It is a vital national imperative for the United States government to set our nation’s space program on an ambitious, yet sustainable, path. Only by reaching consensus on our long-term goals in space, and the short-term steps needed to achieve those goals, can our nation reap the enormous technological and economic benefits of space and maintain our competitive edge among nations.

The Space Exploration Alliance (the “SEA”) result in dramatically lower production, launch, is today reaffirming its longstanding and and operating costs. The missions that these unwavering commitment to further space capabilities will be slated to accomplish must exploration and development, by calling on be identified, and sufficient funding must be the executive and legislative branches of provided to achieve those missions. The designs government to reach consensus on a unified and should be mission-enabling and mission- comprehensive human and robotic spaceflight enhancing, while at the same time focused on program, one that will allow our nation to fully efficiency, affordability, safety, reliability, and utilize the now completed International Space sustainability. Station (ISS) and also to conduct missions of exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Private Sector: With the retirement of Our nation’s leaders must continue to embrace the Space Shuttle, and until new American the broad, bi-partisan support that led to the capabilities come on line, the United States now enactment of the NASA Authorization Act of has to rely on and pay for the Russian Soyuz 2010. Only by working together, and with NASA, for access to the International Space Station can Congress and the Administration determine (the “ISS”). Instead of sending millions of dollars the best path forward relative to our civil space overseas to launch American astronauts into program. This includes (1) leveraging the space, the SEA maintains that the commercial necessary partnership between the public and launch industry must be given full support in its private sectors relative to space exploration efforts to restore American access to the ISS priorities and launch capabilities, (2) new uses and our national laboratory in space. In addition of space to improve life on Earth, and (3) the to sending supplies to ISS, these commercial utilization of the unparalleled expertise of our entities must also be permitted and encouraged highly skilled work force. As Congress and the to demonstrate that they are capable of sending Administration continue to work together, the crews safely to LEO as well. Commercial cargo/ SEA urges that the following concepts form the crew access to Low Earth Orbit would not only cornerstone of our nation’s efforts going forward: provide for full utilization of the Space Station, but it will likely lead to significant reductions Space Flight Capabilities: It is critical in launch costs. With the commercial launch that the next generation of launch vehicles industry providing this service, NASA would then be developed and/or human-rated at the be able to focus its attention and resources on earliest possible date. In the first instance, exploration beyond LEO, which would provide American access to LEO must be restored. In NASA with a higher return on its science/ addition, production must also begin on launch exploration budget. vehicles that have sufficient lifting capacity that will enable NASA to mount, along with the Timelines and Goals: The SEA calls for necessary in-space infrastructure and transport Congress and the Administration to establish vehicles, crewed missions beyond LEO. In timelines and goals for future human space addition, policies must be established that will exploration activities. The SEA believes that we should set a goal to send humans to at that will improve life on Earth. The SEA calls least one intermediate destination beyond low for NASA to define and prioritize the most Earth orbit, such as an asteroid or the Moon, promising technology concepts to advance within the next ten years, and for NASA to space exploration and development, such as develop a plan to land humans on Mars by advanced propulsion, in-space refueling, no later than 2030. By doing so, the United energy production, and In Situ Resource States will continue to maintain its technological Utilization (the utilization of indigenous lead in space, rather than abrogating that role resources on the Moon, asteroids, or Mars). to other countries that today have active human In addition, space debris, planetary defense, spaceflight programs and that seek to supplant and a legal regime are among the issues that the U.S. as the world’s premier space-faring must be addressed now that many nations are nation. venturing into space along with us.

Leadership in Space Science: Sustainability: Our future path in space, if it The funding for the 2016 and 2018 Exo-Mars is to succeed, requires a sustained, generational missions planned jointly with our European commitment to NASA’s long-term mission, and partners must be restored. Our success in certainly one that transcends partisan politics space science is without equal. Missions have and election cycles. It also requires incentives included the recent Mars rovers, the Cassini to increase private sector and international probe to Saturn, the Hubble Space Telescope, partnerships. The SEA acknowledges the and the Mars Science Laboratory now headed financial constraints under which the U.S. to Mars. We must not retreat from historic government will be operating over the next few missions like these. Support for these missions, years and believes that tax dollars should be as well for the James Webb Space Telescope, spent wisely. We look forward to continuing to will push the boundaries of knowledge and pave work with Congress and the Administration to the way for human space exploration. guarantee that the United States remains the leader in space exploration and development. Advanced Technology, New Appli- As we lead the way into the solar system, new cations to Improve Life on Earth, and a American growth industries will be spawned, Sustained Human Presence in Space: our nation’s youth will be inspired to pursue The SEA calls for research and development careers in math, science, and engineering, of innovative and enabling technologies that and our country’s economy will be re- will not only provide the means to explore and invigorated. The United States must not allow develop space, but also lead to the creation of itself to be left behind. new industries, markets, and jobs as well as to numerous and groundbreaking applications

The Space Exploration Alliance is a partnership of the nation’s premier non-profit space advocacy organizations, which collectively represent the voices of thousands of people throughout the United States and from all walks of life. The members of SEA believe that a strong and focused space exploration program is a compelling national priority that is technically and fiscally achievable, will inspire the nation’s youth and the public, will reinvigorate the traditional aerospace workforce and industrial base, and will foster job-creating entrepreneurial activity across the entire economy.

For more information on the SEA, visit www.SpaceExplorationAlliance.org.