On March 31, the National Science and Technology Council released its plan for National Low Earth Orbit Research and Development Strategy. This fourteen-page document outlines their policy objectives.
1. Advance groundbreaking science and technology.
2. Strengthen U.S. Government collaboration and partnerships.
3. Promote market opportunities, innovation, and sustainability.
4. Expand international cooperation.
5. Stimulate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce development.
The National LEO R&D Strategy provides a roadmap for transitioning from the ISS to private microgravity laboratories to continue research and innovation on commercial space stations after decommissioning the ISS in 2031.
This new focus is no surprise. It’s a timely push for innovative and economic solutions to the growing problems in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Challenges in gathering and accessing data on satellites and debris in space, decommissioning satellites, the ISS, interoperability standards, and liability in space require interagency and international cooperation for sustainable resolutions.
Low Earth Orbit holds a multitude of questions in policy, national security, technology, and the advancement of humankind on Earth. Luckily the CSU Global Space Law Symposium is just around the corner to deliberate and collaborate on the LEO’s most pressing questions.
Join us this week – on Wednesday, April 12 from 1:00 to 5:30 pm EDT – for the 2023 GSLC Symposium, Law & Policy in the New Orbital Economy. The virtual conference will be packed with experts across private industry, government, and the non-profit realm. Find full details on the panelists and registration here.
By Caylan Fazio
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The CSU Global Space Law Center
The sky is no longer the limit…