Baker Institute lecture to address US space policy

BY FRANZ BROTZEN
Rice News staff

The future of human endeavor in space could resemble the Wild West, or it could become a global commons where commerce is allowed to flourish and no one country dominates. Joan Johnson-Freese, chair of the National Security Decision Making Department at the United States Naval War College, will address those options in a Feb. 1 lecture on “Heavenly Ambitions: America’s Quest to Dominate Space” at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.

Johnson-Freese’s lecture will begin at 6 p.m. in Baker Hall’s Kelly International Conference Facility.

	JOAN JOHNSON-FREESE

Nations are free to send missions to Mars or launch space stations. Space satellites have become vital to daily life — from weather forecasting to GPS. The militaries of the United States and other nations have also made space a critical arena — spy and communication satellites are essential to their operations.

Johnson-Freese argues that the United States has developed a flawed space policy by politicizing space threats and by continuing to believe that military domination is necessary to protect U.S. interests in space. Johnson-Freese, who has written and lectured extensively on space policy, lays out her vision of space as a frontier where nations cooperate and military activity is circumscribed by arms control treaties that would allow no one nation to dominate. This is in the world’s interest as well as U.S. national interest, she maintains.

Before her present position at the Naval War College, Johnson-Freese taught at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies and the Air War College. She has also been an associate professor of political science and director of the Center for Space Policy and Law at the University of Central Florida. Johnson-Freese’s research focuses on space security issues, including technology transfer and export, missile defense, transparency, space and development, transformation and globalization. Her recent books include ”Heavenly Ambitions: America’s Quest to Dominate Space” (2009) and ”Space as a Strategic Asset” (2007).

A reception and book signing will follow the lecture.

Rice faculty, staff and students who want to attend must RSVP by e-mail (bipprsvp@rice.edu), by fax (713-348-5993) or on the Web at http://www.bakerinstitute.org/events/heavenly-ambitions-americas-quest-to-dominate-space.