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RAND was an early leader in the field of space science, producing seminal works in the design, launch, and operation of satellites in the 1940s and '50s. RAND continues to pursue space studies: Current topics include international cooperation (and the United States' dependency on foreign components), orbital debris (or "space junk"), and the funding of space missions.

Report

Past Problems and Future Challenges in the Acquisition of Military Space Systems

Mar 15, 2015

As Department of Defense plans for the next-generation space systems in an increasingly challenging fiscal and security environment, it is important to apply lessons learned from past space acquisition, which had experienced many difficulties.
Commentary

The Democratization of Space

Mar 28, 2016

A new economic model for outer space must account for lower barriers to entry and the involvement of more and more stakeholders, such as developing countries and start-ups.

Explore Space Science and Technology

Content

Newt Minow: Crusader for the Public Interest

Newt Minow is an attorney and former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission known for his speech referring to television as a “vast wasteland.” He came to RAND in the early 1960s looking for help with what would become one of his signature accomplishments, the development of communications satellites. He's been a part of RAND's story ever since.

Jul 19, 2018
Essay

70 Years of Innovation at RAND

Seventy years ago, a group of researchers established the independent RAND Corporation. From the first satellite design, to helping ensure GPS as a public good, to laying the groundwork for the internet, RAND has been making a difference ever since.

May 9, 2018
Commentary

Our Reliance on Space Tech Means We Should Prepare for the Worst

Space-enabled connectivity, technology, and services support a diverse array of political, military, and economic activities, many of which modern life on Earth relies upon and which the public often takes for granted. How prepared is global society to deal with the growing reliance on this technology and to mitigate associated risks?

Mar 12, 2018
Blog

Pursuing the Extraordinary Through Space Exploration

NASA astronaut Dr. Mae C. Jemison delivered RAND's 2018 Haskins Lecture. She discussed how the pursuit of interstellar travel benefits society, the vital role science plays in our lives, and the importance of continued investment in research and technology.

Jan 25, 2018
Blog

Mert Davies: All-Star Pioneer of the Cosmos

Merton Davies spent his early years using satellite imagery to spy on terrestrial targets. His work led to the first successful reconnaissance satellite, Corona. Later, he used deep-space photographs to map the planets in our solar system.

Jan 5, 2018
Report

Report

Gaming Space: A Game-Theoretic Methodology for Assessing the Deterrent Value of Space Control Options

This report introduces and explains a game-theoretic methodology to help decisionmakers assess the potential effects of alternative approaches to space control.

Jan 5, 2018
Tool

Tool

Defensive Space Analysis Tool (DSPAT): Version 2.0

This manual explains how to use the Defensive Space Analysis Tool (DSPAT), which was developed to compare alternative approaches to space control in terms of their mission effectiveness, feasibility, escalation risk, and political cost.

Jan 5, 2018
Dissertation

Dissertation

Deterring Space War: An Exploratory Analysis Incorporating Prospect Theory into a Game Theoretic Model of Space Warfare

This dissertation uses a game theoretic model of space war to examine how sentiments in multiple dimensions impact state decisions regarding whether to expand a ground war into the space domain.

Dec 21, 2017
Report

Signals Intelligence for Anyone

Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence gathered from communications, electronics, or foreign instrumentation. This has traditionally been considered a governmental function. But new technologies are changing that. Now private citizens can conduct SIGINT activities.

Dec 5, 2017
Report

Report

The U.S.-Japan Alliance and Deterring Gray Zone Coercion in the Maritime, Cyber, and Space Domains

China is trying to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific through gray zone coercion -- actions below the threshold that would trigger a military response. This report focuses on deterring such coercion in the maritime, cyber, and space domains.

Nov 20, 2017
Report

Report

The Creation of the PLA Strategic Support Force and Its Implications for Chinese Military Space Operations

This report explores the missions and organization of China's Strategic Support Force, created in 2015 to develop and employ space capabilities, in particular launch and operation of satellites to provide C4ISR capabilities for joint operations.

Nov 10, 2017
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Russian Space Sector: Adaptation, Retrenchment, and Stagnation

The journey of the Russian space industry since the collapse of the Soviet Union offers a case study in how Russia, in spite of indications to do otherwise, chose not to break with previous models of behavior and organization.

Jul 20, 2017
Commentary

Mining the Moon for Rocket Fuel to Get Us to Mars

Students from around the world participated in the 2017 Caltech Space Challenge. They proposed designs of what a lunar launch and supply station for deep space missions might look like, and how it would work.

May 16, 2017
Report

Innovation in the United States Air Force

An assessment of historical cases of Air Force innovation — or apparent failure to innovate — sheds light on whether the service is sufficiently innovative today and what can be done to make it more innovative for the future.

May 13, 2016
Report

Report

RAPAPORT (Resilience Assessment Process and Portfolio Option Reporting Tool): Background and Method

Describes industry methods for determining space resilience, the authors' method for the evaluating the non-materiel aspects of resilience, and the tool they developed for performing these resilience calculations and presenting the results.

Apr 28, 2016
Report

Best Practices for Sustainable Operations at the Air Force's Observatory on Maui

The Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site on the Hawaiian island of Maui is a major site of U.S. space surveillance activity. A study of best practices implemented at similar research institutions offers suggestions for how the Air Force might further streamline its operations and lower operating costs.

Apr 22, 2016
Journal Article

Journal Article

Competition and Collaboration in Space Between the U.S., China, and Australia: Woomera to WGS and the Impact of Changing U.S. National Space Security Policy

Australian space activities have been reinvigorated, but remain underfunded. China's space activities remain vigorous, but largely unilateral. Given U.S. policy changes, opportunities for cooperation and collaboration among all three have improved.

Mar 5, 2015
Commentary

Don't Worry About Russia Backing Away from Space and WMD Cooperation

Two symbols of U.S.-Russian cooperation are nearing the end of their life expectancies, the International Space Station and the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. But both stand as remarkable milestones of achievement and reminders of what can be accomplished when nations put aside political differences for the betterment of humanity.

Feb 27, 2015

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