The White House announced today that it will initiate an interagency review on the future management and use of U.S. space launch bases and ranges.  The review was called for in a memorandum from the President's Science and Technology Advisor, Dr. Neal Lane, and the President's National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger to the Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, Transportation, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  The Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Security Council will chair the review.

"Our civil and national security interests depend on access to space," said Neal Lane, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology.  "We must ensure that our management, modernization, and operational policies keep our U.S. launch industry competitive in an expanding global market.  In keeping with our investments in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program and in reusable launch vehicle technology, this step will advance U.S. space transportation capabilities for the future."

The review will assess civil, commercial, and national security roles and responsibilities for operations, maintenance, improvement, and modernization at the space launch bases and ranges.  The formal review will begin in April and produce interim recommendations as input for development of the FY 2001 budget.

The President's 1994 National Space Transportation Policy states that "Assuring reliable and affordable access to space through U.S. space transportation capabilities is a fundamental goal of the U.S. space program."  Clear and appropriate roles and responsibilities of the government and the private sector, including management and operation of the U.S. space launch bases are critical to the ability of all four U.S. space sectors—military, intelligence, civil, and commercial—to access space.  Over the past few years, commercial sector launch activities have begun to outpace government activities at the U.S. space launch bases and their supporting ranges at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida.  Based on industry projections, this trend will continue, with the majority of launches per year being commercial.

The main objective of the review will be to assess the implications of this trend and develop appropriate policy recommendations on the future management and use of the launch bases and ranges.  The review will assess civil, commercial, and national security roles and responsibilities for operations, maintenance, improvement, and modernization at the space launch bases and ranges.  The Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Security Council will co-chair the review with the first interagency meeting to take place in April.  The interagency working group will consist of representatives of the Departments of Defense, Commerce, Transportation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other agencies as appropriate.  The formal review will produce interim recommendations as input for development of the FY 2001 budget.