jim@pnet01.cts.COM (Jim Bowery) (12/20/89)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FACT SHEET
U.S. National Space Policy
November 16, 1989
On November 2, 1989, the President approved a national space
policy that updates and reaffirms U.S. goals and activities in
space. The updated policy is the result of a review undertaken
by the National Space Council. The revisions clarify,
strengthen, and streamline selected aspects of the policy. Areas
affected include civil and commercial remote sensing, space
transportation, space debris, federal subsidies of commercial
space activities, and Space Station Freedom.
Overall, the President's newly-issued national space policy
revalidates the ongoing direction of U.S. space efforts and
provides a broad policy framework to guide future U.S. space
activities.
The policy reaffirms the nation's commitment to the exploration
and use of space in support of our national well being. United
States leadership in space continues to be a fundamental
objective guiding U.S. space activities. The policy recognizes
that leadership requires United States preeminence in key areas
of space activity critical to achieving our national security,
scientific, technical, economic, and foreign policy goals. The
policy also retains the long-term goal of expanding human
presence and activity beyond Earth orbit into the Solar System.
This goal provides the overall policy framework for the
President's human space exploration initiative, announced July
20, 1989, in which the President called for compleing Space
Station Freedom, returning permanently to the Moon, and
exploration of the planet Mars.
These and other aspects of U.S. national space policy are
contained in the attached document entitled "National Space
Policy."
=========================================================================
NATIONAL SPACE POLICY
(UNCLASSIFIED)
November 2, 1989
INTRODUCTION
This document contains national policy, guidelines, and
implementing actions with respect to the conduct of United States
space programs and related activities.
United States space activities are conducted by three separate
and distinct sectors: two strongly interacting governmental
sectors (Civil and National Security) and a separate, non-
governmental Commercial Sector. Close coordination, cooperation,
and technology and information exchange will be maintained among
these sectors to avoid unnecessary duplication and promote
attainment of United States space goals.
GOALS AND PRINCIPLES
A fundamental objective guiding United States space activities
has been, and continues to be, space leadership. Leadership in
an increasingly competitive international environment, does not
require United States preeminence in all areas and disciplines of
space enterprise. It does require United States preeminence in
the key areas of space activity critical to achieving our
national security, scientific, technical, economic and foreign
policy goals.
- The overall goals of United States space activities
are: (1) to strengthen the security of the United States; (2) to
obtain scientific, technological and economic benefits for the
general population and to improve the quality of life on Earth
through space-related activities; (3) to encourage continuing
United States private-sector investment in space and related
activities; (4) to promote international cooperative activities
taking into account United States national security, foreign
policy, scientific, and economic interests; (5) to cooperate with
other nations in maintaining the freedom of space for all
activities that enhance the security and welfare of mankind; and,
as a long-range goal, (6) to expand human presence and activity
beyond Earth orbit into the solar system.
- United States space activities shall be conducted in
accordance with the following principles:
-- The United States is committed to the exploration
and use of outer space by all nations for peaceful purposes and
for the benefit of all mankind. "Peaceful purposes" allow for
activities in pursuit of national security goals.
-- The United States will pursue activities in space
in support of its inherent right of self-defense and its defense
commitments to its allies.
-- The United States rejects any claims to
sovereignty by any nation over outer space or celestial bodies,
or any portion thereof, and rejects any limitations on the
fundamental right of sovereign nations to acquire data from space.
-- The United States considers the space systems of
any nation to be national property with the right of passage
through and operations in space without interference. Purposeful
interference with space systems shall be viewed as an
infringement on sovereign rights.
-- The United States shall encourage and not preclude
the commercial use and exploitation of space technologies and
systems for national economic benefit. These commercial
activities must be consistent with national security interests,
and international and domestic legal obligations.
-- The United States will, as a matter of policy,
pursue its commercial space objectivies without the use of direct
Federal subsidies.
-- The United States shall encourage other countries
to engage in free and fair trade in commercial space goods and
services.
-- The United States will conduct international
cooperative space-related activities that are expected to achieve
sufficient scientific, political, economic, or national security
benefits to the nation. The United States will seek mutually
beneficial international participation in space and space-related
programs.
CIVIL SPACE POLICY
- The United States civil space sector activities shall
contribute significantly to enhancing the Nation's science,
technology, economy, pride, sense of well-being and direction, as
well as United States world prestige and leadership. Civil
sector activities shall comprise a balanced strategy of research,
development, operations, and technology for science, exploration,
and appropriate applications.
