Caryn Schenewerk

Program Lead, Space Law

Caryn Schenewerk is the Program Lead of the Strauss Center’s Space Law and Policy program. She is known as a respected leader in navigating the complex regulatory and policy landscape for the spaceflight industry. As Vast’s Chief Policy Officer, she leads the company’s strategic engagement with the U.S. government and key stakeholders across the civil, commercial, and national security space communities. Her portfolio includes government affairs, regulatory strategy, and public policy initiatives supporting Vast’s development of its Haven Stations and the long-term future of the low-Earth orbit economy.

Prior to joining Vast, Caryn provided expert guidance to clients on space law and policy as an advisor and consultant through CS Consulting. Caryn co-authored a space law textbook, International Space Law and Space Laws of the United States andis honored to share her expertise as an adjunct professor of Space Law at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, her alma mater.

Caryn’s career includes serving as the Vice President for Regulatory and Government Affairs at Relativity Space, where she helped the company launch the world’s first 3-D printed rocket. Caryn started her career in aerospace at SpaceX, where she spent a decade supporting commercial and civil space operations, facility expansion, and economic development as a lawyer and lobbyist. She has an extensive track record of interacting with U.S. government agencies such as the FAA, NASA and the U.S. Space Force in support of human spaceflight, launch and recovery operations.

Caryn has served in several advisory roles to the U.S. Government. She’s a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on Planetary Protection and the FAA’s Part 450 Space Advisory Rulemaking Committee (SpARC). She chaired the Dept. of Commerce’s Advisory Committee on Excellence in Space (ACES) focused on commercial remote sensing and the future oversight of non-traditional commercial space activities. Caryn also served as a member of the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee, leading the Regulatory Working Group and was the industry lead for the FAA’s Part 440 SpARC.

Prior to her work in the space industry, she served as the Deputy Associate Director for Legislative Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President. Caryn has also worked in various roles on Capitol Hill, including Counsel, Policy Director, and Deputy Chief of Staff after starting her career practicing trade law.

Caryn obtained her bachelor’s degree from Austin College in Sherman, TX, where she serves on the Board of Trustees. Her J.D. is from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin where she’s a member of the UT Law Alumni Association Executive Committee. Caryn’s Master’s in Laws (LLM) in international criminal justice and armed conflict law is from the University of Nottingham in England. She is a member of the New York and D.C. Bars.