National Security and the U.S. Space Program After the Challenger Tragedy

National Securityand the US. Space Program After the Challenger Tragedy In early 7986 the American space program was thrown into turmoil by the loss of the manned Space Shuttle Challenger, with its crew of seven, and by the subsequent loss of unmanned Titan 34D and Delta rockets. The Challenger accidentgrounded the three remaining Shuttles for more than two years, creating a huge cargo backlog. The tragedy also raised retrospective questions about whether the Shuttle program was a wise step in the first place and prospective questions about the relationship of the civil and security space programs. The loss of the Titan and Delta rockets cast a shadow on alternative, unmanned delivey systems. Together, these accidents have forced urgent decisions on how to allocate America's scarce remaining launch resources, and what kind of space transportation the United States should developfor the future. In the following essays, seven space policy experts address the questions raised by the Challenger tragedy. Our interest was inspired by Albert Wheelon's paper, and we decided to solicit additional essays on the same subject by knowledgeable observers of the space scene. The authors were invited to comment on the following topics: American launch vehicle policy, including choices between the Shuttle and unmanned , expendable launch vehicles; the proper allocation of resources among commercial , scientific, and national security payloads; and the proper balance between reliance on domestic versus foreign-produced launch vehicles. How the United States should manage competition among and cooperation between commercial, scientific, "adventure," "prestige," and military purposes of the nation's space program. The utility of a manned space station, and manned spaceflight generally, to national security. The international implications of communications, meteorological, direct broadcast , earth observation, and other space applications that are not explicitly military. We also invited our authors to offer retrospective comments on security affairs aspects of U.S. space policies of the past 15-30 years, and to provide comments on specific military space programs that they believe deserve mention. We are pleased to present their responses. -The Editors ~~ ~ International Security, Spring 1987 (Vol. 11, No. 4) 01987by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 141 ...