- The objectivies of the United States civil space
activities shall be (1) to expand knowlege of the Earth, its
environment, the solar system, and the universe; (2) to create
new opportunities for use of the space environment through the
conduct of appropriate research and experimentation in advanced
technology and systems; (3) to develop space technology for civil
applications and, wherever appropriate, make such technology
available to the commercial sector; (4) to preserve the United
States preeminence in critical aspects of space science,
applications, technology, and manned space flight; (5) to
establish a permanently manned presence in space; and (6) to
engage in international cooperative efforts that further United
States overall space goals.
COMMERCIAL SPACE POLICY
The United States government shall not preclude or deter the
continuing development of a separate non-governmental Commercial
Space Sector. Expanding private sector investment in space by
the market-driven Commercial Sector generates economic benefits
for the Nation and supports governmental Space Sectors with an
increasing range of space goods and services. Governmental Space
Sectors shall purchase commercially available space goods and
services to the fullest extent feasible and shall not conduct
activities with potential commercial applications that preclude
or deter Commercial Sector space activities except for national
security or public safety reasons. Commercial Sector space
activities shall be supervised or regulated only to the extent
required by law, national security, international obligations,
and public safety.
NATIONAL SECURITY SPACE POLICY
The United States will conduct those activities in space that are
necessary to national defense. Space activities will contribute
to national security objectives by (1) deterring, or if
necessary, defending against enemy attack; (2) assuring that
forces of hostile nations cannot prevent our own use of space;
(3) negating, if necessary, hostile space systems; and (4)
enhancing operations of United States and Allied forces.
Consistent with treaty obligations, the national security space
program shall support such functions as command and control,
communications, navigation, environmental monitoring, warning,
surveillance, and force application (including research and
development programs which support these functions).
INTER-SECTOR POLICIES
This section contains policies applicable to, and binding on, the
national security and civil space sectors.
- The United States Government will maintain and
coordinate separate national security and civil operational space
systems where differing needs of the sectors dictate..
- Surviability and endurance of national security space
systems, including all necessary system elements, will be pursued
commensurate with the planned use in crisis and conflict, with
the threat, and with the availability of other assets to perform
the mission.
- Government sectors shall encourage to the maximum
extent feasible, the development and use of United States private
sector space capabilities.
- A continuing capability to remotely sense the Earth
from space is important to the achievement of United States space
goals. To ensure that the necessary capability exists, the
United States government will: (a) ensure the continuity of
LANDSAT-type remote sensing data; (b) discuss remote sensing
issues and activities with foreign governments operating or
regulating the private operation of remote sensing systems; (c)
continue goverment research and development for future advanced
remote sensing technologies or systems; and (d) encourage the
development of commercial systems, which image the Earth from
space, competitive with, or superior to, foreign-operated civil
or commercial systems.
- Assured access to space, sufficient to achieve all
United States space goals, is a key element of national space
policy. United States space transportation systems must provide
a balanced, robust, and flexible capability with sufficient
resiliency to allow continued operations despite failures in any
single system. The United States government will continue
research and development on component technologies in support of
future transportation systems. The goals of United States space
transportation policy are: (1) to achieve and maintain safe and
reliable access to, transportation in, and return from, space;
(2) to exloit the unique attributes of manned and unmanned
launch and recovery systems; (3) to encourage to the maximum
extent feasible, the develolpment and use of United States private
sector space transportation capabilities; and (4) to reduce the
costs of space transportation and related services.
- Communications advancements are critical to all United
States space sectors. To ensure necessary capabilities exist,
the United States government will continue research and
development efforts for future advanced space communications
technologies.
- The United States will consider and, as appropriate,
formulate policy positions on arms control measures governing
activities in space, and will conclude agreements on such
measures only if they are equitable, effectively verifiable, and
enhance the security of the United States and our allies.
- All space sectors will seek to minimize the creation
of space debris. Design and operations of space tests, experiments
and systems will strive to minimize or reduce accumulation of
space debris consistent with mission requirements and cost
effectiveness. The United States government will encourage other
space-faring nations to adopt policies and practices aimed at
debris minimization.
- Space Science. NASA, with the collaboration of other
appropriate agencies, will conduct a balanced program to support
scientific research, exploration, and experimentation to expand
understanding of: (1) astrophysical phenomena and the origin and
evolution of the universe; (2) the Earth, its environment and its
dynamic relationship with the Sun; (3) the origin and evolution
of the solar system; (4) fundamental physical, chemical, and
biological processes; (5) the effects of the space environment on
human beings; and (6) the factors governing the origin and spread
of life in the universe.
