Communications of the ACM
Swf Examines New National Space Policy
The White House has issued a new National Space Policy, a far-reaching directive designed to bolster U.S. leadership in space and maintain space as a secure, peaceful and vibrant environment for the benefit of all nations.
Credit: NASA
President Obama has issued the administration's new National Space Policy, a far-reaching directive designed to bolster U.S. leadership in space and maintain space as a secure, peaceful and vibrant environment for the benefit of all nations.
Long expected, the new policy calls for greater international cooperation in outer space activities and opens the door for potential international agreements to enhance the sustainability and stability of outer space. Furthermore, it calls for shared funding and expertise on major space projects for the benefit of all peoples and for exchanging data about space debris and other hazards to improve the safety of space operations.
Secure World Foundation (SWF) salutes President Obama's new National Space Policy. SWF is a private operating foundation dedicated to the secure and sustainable use of space for the benefit of Earth and all its peoples. The Administration's policy reflects a highly pragmatic approach to the international space regime that substantially enhances the long-term national security interests of the United States in space.
For a Better Future
"With the end of the Cold War and rapid spread of globalization," says Cynda Collins Arsenault, President of Secure World Foundation, "more of humanity is seeking to obtain the security, environmental and socioeconomic benefits that can be provided by space systems. International cooperation has been—and will continue to be—necessary to establish and sustain these benefits."
"As the benefits of space activities expand and improve, keeping space available for peaceful activities will become ever more important," Arsenault says.
Ray Williamson, SWF's Executive Director, says that the stage has now been set for a new era in which the nations can develop policies, design and implement best operational space practices and establish comprehensive cooperative institutions that will provide for a better future.
"It is especially important that the Administration pursue environmental issues such as long-term space sustainability, and tackle the collective problems of space debris and radio frequency interference. As the United States pursues cooperation, it will also be important to find ways to involve Russia, China, and India in the effort," Williamson says.
The policy also acknowledges the changed role of commercial and international space actors, which demonstrates a clear understanding of the changed realities of operating in the global space commons.
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