Our Executive Mentors

Charity A. Weeden

Charity Weeden is the associate administrator leading NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) at agency headquarters in Washington. Located within the Office of the Administrator, OTPS provides NASA leadership with high-quality, evidence-driven advice on policy issues, strategic planning, and technology investments.

Prior to her appointment as associate administrator in September 2023, Weeden served as vice president for global space policy and government relations at Astroscale U.S., a company that addresses orbital sustainability challenges. Weeden led Astroscale’s global policy efforts toward spaceflight safety and long-term space sustainability. Before her work at Astroscale, Weeden was senior director of policy at the Satellite Industry Association, coordinating industry consensus on policy and regulatory issues and liaising with the U.S. government on behalf of its members. She previously served as Canadian Embassy staff officer for air and space operations, facilitating Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) space engagements with the U.S. government, industry, and the embassy community.

Weeden is a 23-year veteran of the RCAF, with assignments as an Air Combat Systems Officer on the CP-140 long-range patrol aircraft, deputy sensor manager for the U.S. Space Surveillance Network at U.S. Air Force Space Command, policy officer at North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command USNORTHCOM headquarters, and supporting the installation of Canadian robotics aboard the International Space Station as flight support readiness manager while seconded to the Canadian Space Agency. Weeden was chair of the Department of Transportation’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) from 2020-2022 and is an active mentor for young professionals seeking to enter the space community.

Weeden earned her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada and a master’s degree in Space Science from the University of North Dakota. She is an alumnus of the International Space University Summer Session Program.