A major U.S. newspaper says President Bush has approved a new National Space Policy that emphasizes security issues and encourages private investment.
Wednesday’s edition of the Washington Post says the new program is the first full revision of the nation’s overall space policy in a decade. The newspaper quotes a National Security Council spokesman (Frederick Jones) as saying the update was needed to reflect the fact that space has become an even more important component of U.S. economic, national and homeland security.
The new directive also says the U.S. will oppose any new treaties that would restrict or limit U.S. access to or use of space.
Critics of the Bush administration tell the Post the policy could lead the U.S. to develop, test and even deploy space weapons. But an administration official quoted by the Post denies this.
Analysts say the U.S. position flows in part from the fact that so many key weapons systems are now dependent on information and communications from orbiting satellites.
– VOA News
