Madeleine Chang
Space Policy Dev | Satellite Engineer
One day, maybe soon, humanity will outgrow the Earth. I'm interested in setting positive norms in space activity, especially re AI takeoff, such that our future will be maximally safe, prosperous, and free.
I currently work on spectrum and orbital debris policy at SpaceX.
Previously, I was the Director of Policy at the Satellite Industry Association (SIA), a visiting fellow on the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a software engineer at Lockheed Martin within the National Security Space division.
You can reach me at madeleine.chang[at]spacex.com.
Publications
- New Rhythms in GEO: A Quantitative Analysis of Unusual Behavior in Geosynchronous Orbit by Chinese Satellites, 2016-2025 (April 2026) - The first open-source, data-driven quantitative analysis of unusual Chinese satellite behavior in geosynchronous orbit, identifying nine high-activity satellites organized into four behavioral categories.
- Gold Rush: The 2024 Commercial Remote Sensing Global Rankings (October 2024) - A quantitative analysis of the commercial Earth observation (EO) systems worldwide. Launch event here.
- U.S. Civil Space Primer (May 2024) - A digestible compendium covering all the government organizations involved in the U.S. civil space ecosystem.
- Space Threat Assessment 2024 (April 2024) - The CSIS Aerospace Security Project’s flagship report, an overview of global threats to space systems.
Speaking
- @SATELLITE 2026 CyberSat Exchange: Regulatory & Compliance Developments for 2026 Roundtable (Moderator) (March 2026)
- @Bead Implementation Summit: Panel 2: Technology Choices in BEAD Deployment (March 2026)
- @NSSA Defense and Intelligence Conference 2026 : Industry Panel (February 2026)
- Broadband Breakfast: Looking Toward World Radiocommunications Conference 2027 (Article) (October 2025)
- @Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity - an Open Forum, co-hosted by Red Hat, NIST, AND NOAA Office of Space Commerce: [Lunch Keynote] Strategies and Policies for Risk Mitigation and Innovation (May 2025)
- @Duke University: Satellite Industry 101: Innovation, Security, & Policy (Event Page) (April 2025)
- Broadband Breakfast: Spectrum and the Opportunities for LEO Satellite Broadband (Article) (Highlights) (March 2025)
- CCIA Events: The Future of Satellite Spectrum (ICYMI) (March 2025)
- On Orbit Podcast: The Satellite Industry's Policy Priorities for Trump 2.0 with Madeleine Chang (Spotify) (Apple Podcasts) (February 2025)
- @CyberSat Summit 2024: The Role of AI in Space Cybersecurity (November 2024)
In the News
- Suspect in space? Analysis finds 75 'unusual' moves by Chinese satellites in nearly 10 years (Breaking Defense, April 2026)
- BEAD Faces Supply Chain Spike and Near-Certain Defaults as Program Shifts to Construction, Panelists Said (Broadband Breakfast, March 2026)
- Accessing Satellites from your Mobile Phone, and A Curveball is Thrown at OSC (Journal of Space Commerce, July 2025)
- Space Force Opposes Cut to Commerce’s Space Traffic Management Program (Air & Space Forces Magazine, July 2025)
- 10 Defining Moments in Cybersecurity and Satellite in 2023 (Via Satellite, January 2024)
- Satellite Industry Association Appoints Madeleine Chang as its New Director of Policy (SIA Press Release, October 2024)