Washington – April 5, 1999 – The Clinton administration has ordered an interagency review of U.S. commercial space launch operations in a decision announced by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy March 31st.
The review will center on future management and uses of U.S. space launch facilities such as the Air Force's Cape Canaveral Air Station and ranges such as the Army's White Sands Missile Range.
The White House OSTP and National Security Council will chair the review, which gets underway this month and is to be completed by late summer. Elements of the review are to find their way into the administration's planning cycle for its next-to-last federal budget, the FY2001 funding proposal.
Dr. Neal Lane, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, said the review is to help craft a comprehensive national strategy for space launch, in combination with the Clinton space launch policy of 1996. The policy established the Air Force as the lead federal agency for the development of expendable launch vehicle technology, and NASA as the lead for reusable space vehicles.
The result is the current Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program in the Defense Department, and the X-33/X-34 test programs within NASA.
Both sets of launch vehicle development projects are commercial in structure, with the government and industry partnerships each contributing development funds for the vehicles.
"We must ensure that our management, modernization, and operational policies keep our launch industry competitive in an expanding global market," Lane said March 31st. "This (review) will advance U.S. space transportation capabilities for the future," he added.
The White House said the review will assess civil, commercial, and national security roles and responsibilities for the operations, maintenance, improvement, and modernization of space launch bases and ranges. The President's directive was issued to the Secretaries of Transportation, Commerce, Defense, and NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin.
LAUNCH 1999: SPECIAL REPORT PAGE
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