Critiquing Rationales in Space Policy Proposals: Developing a Methodology for Evaluating Space Policy

Abstract

A U.S. President is once again reevaluating American space policy. The direction the Obama Administration will take with respect to its current program, Constellation, is unclear. Many options lay before President Obama, and several groups have once again put forth a new set of proposals for the reorganization of NASA. This paper evaluates two policy proposals that call for the reorganization of American space policy. These are: Maximizing NASA's Potential in Flight and on the Ground: Recommendations for the Next Administration by Abbey, et al, and Sustainable Space Exploration and Space Development: A Unified Strategic Vision by Hsu and Cox. We adopt a three-test methodology for evaluating these space policy proposals using the model of reasoning, the model of society, and the model of policy-making. We suggest several necessary components that should be required for any national space program and explore whether they are sufficient to carry out government and commercial space efforts. These include: Financial and technical capabilities, political and public support, legal requirements (both national and international), and the ability to conduct independent or cooperative missions. We also discuss the preliminary findings of the Augustine Panel and review NASA’s current program - Constellation. Finally, we give our own thoughts in summary of these considerations.