Space Initiatives

The exploration of space has been one of humankind's greatest achievements in the past century. Only 66 years after the invention of flight, a man walked on the moon—a stunning feat of human ingenuity and endeavor.

Today, there are a number of competing visions for the future of space exploration. Some of these are bold and expansive, envisioning a deep and long-term commitment to the discovery and settlement of space. Other visions are more constrained, focused on near-term and incremental progress. The decisions that the world's space-faring nations make about which type of vision to pursue will determine what the next era of space exploration looks like.

Space Initiatives at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) will examine the uncertain future of human space exploration.

RECENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS

• CSIS is a cooperating partner on The Forum on Earth Observations V: Creating a National Strategy for Environmental Intelligence.  The Forum will take place June 14, 2011, in Washington, DC.  For more information and to register, please click here.
• On March 10, CSIS hosted NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden for a discussion of "NASA and Accelerating American Innovation." Administrator Bolden's talk was followed by a panel featuring NASA Chief Technologist Robert D. Braun.  Audio and video from the event can be found here.
• On February 16, CSIS hosted a discussion on the new National Security Space Strategy featuring Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lyn III, Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley, and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General James E. Cartwright.  For video and audio from the event, please click here.
• On Oct 15, CSIS hosted a forum on the Year Ahead in Space, featuring representatives from several space agencies.  The event was also carried on CSPAN, and video can be seen here.
• CSIS was a supporter of the 3rd Annual University of Nebraska College of Law Space Conference, September 10, 2010, in Washington, DC.  Program Manager Ashley Bander moderated the civil space panel.  For more information, please click here.
• CSIS was invited to be a part of the US delegation to the 53rd meeting of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), in Vienna, Austria.  While in Vienna, Program Manager Ashley Bander gave a presentation to the committee, blogged about the meeting, and recorded podcast interviews with two former COPUOS chairs.   

Space activities are key to a number of issues that CSIS covers.  For a complete list of space-related publications from CSIS, please click here.