KOSEN 한인과학기술자네트워크

The 106th Congress is addressing a broad range of civilian, military, and commercial space issues. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) conducts the most visible space activities. Funding constrains have forced difficult trade-offs among the myriad activities NASA supports over the past few years. Critics contend that the space station program prevents NASA from engaging in other high-priority space projects. The space station has survived 21 termination attempts in NASa funding bills since 1991. NASA's total budget began to stabilize in FY1998 after several years of decline. For FY2000, Congress ultimately gave NASA $75 million more than its $13.58 billion request, but the House had earlier cut NASA's request by $930 million, raising fears about the future of the agency. Other NASA issues are ensuring safe operation of the space shuttle, cost overruns and schedule delays in the space station program, developing a replacement for the space shuttle, and facilitating space commercialization. The Department of Defense(DOD) has a less visible but equally substantial space program. Tracking the DOD space budget is extremely difficult since space is not identified as a separate line item in the budget. DOD sometimes releases only partial information(omitting funding for classified programs) or will suddenly release without explanation new figures for prior years that are quite different from what was previously reported. However, in July 1999, OMB reported that DOD's total space budget was $12.359 billion for FY1998 and $13.207 billion for FY1999. For FY2000, $13.026 billion was requested; final appropriations figures are not yet available. Civilian and military satellites provide data useful for invironmental objectives. NASA's Earth Observing System has been controversial for several years becuse of its cost and other issues. A probe proposed by Vice President Gore called Triana to transmit image of the Earth to the Internet is the current focus of controversy, however. Proponents insist that it will provide important scientific data. Critics argue that it was not subjected to proper peer review. The appropriate role of the government in facilitating commercial space businesses is an ongoing debate. For many years, the focus has been on commercial space launch services, but remote sensing satellites also pose complex questions. Soace launch vegicles are similar to ballistic missiles and concerns exist about the potential transfer of certain space technologies to countries intending to build missiles as well. U.S. linkage between space cooperation and adherence to the Missile Technology Control Regime was a significant factor in reaching agreement on cooperative and commercial space activities with Russia, and creates a complex relationship with China. International cooperation and competition in space are being affected by the world economic situation and the post-Cold War political climate. President Clinton's decision to mergy NASA's space station program with Russia's is symbolic of the dramatic changes, and the risks.