The in-space rescue capability gap

Abstract

The United States government and commercial spaceflight providers have no plans in place to conduct a timely rescue of a crew from a distressed spacecraft in low Earth orbit, or anywhere else in space. Without rescue plans and dedicated resources, today's space travelers will journey at their own risk. U.S. rules and regulations governing commercial spaceflight simply require launch service and space travel providers to inform the crew and passengers that there are risks. The United States, however, as the world's greatest space faring nation, has the wherewithal to develop and employ effective in-space rescue capabilities if it chooses to do so. This paper seeks to raise awareness of the need to revisit space rescue policies and close capability gaps through historical analogs such as the ancient maritime explorers that embarked upon epic journeys with multiple ships, effective submarine rescue operations, and the rich history of human spaceflight. Potential solutions to improve safety during space travel are identified and policy options are discussed.