Scott Norman Pace (born January 23, 1959) currently serves as the Executive Secretary of the National Space Council. Pace was formerly the Director of the Space Policy Institute at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, where he was also a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs.
Scott Pace worked for the RAND Corporation's Science and Technology Policy Institute from 1993 to 2001. He played a role in adding and preserving radio navigation satellite spectrum at the 1997 and 2000 World Radiocommunication Conferences. He also was a member of Department of Defense Senior Review Group on Commercial Remote Sensing and the National Research Council's Committee on Earth Sciences.
From 2001 to 2002 he was the Assistant Director for Space and Aeronautics in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy during the presidency of George W. Bush. There he was responsible for space and aviation-related issues and coordination of civil and commercial space issues through the Space Policy Coordinating Committee of the National Security Council.
From 2002-2008, he worked at NASA, becoming the Associate Administrator for Program Analysis and Evaluation in 2005. In this capacity, he was responsible for providing objective studies and analyses in support of policy, program and budget decisions by the NASA Administrator. At NASA, he participated in negotiations that resulted in the 2004 GPS-Galileo Agreement between the United States and the European Commission.
Pace has also worked at the US Department of Commerce. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Universities Space Research Association, a Corresponding Member of the International Academy of Astronautics, and a member of the Board of Governors of the National Space Society.
September 2008 Scott Pace became a professor of the practice of international affairs at George Washington University. He was also named the director of the Space Policy Institute at that university's Elliott School of International Affairs. The Institute's activities are centered on policy issues concerning the United States' space program and its relationships to the programs of other countries. The Institute facilitates cooperation between researchers, analysts, and students related to future efforts in space. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Summer Science Program.
On July 13, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Pace to be the Executive Secretary of the National Space Council. Pace’s selection was expected and warmly received by those in government and industry.