- Space Exploration. In order to investigate phenomena
and objects both within and beyond the solar system, NASA will
conduct a balanced program of manned and unmanned exploration.
-- Human Exploration. To implement the long-range
goal of expanding human presence and activity beyond Earth orbit
into the solar system, NASA will continue the systematic
development of technologies necessary to enable and support a
range of future manned missions. This technology program
(Pathfinder) will be oriented toward a Presidential decision on a
focused program of manned exploration of the solar system.
-- Unmanned Exploration. NASA will continue to
pursue a program of unmanned exploration where such exploration
can most efficiently and effectively satisfy national space
objectives by aamong other things: achieving scientific
objectives where human presence is undesirable or unnecessary;
exploring realms where the risks or costs of life support are
unacceptable; and providing data vital to support future manned
missions.
- Permanent Manned Presence. NASA will develop the Space
Station to achieve permanently manned operational capability by
the mid-1990's. Space Station Freedom will: (1) Contribute to
United States preeminence in critical aspects of manned
spaceflight; (2) provide support and stability to scientific and
technological investigations; (3) provide early benefits,
particularly in the materials and life sciences; (4) promote
private sector experimentation preparatory to independent
commercial activity; (5) allow evolution in keeping with the
needs of Station users and the long-term goals of the United
States; (6) provide opportunities for commercial sector
participation; and (7) contribute to the longer term goal of
expanding human presence and activity beyond Earth orbit into
the solar system.
- Manned Spaceflight Preeminence. Approved programs such
as efforts to improve and safely operate the Space Transportation
System (STS) and develop, deploy, and use the Space Station,
are intended to ensure United States preeminence in critical
aspects of manned spaceflight.
- Space Applications. NASA and other agencies will
pursue the identification and development of appropriate
applications flowing from their activities. Agencies will seek
to promote private sector development and implementation of
applications.
-- Such applications will create new capabilities, or
improve the quality or efficiency of continuing activities,
including long-term scientific observations.
-- NASA will seek to ensure its capability to conduct
selected critical missions through an appropriate mix of assured
access to space, on-orbit sparing, advanced automation
techniques, redundancy, and other suitable measures.
-- Agencies may enter cooperative research and
development agreements on space applications with firms seeking
to advance the relevant state-of-the-art consistent with United
States Government space objectives.
-- Management of Federal civil operational remote
sensing is the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. The
Department of Commerce will: (a) consolidate Federal needs for
civil operational remote sensing products to be met either by the
private sector or the Federal government; (b) identify needed
civil operational system research and development objectives; and
(c) in coordination with other departments or agencies, provide
for the regulation of private sector operational remote sensing
systems.
- Civil Government Space Transportation. The unique
Space Transportation System (STS) capability to provide manned
access to space will be exploited in those areas that offer the
greatest national return, including contributing to United States
preeminence in critical aspects of manned spaceflight. The STS
fleet will maintain the Nation's capability and will be used to
support critical programs requiring manned presence and other
unique STS capabilities. In support of national space
transportation goals, NASA will establish sustainable STS flight
rates to provide for planning and budgeting of Government space
programs. NASA will pursue appropriate enhancements to STS
operational capabilities, upper stages, and systems for
deploying, servicing, and retrieving spacecracft as national and
user requirements are defined.
- International Cooperation. The United States will
foster increased international cooperation in civil space
activities by seeking mutually beneficial international
participation in civil space and space-related programs. The
National Space Council shall be responsible for oversight of
civil space cooperation with the Soviet Union. No such
cooperative activity shall be initiated until an appropriate
interagency review has been completed. United States cooperation
in international civil space acivities will:
-- United States participation in international space
ventures, whether public or private, must be consistent with
United States technology transfer laws, regulations, Executive
Orders and presidential directives.
-- Support the public, nondiscriminatory direct
readout of data from Federal civil systems to foreign ground
stations and the provision of data to foreign users under
specified conditions.
-- Be conducted in such a way as to protect the
commercial value of intellectual property developed with Federal
support. Such cooperation will not preclude or deter commercial
space activities by the United States private sector, except as
required by national security or public safety.
---
Typical RESEARCH grant:
$
Typical DEVELOPMENT contract:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$