Issues and Opportunities Regarding the U.S. Space Program: A Summary Report of a Workshop on National Space Policy

Front Cover
National Academies Press, Mar 2, 2004 - Science - 92 pages

Ever since the completion of the Apollo program, there has been a lack of consensus about the future of human spaceflight. The Columbia tragedy in February 2003 rekindled public debate about this question. In November 2003, the Space Studies Board and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board organized a workshop to explore aspects of the question, what should be the principal purpose, goals, and priorities of the U.S. civil space program? This report presents a factual summary of that workshop, which identified past lessons learned and guiding principles for the future of the civil space program. Seven broad themes emerged from the workshop, and these themes are highlighted in the report. The report also presents discussions of strategies for the human spaceflight program and guiding principles of and boundary conditions for a 21st century space policy.

 

Contents

1 SUMMARY
1
2 INTRODUCTION
8
3 ORIGINS OF US SPACE POLICY
14
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND EXPLORATION
19
NATIONAL SECURITY COMMERCE AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
24
6 GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF A 21stCENTURY SPACE POLICY
29
7 BOUNDARY CONDITIONS FOR FORGING A 21stCENTURY SPACE POLICY
34
8 COMING TO CLOSURE
38
APPENDIXES
43
Copyright

Common terms and phrases

accident achieve activities Administration agency agreed Apollo asked astronauts become believed benefits Board budget build Chair challenge Chapter civil space clear Columbia commitment Committee consider continue contributions cooperation cost decision defining demonstrate direction discussion Earth orbit efforts Engineering establish example experiments Fisk flight Force frontiers funding future goal human exploration human spaceflight program important institutional interest International involved issues knowledge lack launch learning Logsdon long-term Mars military missions Moon NASA NASA’s National Academy noted operations opportunity organizations participants political possible presence President priorities problems processes projects questions remarks require response retired risk robotic role satellites science programs scientific scientists sense served shuttle space exploration space policy space program space science space shuttle space station steps Studies successful suggested technical transportation United University Washington workshop

Bibliographic information

TitleIssues and Opportunities Regarding the U.S. Space Program: A Summary Report of a Workshop on National Space Policy
AuthorsNational Research Council, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, Space Studies Board, Pamela L. Whitney, Richard B. Leshner, Radford Byerly, Jr.
PublisherNational Academies Press, 2004
ISBN0309091462, 9780309091466
Length92 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Science / Space Science / General
  
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