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Aerospace

Since our first days as an independent organization, RAND has had researchers exploring ways to improve spacecraft. Today, this work continues as analysts examine issues related to communications satellites and private space industry.

Blog
The Fight Against COVID, Sexual Violence in the Military, Disinformation on Social Media: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the ongoing fight against COVID-19, countering sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military, disinformation on social media, and more.
Jul 23, 2021
Commentary
Russia Engine Troubles: Is Putin's Behavior Catching Up with Him?
Actions taken to curb Russian malign activities around the globe appear to be affecting Russia's marine and aerospace engine sector. Efforts to arrest Russia's bad behavior might gain momentum if more countries followed the lead of Norway, which chose supporting sanctions over short-term economic gain.
Jun 15, 2021
Blog
Vaccine Hesitancy, Working from Home, Arctic Diplomacy: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on vaccine hesitancy as a symptom of ‘Truth Decay,’ how to make remote work beneficial for all, U.S. Arctic diplomacy, and more.
May 21, 2021
Report
Weighing the Costs of GPS Disruption and Developing Backup Capabilities
The Global Positioning System (GPS) has a key role in national positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), but it is far from the only source of capability for PNT. Would national investment in GPS backup capabilities be warranted, given the potential threats to its functioning?
May 17, 2021
Blog
COVID-19 Disinformation, Biden's Address, Leaving Afghanistan: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on Russian and Chinese campaigns to spread malign and subversive information on COVID-19, President Biden's address to Congress, the planned U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and more.
Apr 30, 2021
Report
Responsible Space Behavior for the New Space Era
The early space domain was dominated by two superpowers. Today, the world has more than 60 spacefaring nations, multiple commercial space operators, and a global economy that is inextricably linked to space. Now is the time to develop responsible space norms.
Apr 26, 2021
Multimedia
The Need for Space Norms
RAND senior political scientist Stephen Flanagan discusses the increasing level of space activity and the need for space norms to provide guidance for how nations should conduct space operations.
Apr 20, 2021
Commentary
Satellite Internet Services—Fostering the Dictator's Dilemma?
The ability to provide relatively low cost internet access outside of government control is both a challenge for authoritarian states and an opportunity for democracies. What are low-altitude, low-latency satellites and why are authoritarian states so concerned?
Apr 12, 2021
Commentary
Navigating Norms for the New Space Era
To make better progress on global norms for responsible behavior in space, the U.S. defense and intelligence communities might first consider reaching a consensus among themselves on what these norms should be. Until they reconcile their differences the United States will be less likely be in a position to play a leadership role.
Feb 8, 2021
Blog
Prescription Drug Prices, Transgender Troops, Space Diplomacy: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on America's high prescription drug prices, allowing transgender troops in the military, food insecurity in Black neighborhoods, and more.
Jan 29, 2021
Commentary
How Joe Biden Can Galvanize Space Diplomacy
The potential for conflicts to originate in outer space, or for terrestrial conflicts to extend there, has grown with the development of counterspace weapons and the explosion of commercial space activity. But previous efforts to establish norms have had limited results. The Biden administration has an opportunity, working with like-minded allies and partners, to galvanize nascent international efforts.
Jan 15, 2021
Report
RAND Space Launch Virtual Panel
A virtual panel discussion hosted by the RAND Space Enterprise Initiative tackles issues related to the global space launch enterprise.
Dec 8, 2020
Commentary
How to Avoid a Space Arms Race
Some 70 countries and multinational organizations own or operate satellites and there are plans for many more. Multilateral cooperative efforts could help set a foundation for the adoption of transparency and confidence measures that offer realistic hope of reducing risks and protecting freedom of access to space for all nations.
Oct 26, 2020
Multimedia
Introducing the RAND Space Enterprise Initiative
RAND Space Enterprise Initiative lead Bruce McClintock describes the mission and goals of the Space Enterprise Initiative and the importance of making space research available to all.
Sep 4, 2020
Report
Improving Acquisition to Support the Space Enterprise Vision
A new RAND report examines potential acquisition approaches to support the Space Enterprise Vision and identifies several promising ones that merit in-depth examination: modular open system architectures, agile acquisition, rapid prototyping.
Jul 15, 2020
Blog
How Accurate Were Predictions for the Future?
Anticipating the risks and opportunities posed by all kinds of change is a RAND specialty. In 1964, using RAND's now-famous Delphi method, experts pondered topics like medical advancements, space, artificial intelligence, and controlling the weather.
Jul 14, 2020
Commentary
Protecting the U.S. Supply on Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles
Our recent RAND report on the global heavy lift launch market highlights the potential for a near term shortage of launch vehicles needed to lift U.S. defense and intelligence satellites to orbit. These satellites are the eyes, ears, networks and timekeepers of U.S. armed services, and an inability to launch them in times of need could compromise national security.
May 6, 2020
Tool
Space Launch Market for Heavy Lift Vehicles: Charts and Data Set of Addressable Launches 2007–2018
This chart describes addressable launches of heavy lift vehicles from 2007-2018. The portion of the space launch market over which commercial firms compete is known as the addressable share.
Apr 28, 2020
Report
The Impact of the Air Force's Space Launch Acquisition Decisions
How could potential U.S. Air Force decisions in the near term affect domestic launch providers and the market in general? New launch market forecasts and vignettes illuminate potential strategies for U.S. firms.
Apr 28, 2020
Announcement
Russell Shaver, RAND Policy Analyst Who Studied Space Shuttle and Post-9/11 Airport Security, Dies at 83
Russell D. Shaver, a former senior researcher at the RAND Corporation whose work influenced national policy debates on American military defense strategy, the economic feasibility of the early Space Shuttle program, and airport security after the 9/11 attacks, died March 31 in Fort Myers, Florida, from complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was 83.
Apr 13, 2020

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Researcher Spotlight

Éder Sousa

Aerospace and Data Engineer

Éder Sousa (he/him) is an aerospace and data engineer at the RAND Corporation. His research interests are in acquisition of defense systems focusing in propulsion and hypersonic systems, space science, technology, and policy, machine learning and data science, and nuclear fusion energy. Sousa…
Mann Virdee

Analyst

Mann Virdee is an analyst in science and emerging technology at RAND Europe. His research primarily focuses on areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, 5G, space science and governance, and biotechnology.

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