Joan Johnson-Freese

Changing patterns of international cooperation in space

Abstract The new Soviet glasnost regarding international cooperation in space will clearly be one of several factors affecting traditional patterns of cooperation in the future. This article examines how the Soviet posture towards cooperation in international space ventures has changed, why the changes have occurred, and the probable consequences of those changes on traditional patterns of international cooperation in space.

Cancelling the US solar-polar spacecraft: Implications for international cooperation in space

Abstract In 1981 the US spacecraft planned for the international Solar Polar Mission, in cooperation with the European Space Agency, was abruptly withdrawn. This article discusses the events leading up to the withdrawal and how it was handled by NASA and US government officials, and ESAs reaction. Reflections are offered on the experience, and ESAs current attitude towards space partnerships with the USA is examined. The author concludes the Europe is in a stronger bargaining position today, and has also advanced towards having its own autonomous space capability.

The myth of presidential attention to space policy

Abstract The president, many believe, is the prime force behind the civilian space program. Such beliefs or political mythologies often constitute a potent force that sustain agencies. For NASA, this myth began during the Kennedy Administration when the president committed the nation to placing a man on the moon by the end of the decade. The authors argue that recapturing that magical moment has been the implicit goal of NASA until only recently and discuss why space programs must become not only economically viable, but also linked with general public in meaningful ways.

The tortoise and the tortoise: The new race for space

Abstract Until now space activity has been driven by international political competition. But recent events in Eastern Europe have undercut the political incentives for expanded space activity, and meanwhile fiscal constraints, arising for different reasons in the USA, Europe and the USSR, are putting unprecedented pressure on space budgets. In the long term, however, it is likely that a new kind of competition fuelled by economic motives will provide the basis for a more determined and perhaps more stable opening of the space frontier. Dropping out of the space race for short-term reasons could be a costly and irrevocable decision.

From Halley's Comet to solar terrestrial science: The evolution of the Inter-Agency consultative group

Abstract The Inter-Agency Consultative Group (IACG) is an organization which seeks to maximize scientific returns from focused areas of space science through international cooperation. In its 11-year history the IACG has experienced both monumental success (with the collaborative exploration of Comet Halley) and, more recently, some serious growing pains in its second phase of operation, which focuses on solar terrestrial science. In this post-Cold War period, with increased interaction between countries offering greater opportunities for cooperation, the lessons to be learned from the IACGs experience will be valuable ones.

Realigning NASA's destiny: The symbolic dimensions of spaceflight

Abstract As an organization, NASAs history emphasizes a heroic early period in which great things were accomplished. This success has resulted in an image being created, externally and internally, which continues to affect the agencys current behavior. This paper focuses on the externally generated and imposed aspects of that image. In some ways, historical circumstance played a cruel trick on NASA by creating an initial set of working conditions that were both unique and not soon to be repeated. NASA, however, as a new agency was unaware of the discrepancies from the norm it was operating under, and assumed those unique working conditions as standard. When political and other external conditions changed, NASA experienced great difficulty in adjusting to the changes. This article examines NASA development in this context, and suggests what this past experience means for the future of the agency.

Can Germany afford reunification and a space program too

Abstract As a highly industrialized Western society, West Germany has long had an active space program. Their economic and leadership role within the European Space Agency has been second only to France. In 1989, through the creation of a national space agency and a restructuring of German aerospace industry, West Germany gave strong indications that it intended to expand its voice and interest within European and international space affairs. These intentions may, however, be strongly influenced by the surprising turn of political events that began at the end of 1989 with the demise of the Berlin Wall and will culminate with the total reunification of East and West Germany. The high economic price for reunification that West Germany will have to pay may make implementation of expanded space activity plans impossible, at least in the short term. The attitude a reunified Germany takes toward space, short-term and long-term, will clearly also have ramifications for European space efforts as a whole.