Team Kepler
Georgetown University
Forging a Path for Safety and Accountability in Orbit
The Team
Peter McGee
• BS in History, United States Naval Academy
• MBA (2024), Georgetown University
Kieran Lee
• BA in History and Politics, University of Cambridge
• MA in Security Studies (2024), Georgetown University
Simone Montandon
• BS in Foreign Service (2024); Major: International Politics; Minor: Economics, Georgetown University
• MA in Security Studies (2025), Georgetown University
Problem Sponsor
Space Security and Defense Program (SSDP)
Original Problem Statement
Space Security and Defense Program (SSDP) requires an objective, analytic, user-friendly framework integrating views of US allies, adversaries, neutrals, and commercial entities, accompanied by a communications strategy, to assess U.S. compliance with obligations and to ensure U.S. leadership in space.
Beneficiary Discovery Interviews
100
The Innovation
As a space industry leader, the United States grapples with the rising challenges of responsible behavior as space actors and satellite launches increase, creating an evermore congested and contested space environment. Team Kepler was formed in Georgetown University’s Fall 2023 Hacking for Defense course to tackle this robust problem.
Team Kepler was composed of Peter McGee, Kieran Lee, and Simone Montandon - a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students both academically and multiculturally. Peter has a background in the US Navy, Kieran was born and raised in Singapore, and Simone was born and raised in Italy. Their international backgrounds enabled them to make connections beyond the United States, which garnered them unique perspectives from foreign space organizations, such as Airbus. Hearing concerns and praise from European partners afforded them a better understanding of the fragmentation amongst international space organizations and the challenges of adopting global norms in space.
During the semester, Team Kepler initially hypothesized there was a need for a space operations center that could provide information sharing amongst the global space community. However, mid-way through their beneficiary discovery the team found the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) already existed, though in nascent stages. Throughout their discovery process, the team also refuted some of the assumptions the sponsor had about data sharing. Peter explained the team’s findings showed the incentive alignment to share data with the U.S. government was not as aligned as originally thought by the sponsor. With this information the team realized they had to re-frame their hypothesis from a technical focus toward a macro policy and alignment approach. Given a robust problem statement at the beginning of the semester, the team determined the actual problem came down to three key issues: 1) Space is congested and contested, 2) existing space operating regulations and norms are inconsistent and vague, and 3) no single organization can define and enforce rules in space.
After conducting 100 interviews, Team Kepler developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that took into consideration: 1) the diverse space environment encompassing commercial, government, and international interests, 2) strategic messaging and communication, and 3) understanding how to break down trust barriers for information sharing. The culmination of their work resulted in an integrated compliance framework across public and private sectors consisting of three pillars: coordination, evaluation and feedback. Kieran noted the importance of having the private sector engaged in writing the rules. From their interviews Kieran explained they learned the “government can be too heavy handed when it comes to regulating norms in space,” which nowadays hinders private sector space organizations with commercial interests who “set the viability of the space economy in the future.” By creating a set of global space norms that incorporates both private and public interests around responsible behavior, this framework promotes safety and provides accountability in space.
While the team does not have plans to continue beyond the semester, the skills they have gained through this experience will undoubtedly assist them in their future endeavors. For some, the experience was a pivotal moment in their decision to pursue a career in the space domain.
Presentation
Team Kepler’s Hacking for Defense Experience
With such diverse backgrounds, Simone, Kieran and Peter were all attracted to the Hacking for Defense course for different reasons. Simone’s interest in the course stemmed from his desire to explore the intersection between security, cyber, and policy. Kieran wanted to understand how startup methodology could be applied to government issues. Coming from business school and an internship with a venture capital, Peter wanted to broaden his knowledge of startups and had heard “glowing reviews about the class.”
Reflecting on their experience in the course, the team found the H4 methodology posed some challenges for their group as they tried to validate the root cause of the problem, but found the process ultimately helped shape their solution. Simone attributed the team’s growth each week to the beneficiary discovery process, as it allowed them to “understand barriers and complexities” within the problem space. Peter thought it was “interesting to focus on the problem and see how it evolved.” He also realized that startups don’t need to begin with a brilliant idea, and can instead be formed through discovering the actual need before finding the solution.
For many students the Hacking for Defense experience affords them unique opportunities to expand their skillsets, positively impacting their future careers. All three team members felt their team dynamic contributed to their success and created a positive environment for them to leverage each person’s expertise. They noted their instructors, Jacqueline Tame and Justin Fanelli, at Georgetown University were instrumental in shaping their experience due to their extensive backgrounds in the government and startups.
What’s Next for the Team?
For Simone, this experience “was the start of something bigger.” The course inspired him to take two classes on space policy and space technology to hopefully begin a career in the space domain in the future.
Following the completion of his business degree, Peter plans to head back to the Navy and will be working at the Pentagon, where he plans to leverage his experience to help the Navy in resource management.
Kieran will be heading back to Singapore after finishing his degree and joining Singapore’s Ministry of Defence as a policy officer, likely working on international partnerships with partners and allies.