From: edgett@esther.la.asu.edu (Ken Edgett)
Subject: US Space Summit/Al Gore
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 15:27:14 -0700 (MST)
Since I offered the idea of sending letters to Al Gore in advance of the Space Summit (scheduled for either November or December), I have gotten a lot of requests for more information about this. Unfortunately I do not have a lot of information to offer-- i.e., I do not know the exact dates of the summit. It is my hunch, though, that any letters submitted by the public will become part of the record as far as what is considered by the Summit attendees. I say this mainly because several years ago Vice Pre. Quayle had a similar look at the future of the space program, and they asked for public input. Gore hasn't asked for public input, as far as I know, but I think it would make a big impact on him and the summiteers if there was unsolicited input from huge numbers of the public. Its our space program, so we have the opportunity to say what we think about it. In response to one question, I do not think the summit is international. However, it is very likely that NASA and the US will continue the move toward more and more international cooperation in space (some folks think this saves the US money; I doubt it saves money but it promotes what is best about humanity,s so I'm all for it). So letters from international folks are probably fine. Just to help out a little, I found on the WWW a White House statement regarding Clinton's space policy statement of September 1996. Toward the end of the statement, they again make mention of this impending summit. The summit will be chaired by Al Gore, and it occurs after the November 5 elections, and is supposed to involve both Republican and Democrat representatives. This is about all I know at this point. Ken Edgett ---------------------- White House statement from: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/oss/whstmt.htm The White House Office of the Press Secretary _________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release Contact: (202) 456-6020 September 19, 1996 President Clinton Issues New National Space Policy The President today will announce a new national space policy that is the first post-Cold War assessment of American space goals and activities. The new policy commits the nation to a strong and stable program in space that addresses both U.S. civil and national security requirements, and will ensure America's role as the world's space leader. The new policy, to be unveiled by Assistant to the President for Science and Technology John H. Gibbons, results from a year-long review undertaken by the National Science and Technology Council and the National Security Council. Among its key provisions: o Within the civil space program, the policy reaffirms a U.S. commitment to the International Space Station and to the next-generation of launch vehicle programs; it calls for an aggressive space science program including the sustained robotic exploration of Mars, sample return missions from celestial bodies within the solar system and a long-term program to identify and characterize planets around other stars; and maintains our current commitment to a long-term program of environmental monitoring from space. o In the commercial sector, the policy seeks to stimulate private-sector investment by committing the U.S. government to purchase commercially available goods and services, and by offering stable and predictable access to federal space-related hardware, facilities, and data. The policy also lays the groundwork for moving away from international launch quotas toward an international commercial environment characterized by free and fair trade in commercial launch services. o For national security, the policy directs closer coordination between Department of Defense and intelligence community activities related to space policy. It directs the Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central Intelligence to improve the nation's ability to support military operations worldwide, to monitor and respond to strategic military threats, and to monitor arms control and nonproliferation agreements and activities. On August 7, 1996 the President called for a bipartisan summit on the future of America's space program. The policy announced today is an important milestone in the preparation for the summit, and will serve as the blueprint for future efforts to maintain a balanced and robust national space effort. An unclassified summary of the Presidential Decision Directive implementing the policy is available. # # #