The space policy of the George W. Bush administration is mainly associated with the Vision for Space Exploration, announced in 2004. A formal National Space Policy was released in 2006.
Vision for space exploration
The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred midway through President George W. Bush's first term. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board's report on the incident was released in August 2003. The Vision for Space Exploration, announced on January 14, 2004 by President George W. Bush, was seen as a response to the Columbia disaster, the state of human spaceflight at NASA, and as a way to regain public enthusiasm for space exploration. The Vision for Space Exploration sought to implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the Solar System and beyond; extend human presence across the Solar System, starting with a human return to the Moon by the year 2020, in preparation for human exploration of Mars and other destinations; develop the innovative technologies, knowledge, and infrastructures both to explore and to support decisions about the destinations for human exploration; and to promote international and commercial participation in exploration to further U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests The President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy was a Presidential Commission formed to this end by President Bush on January 27, 2004. Its final report was submitted on June 4, 2004. This led to the NASA Exploration Systems Architecture Study in mid-2005, which developed plans for carrying out the programs specified in the Vision for Space Exploration. This led to the beginning of the Constellation program and the development of the Orion crew module, the Altair lunar lander, and the Ares I and Ares V rockets. The Ares I-X test vehicle, a prototype for the Ares I rocket, was successfully launched in October 2009.
2006 U.S. National Space Policy A new National Space Policy was released on August 31, 2006 that established overarching national policy that governs the conduct of U.S. space activities. This policy superseded the earlier Clinton-era National Space Policy (Presidential Decision Directive/NSC-49/NSTC-8) of September 14, 1996. The new National Space Policy rejects Arms control agreements that might limit U.S. flexibility in space and asserts a right to deny access to space to anyone "hostile to U.S. interest." The George W. Bush administration had said the policy revisions are not a prelude to introducing weapons systems into Earth orbit, and that the policy is not about developing or deploying weapons in space. The document, the first full revision of overall space policy in 10 years, emphasized security issues, encouraged private enterprise in space, and characterized the role of U.S. space diplomacy largely in terms of persuading other nations to support U.S. policy. The United States National Security Council stated in written comments that an update was needed to "reflect the fact that space has become an even more important component of U.S. economic security, national security, and homeland security." The military had become increasingly dependent on communications satellites and GPS, as had providers of Mobile phones, personal navigation devices, and automated teller machines (ATMs). The 2006 National Space Policy was superseded by the Obama administration's newer National Space Policy on June 28, 2010.
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