MODELS OF TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT IN AMERICA: LESSONS FOR DEVELOPING AMERICA'S SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Abstract

In 1994 Congress passed the National Space Transportation Policy (NTSP) that called on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to pursue the development of government and private sector partnerships, and to create private commercial spaceport and launch facilities capable of supporting affordable and sustainable space exploration. Since the passage of the NTSP, NASA has sought to develop collaborative public/private partnerships and foster new intergovernmental relationships for the development of technologically advanced space vehicles and the creation of a commercially based space transportation system. The loss of the Columbia and the lack of viable replacement in the near-term for the shuttle have emphasized the lack of a realistic long-term policy vision for America to create a viable and cost effective space transportation system. Given the current competition for space program funding with national security concerns, it is important that future space program policy possess a clear understanding of how sustainable transportation systems have traditionally evolved in America. This paper examines public/private relationships and how past intergovernmental interdependencies have impacted the development of canal, railroad and aviation transportation systems within the United States. The goal of this paper is to identify transportation models that NASA may use in the development of a national space transportation system.