions. These academic offerings will prepare students to understand not only how space systems work, but also how they are governed and financed.”
Johnson adds, “Space today sits at the intersection of science, security, diplomacy, global governance, economics, commercial innovation, technological development and questions of ethics and human responsibility. These are precisely the areas where Georgetown, including the STIA program within SFS, has longstanding strength. Combined with its location in Washington, DC, and its Jesuit tradition of linking knowledge with ethical reflection, Georgetown is well-positioned to train leaders who can navigate both the technical and human dimensions of space.”
Program development
According to Johnson, student engagement in space, particularly through the student clubs like the Georgetown University Space Initiative and the Georgetown Astronomical Society, helped drive the development of space studies at Georgetown.
“These new curricular offerings emerged organically from strong student demand as well as faculty interest. There’s an impressive array of faculty research already underway in areas like space security, space law, space medicine and the search for life beyond Earth,” she explains.
Professor Emily Mendenhall, STIA director, is enthusiastic about the new addition to the curriculum.
“Space is at the center of science innovation—we cannot think of any other STIA issue without imagining the possibilities in and with space exploration—from health and energy to environment, technology, data and security,” says Mendenhall.
One booster behind the scenes has been SFS senior Sam Chang (SFS’26). As a member of the Diplomatic Ball Committee, he helped steer the pick of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum as the location for the 2026 ball and curated the list for VIP invitees. Although he’s graduating too early to take advantage of the new concentration, Chang was able to take many of the space studies classes currently offered at Georgetown, and he wrote his senior thesis on U.S. commercial space companies in national security affairs.
“I talked about how the commercialization of telecommunications space satellites blurs the lines between military and civilian infrastructure and increases risk from U.S. adversaries and commercial activities,” Chang explains.
During Chang’s four years at Georgetown, he developed his professional credentials in space studies through multiple internships in the field, including at the Space Foundation and at Payload, a digital publication focused on space. During his internship at the Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commerce, Chang hosted an event with incoming Director of Operations for Georgetown Space Studies, Brittany Fried (SFS’19, MPP’23), who spoke about Georgetown becoming a major player in fostering the next generation of space industry leaders.
“I’ve done these things because I believe in what Georgetown Space Studies can become,” Chang says. “I tried to advocate intensely for the program’s potential and success by making space studies more grounded in public-facing campaigns.”
Building on his academic coursework and professional experience, Chang hopes to work for a space startup so he can “be part of humanity’s greatest adventure!”
The future of space studies at Georgetown
These new programs are just the beginning for space studies at Georgetown. Johnson has ambitious plans for the future.
“Over the next five years, we aim to build out a full academic and intellectual ecosystem, launching more undergraduate and graduate courses and expanding research across science and policy,” Johnson says. “We’re also expanding partnerships with NASA, national labs and industry, with the goal of establishing Georgetown as a new hub for space dialogue in Washington, DC.”
Mendenhall looks forward to seeing where the program goes: “It’s immensely instructive to see how students are imagining what space studies can teach us about how to create a safer and creative life on earth.”
Johnson’s interest in space began through professors and mentors encouraging her to ask big questions, like “Are we alone? Why is there something and not nothing? And did that something-from-nothing happen once or time and again?”
Now, as she launches Georgetown into the future with space studies, Johnson is bringing the university’s ethical framework to the work: “What has surprised me most is how deeply interdisciplinary the field has become, with science, policy and ethics all playing central roles as we think seriously about humanity’s long future in space.”