By Mark K. Matthews - More peace and fewer space junk are the missions in an update of U.S. space policy, crafted decades ago during the Cold War.
President Obama underscored his desire to turn space into a place for peace on Monday, releasing a policy paper that advocated international science missions and opened the door for future treaties that could limit space junk and weapons above Earth.
But administration officials said the push for international cooperation did not mean the U.S. necessarily would ask its allies to join Obama's proposed mission to send NASA astronauts to an asteroid by 2025, which he outlined during a visit to Florida's Kennedy Space Center in April, or immediately seek a treaty that would ban space-based weapons.
"The United States will consider proposals and concepts for arms control measures if they are equitable, effectively verifiable, and enhance the national security of the United States and its allies," administration officials wrote in the 18-page policy paper.
The paper acknowledges that U.S. space policy — crafted decades ago during the Cold War with the then-Soviet Union — is no longer "racing against an adversary." Instead, Obama calls for greater cooperation with space-faring nations, including Russia and China.
Jim Kohlenberger, chief of staff to the White House science advisor, acknowledged that "there aren't any new specific pieces in this space policy today that lay out new partnerships." But, he added, "there are going to be lots of opportunities … for new collaboration in space as we go forward."
A key concern is the amount of space debris in orbit. More than half a million pieces of space junk larger than half an inch are whipping around Earth at speeds approaching 18,000 mph, and even an errant screw could destroy a satellite or endanger an astronaut.
Obama said the U.S. intended to develop a better system to monitor space junk while finding ways to avoid a repeat of the 2009 collision between an American and Russian satellite — the first impact by two intact satellites.
"This policy recognizes that as our reliance on satellites and other space-based technologies increase, so too does our responsibility to address challenges such as debris and other hazards," Obama said in a statement.
The paper also touts the benefits of using commercial rocket companies — rather than NASA-designed spaceships — to send crew and cargo to the International Space Station after NASA retires the space shuttle fleet, adding that a "robust and competitive" commercial rocket sector is vital to the American economy and its security.
This argument is aimed at congressional critics who have opposed Obama's plan to cancel NASA's Constellation moon program and use commercial rockets to resupply the station. A House committee with oversight of NASA's budget is scheduled to debate the plan Tuesday.
