Techreport,
The International Development of Space and Its Impact on U.S. National Space Policy
Research Paper, 2004-01. Airpower Research Institute, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, (2004)
Abstract
In September 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed the ultimate goal of American space exploration was to put a man on the moon before the end of that decade. In the forty years since then, America rapidly moved from space exploration to space exploitation, and as the sole remaining superpower, the U.S. now dominates space as it does the arenas of world economics, technology, and military application. Today, space no longer reflects the bipolar nature of the Cold War. Nations freshly emerging from third world status, such as North Korea, now have the ability to join the once elite club of space-faring nations, and U.S. policymakers must take into account the new space race as they develop future U.S. space policy. The purpose of this paper is to propose a means by which policymakers can best protect U.S. national interests in light of the increased international development of space. It does this by addressing two issues: why following a multilateral, diplomatic and legal approach to confronting international space development is the most beneficial strategy to protecting American national interests; why policymakers will use multilateral engagement to resolve continuous space development issues despite inclinations to act otherwise. Before proposing a recommend course of action, this paper will first establish a foundation on which an understanding of any thesis must be based, define the significance of space in today's global environment, and detail how space has become an integral part of both national security and economic vitality for developed and developing nations alike. It will then describe U.S. national space policy and how it has evolved over the past forty years, identify the major space-faring nations and outline their capabilities, future objectives and stated national space policies. In delineating the international development of space, the paper draws a close connection between military threat and political-economic competition in space as reasons for concern by American policymakers. In an attempt to determine the best approach, the paper examines four models that are useful in postulating future actions: technological domination, multilateral action, unilateral action, and an analysis of America as an empire in the twenty-first century. The review of each model identifies historical examples and draws relevant comparisons to space operations. The paper concludes with an analysis of each model and determines why policymakers will select a multilateral approach, as it best protects U.S. national interests.
