By Marina Malenic
The Obama administration has issued a new national space policy that emphasizes international cooperation and support for a robust space industrial base.
In a written statement issued June 28 by the White House, President Barrack Obama said the new plan would “rapidly increase our capabilities in space while bolstering America’s competitive edge in the global economy.”
“The United States will engage in expanded international cooperation in space activities,” the policy document states. “The United States will pursue cooperative activities to the greatest extent practicable in areas including: space science and exploration; earth observations, climate change research and the sharing of environmental data; disaster mitigation and relief; and space surveillance for debris monitoring and awareness. “
However, Washington remains committed to the use of space systems “in support of its national and homeland security,” according to the document.
“The United States will invest in space situational awareness capabilities and launch vehicle technologies; develop the means to assure mission essential functions enabled by space; enhance our ability to identify and characterize threats; and deter, defend, and if necessary, defeat efforts to interfere with or attack U.S. or allied space systems,” it states.
The document also addresses arms control in space. The policy expresses the administration’s willingness to “consider” arms control agreements for the space domain.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates welcomed the release of the policy.
“Space-based capabilities are critical to our military’s ability to navigate accurately, strike precisely, and gather battle space awareness efficiently,” he said in a press statement. “However, changes in the space environment over the last decade challenge our operations. Today, space is increasingly contested as our systems face threats of disruption and attack, increasingly competitive as more states, private firms, and others develop space-based capabilities, and increasingly congested with orbital debris.”
Gates pledged to work closely with his counterparts in other U.S. government agencies to mitigate such risks.
The policy also calls for a “robust and competitive” industrial base.
“In support of its critical domestic aerospace industry, the U.S. government will use commercial space products and services in fulfilling governmental needs, invest in new and advanced technologies and concepts, and use a broad array of partnerships with industry to promote innovation,” it states. “The U.S. government will actively promote the purchase and use of U.S. commercial space goods and services within international cooperative agreements.”
The Aerospace Industries Association, a top lobbying group for the defense and aerospace sector, said in a statement that the new policy “takes important steps needed to maintain our global leadership in space and ensure continued competitiveness and innovation.” AIA hailed the policy’s emphasis on “retaining space professionals and improving space professional development” as “an important investment in our workforce. ”
The group also renewed its call to “modernize an outdated export control system so that our industry can compete on a level playing field abroad.”
Obama has been criticized for canceling the aging U.S. Space Shuttle program before a replacement program is developed. The administration earlier this year announced the cancellation of the Constellation program, a Bush administration initiative to return U.S. astronauts to the moon. The new space policy does not outline precise funding goals for space exploration or any other initiative mentioned.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a press statement that the new policy “challenges NASA to embrace new roles and areas of emphasis, such as enhancing use of the International Space Station, identifying and characterizing of near-Earth objects, and eliminating or limiting orbital debris and its danger to spacecraft.” He said NASA plans to “expand our partnerships with private industry, allowing commercial companies to take a larger role in the exploration of space.”
“This policy will enable a vibrant, job-creating, transportation system for taking humans to and from low-Earth orbit, which should significantly contribute to the national economy,” he added.