Last week a diverse group of over 100 space leaders from academia, government and industry came together at the Pioneering Space National Summit in Washington, D.C. and moved beyond the endless debates about destinations and launch vehicles to achieve a historic consensus on where the future of our nation’s space program is headed.
Together, they were able to forge the following statement:
The long-term goal of the human spaceflight and exploration program of the United States is to expand permanent human presence beyond low-Earth orbit in a way that will enable human settlement and a thriving space economy.
This will be best achieved through public-private partnerships and international collaboration.
The participants agreed that this statement is consistent with, and builds upon, the 2010 NASA Authorization Act (Public Law 111-267), and the journey it helps the nation begin with will serve many national interests, and benefit the American people.
Since 1988, The Space Frontier Foundation (SFF) has been committed to realizing the vision of a greatly expanded and permanent human presence in space. SFF believes that space alone offers the resources necessary to ensure the survival and prosperity of our species for numerous generations to come. The consensus achieved last week is a testament to this vision, and brings humanity one step closer to becoming a multi-planetary species.
Space Frontier Foundation is proud to have participated in this historic and unique event, and looks forward to setting aside our differences with NASA and Traditional Aerospace, in order to forge ahead with this exciting and compelling future in human spaceflight.
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