GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — “Space exploration is a force of nature unto itself that no other force in society can rival.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

This week on “What The Politics?!” we speak with a member of the Space Force Association, the management organization to the U.S. Space Force about the interworkings of the association in overseeing the newest branch of the armed services.

The Space Force was created in December of 2019 during the Trump Administration. It is “a separate and distinct branch of the armed services, organized under the Department of the Air Force in a manner very similar to how the Marine Corps is organized under the Department of the Navy.”

We discuss the reason behind its creation, goals in exploration and technology, the government’s role and notions about the branch, what a typical day or mission looks like, and more.

In this week’s episode, we are joined by special guest Lang Eric Sundby, a tech entrepreneur, strategist, and student. Eric serves as a member of the Board of Directors at the Space Force Association, the President of the Holocaust Art Restitution Project and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Sooner Flight Academy at the University of Oklahoma. His research includes space commerce and policy, technology innovation, management of space and defense enterprises, and national space strategy.

Eric has a BA in Economics with a minor in History from the University of Oklahoma. He also holds a MSc (Masters of Science) in Global Security with a concentration in Strategy and Defense from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He is also has a Graduate Certificate in Commercial Space Studies from the Florida Institute of Technology/International Space University. He is currently working towards his Ph.D. at the University of North Dakota’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace sciences.

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Email either Emily or Victoria: ECervarich@wnct.com; ViHolmes@wnct.com or message them on Twitter: @emily_c_tv; @VicAntHol.

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