U.S. policy that bans export of space technology to potential rivals is failing to halt the spread of the technology, and is backfiring on American companies, an influential think-tank has written in a new report.
According to Reuters, a panel of experts writing for the Center for Strategic and International Studies pans the current policy on space technology, noting that the "grand strategic intent of the space export controls is not being achieved."
In the last decade, overseas rivals have gained significantly in the ability to create and launch commercial communications satellites and imaging satellites. U.S. companies have lost business to overseas counterparts, and Russia is sharing information deemed sensitive by U.S. policy with countries such as China and India.
By contrast, U.S. companies remain increasingly dependent on national security spending by the U.S. government, the report says.
It's probably time to revisit this policy, and update it to reflect reality instead of fears. I'm not saying we should hand over the blueprints to our secret military satellites (the ones that aren't falling out of the sky) to everyone on the planet. But a rational policy that lets U.S. companies compete in a world market that is going to happen with or without them might well be better for national security in the long run.
U.S. said losing space markets, hobbled by own policy [Reuters]
(Image: A Lockheed Martin Global Positioning Satellite. Credit: Lockheed Martin)
