Some of the key themes of the 32nd National Space Symposium emerged in a white paper released more than a month before by a 13-member coalition of American space organizations.
Called “Ensuring U.S. Leadership in Space,” the paper is intended as a guide for presidential and congressional candidates on key needs to establish and maintain a dominant role for the U.S. in commercial and military space endeavors.
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In the paper, the coalition members argue for:
- Predictable budgets, robust investments, innovative partnerships and a repeal of the Budget Control Act of 2011.
- Continued global space engagement, such as the International Space Station has provided, to strengthen international collaboration.
- Restoring American access to space. The U.S. needs to regain the ability to launch its own astronauts into space.
- Encouraging the use of competitive, innovative partnerships between the government and the private sector.
- Strengthening and expanding the domestic industrial base.
- Committing to a robust national security space program.
- Maintaining and expanding internationally harmonized spectrum access for space.
- Defining and committing to new missions to expand the frontiers of science.
- Promoting STEM education and the retention of U.S.-educated scientists and engineers.
- Reducing barriers to international trade.
