More Space Policy Goodness From the White House

New National Space Policy Conciliatory, not Confrontational, Spacepolicyonline.com
“Whenever it is formally released, President Obama’s new national space policy will have a very different tone than his predecessor’s. Rumors remain rampant that the new policy will be released on Monday, but some of those in the know say that it more likely will be later in the week. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley intimated on Wednesday that it might even be longer than that. Nevertheless, a one page summary of the policy’s “Top Level Messages,” dated June 25, is making the rounds. It says that the two major principles of the policy are “responsible use of space” and “nurturing the U.S. space industry.”
New Space Policy Calls for Global Cooperation, Wall Street Journal
“The Obama administration as early as Monday is expected to call for significantly greater international cooperation than ever before in outer space, covering a wide range of civilian and national-security programs. The new policy, according to industry and government officials familiar with the details, also endorses the pursuit of verifiable arms-control proposals for space. And it envisions stepped-up U.S. government efforts to bolster domestic rocket and satellite manufacturers, making them more economically viable and competitive overseas.”
Keith’s note: OK, so the White House makes all sorts of budgetary and contractual changes to NASA programs with little or no advanced warning, questionable pre-coordination, bad rollout – all with no cogent space policy in evidence. Chaos ensues. And then they fiddle with it. Now they are going to actually release a space policy – but only after all of their earlier efforts at NASA have run into brick walls (Congress). Is this going to clarify things – or just make things even more confusing? Stay tuned.