When Worlds Collide

Mr. Paul Graziani moderated the panel entitled, "When Worlds Collide," featuring Dr. John M. Logsdon, Gen. Lance W. Lord, and Brig. Gen. Robert Osterthaler. The panel endorsed Gen. Hamel's call for a national space strategy to guide U.S. space efforts. In the area of civil space, NASA has a clear strategy based on President Bush's vision for space exploration (released in 2004) to achieve a set of goals in a sustainable and affordable manner. Dr. Logsdon noted that the civil space program is a source of soft power and should be considered a component of national security. Commercial space is a key part of the existing space infrastructure, and this will continue for the foreseeable future. As government demand continues to grow, commercial space needs to be included in the next space policy. Additionally, there needs to be a mechanism to foster international cooperation both in civil and commercial space that allows the United States to work with other nations in a way that is acceptable to U.S. national security needs.