Space Policy in the Twenty-First Century

by Lambright, W. Henry

• ISBN13: 9780801870682
• ISBN10: 0801870682
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-11-15
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr

Summary

Though more than forty years old, the space age has just begun, and questions about its future abound. What will replace the Space Shuttle? Will the International Space Station justify its $100 billion potential cost? Are asteroids real threats to Earth or just the subject of science fiction movies? Will humans land on Mars? Will the search for extraterrestrial life be rewarded? In Space Policy in the Twenty-First Century, W. Henry Lambright brings together ten top-ranking observers of United States space exploration to address these and other issues relating to the future of the space program. While the U.S. no longer competes with the Soviets for technological "firsts," they argue, ideology and national image remain at the core of space policy, with other factors playing subordinate roles. Reminding readers of the historical highlights, the authors pose searching questions about the priorities and applications of space science, manned vs. unmanned flights, and commercial access to the space enterprise. Contributors include: Christopher F. Chyba, SETI Institute and Stanford University; Ronald J. Deibert, University of Toronto; Daniel H. Deudney, the Johns Hopkins University; W. Henry Lambright, Syracuse University; Roger D. Launius, NASA; Karl A. Leib, Syracuse University; John M. Logsdon, George Washington University; Howard E. McCurdy, American University; Scott N. Pace, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; and Debora L. VanNijnatten, Wilfrid Laurier University.

Author Biography

W. Henry Lambright is a professor of political science and public administration and director of the Center for Environmental Policy and Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University. He is the author of Powering Apollo: James E. Webb of NASA, also available from Johns Hopkins.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Between a Rocket and a Hard Place: The Challenge of Space Access	p. 15
The Future of Space Commerce	p. 55
Unfettered Observation: The Politics of Earth Monitoring from Space	p. 89
Entering the Space Station Era: International Cooperation and the Next Decade in Human Spaceflight	p. 115
High Impacts: Asteroidal Utilization, Collision Avoidance, and the Outer Space Regime	p. 147
The Quest for Mars	p. 173
The Search for Extraterrestrial Life: A Core Mission for NASA	p. 198
Commentary: Creating a New Heritage in Space	p. 232
Commentary: From Vision to Reality	p. 242
Conclusion: Adapting NASA for the Twenty-First Century	p. 256
List of Contributors	p. 271
Index	p. 275
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