Which Direction in Space? Balancing Applications and Exploration (E3.) Enabling Commercial Opportunities in Space (2)

摘要

For the past three decades, the world's human space exploration activities have been centered on low-earth orbit activities. For the past twenty years the focus of major space-faring nations has been upon the development of the International Space Station capabilities to serve as both a research platform and a stepping-stone to the next challenge. A new energy has catalyzed around the future of human and robotic space exploration. China, Europe and the US have all come out to establish their own space exploration strategy complete with their expressed desire to lead major initiatives. Flanking the ever-increasing discussions concerning exploration has come an even sharper focus on the major policy issues, which are viewed as current (if not future) hindrances, to commercial ventures for earth-based and exploration-based ventures. Some of these policy 'challenges' include foreign policy, national space policies, data policy, legal frameworks and regulations. This paper examines a sampling of these policy instruments in terms of their significance for impeding/enabling commercial opportunities and ventures in Earth and Space Exploration. The discussion also addresses what perhaps is for policy makers a major struggle- namely, the perceived lack of compelling purpose for space exploration. This is a challenge that both the public and private sectors share; both sectors need to work harder at developing compelling reasons for enabling major public and private investments in space exploration.