Abstract
Keeping the United States the global leader in space capabilities and achievements was a constant theme throughout Ronald Reagan’s time in the White House. A “basic goal” of the initial Reagan National Space Policy, set out on July 4, 1982, was maintaining “United States space leadership.” As the administration entered its final two years, there was increasing attention to ensuring the Reagan legacy, in space as well as in other areas. Ensuring that the United States would maintain its leadership in the face of a very active Soviet space effort and increasing competition from Europe and Japan was a major focus of space policy-making in the Reagan administration during 1987–1988. In addition, a new National Space Policy reflecting the many changes since the 1982 policy had been issued was developed; it stated that “a fundamental objective guiding United States space activity has been, and continues to be, space leadership” and set “as a long-range goal … to expand human presence and activity beyond Earth orbit into the solar system.” The new policy was accompanied by 15 separately developed commercial space initiatives. In a September 1988 speech at the Johnson Space Center President Reagan clearly demonstrated that he had not lost his belief in the great promise and special character of the U.S. space program. Indeed, his remarks were perhaps the most optimistic and far-reaching of any he made during his eight years as president.
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Notes
- 1.
A copy of the 1982 policy, portions of which remain classified, can be found at https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/archives/reference/scanned-nsdds/nsdd42.pdf. “Surging Ahead: The Soviets overtake the U.S. as the No. 1 spacefaring nation,” Time, October 5, 1987; Central Intelligence Agency, “The World’s Civil Space Programs: A Comparison,” undated, OA 19825, Papers of Gerald Driggs, RRL.
- 2.
Letter from Lew Allen to Mary Scranton, April 8, 1987, Box 10, and letter from James Fletcher to the President, January 30, 1987, Box 4, Outer Space Files, RRL. Ronald Reagan: “Remarks to Employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the First Anniversary of the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger,” January 28, 1987. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, APP, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=34452.
- 3.
Letter from Daniel Fink to James Fletcher, March 16, 1987, with attached final report of NASA Space Goals Task Force, Box 3, Papers of James Fletcher, NARA; John Noble Wilford, “The Allure of Mars Grows as U.S. Searches for New National Goal,” NYT, March 24, 1987.
- 4.
NASA, Leadership and America’s Future in Space, August 1987, 21, 12, 54–55. Lynn Sherr, Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in Space (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014), Chap. 8. Interview with Alan Ladwig, May 6, 2016. Craig Covault, “Ride Panel Calls for Aggressive Action to Assert U.S. Leadership in Space,” AWST, August 24, 1987, 26. “Surging Ahead,” Time, October 5, 1987.
- 5.
National Commission on Space, Pioneering the Space Frontier (New York: Bantam Books, 1986), 5.
- 6.
Memorandum from William Graham to Howard Baker, “NASA Presentation to the President,” June 24, 1987, and memorandum from Frank Carlucci to Howard Baker, “NASA Presentation to the President,” June 26, 1987, https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/digitallibrary/smof/cos/bakerhoward/box-004/40-27-6912132-004-001-2017.pdf. Craig Covault, “White House, NASA Act to Regain U.S. Space Leadership Role,” AWST, August 10, 1987, 18; letter from James Fletcher to Howard Baker, July 28, 1987, Box 15, Papers of Nancy Risque, RRL.
- 7.
Donald Fink, “Space Leadership Void,” AWST, July 27, 1987, 9.
- 8.
Memorandum from Nancy Risque to Senator Baker, “Dr. Fletcher – NASA,” July 27, 1987, Box 15, Papers of Nancy Risque, RRL.
- 9.
Memorandum from Alison Fortier for Frank Carlucci, “Congressman Bill Nelson (D-FL) Meeting in Your Office on July 30, 1987 at 2:15 p.m.,” with attached ”Talking Points on Review of National Space Policy,” July 29, 1987, Outer Space Files, RRL.
- 10.
“Terms of Reference: Review of National Space Policy,” July 28, 1987, CIA-RDP92B00181R001701640039-0, CREST. Interview with Courtney Stadd, May 16, 2016. Unfortunately, the Reagan Presidential Library as of this writing (May 2018) has not processed DeKok’s papers; this account of his time at the National Security Council and of the 1987 space policy review is thus necessarily incomplete.
- 11.
Craig Covault, “White House, NASA Act to Regain Space Leadership Role” and Donald Fink, “A Glimmer of Hope,” AWST, August 10, 1987, 18–19, 11.
- 12.
Memorandum from Phil Culbertson, Associate Administrator for Policy and Planning, to Administrator, “Long-Range Leadership Initiative,” with attached “Proposed Strategy for Winning Presidential Approval of the Long-Range Leadership Initiative,” September 11, 1987, Box 5, Papers of James Fletcher, NARA.
- 13.
National Space Policy Review, “Issue Paper,” October 30, 1987 Draft, CIA-RDP92B00181R001801700021-1, CREST.
- 14.
“Washington Roundup,” AWST, December 7, 1987, 17.
- 15.
Letter from James Fletcher to Howard Baker, December 10, 1987, Box 15, Papers of Nancy Risque, RRL.
- 16.
Craig Covault, “President Signs Space Policy Backing Lunar, Mars Course,” and “New U.S. Space Policy,” AWST, January 18, 1988, 14, 7; “Washington Roundup,” AWST, January 25, 1988, 15.
- 17.
Fact Sheet, “Presidential Directive on National Space Policy,” February 11, 1988, 1–2, https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/policy88.html. Office of the Press Secretary, The White House, “Press Briefing by Administrator of NASA, James C. Fletcher, Commerce Secretary, C. William Verity, and Transportation Secretary James Burnley on Space Policy,” February 11, 1988, CIA-RDP92B00181R001801700012-1, CREST. National Security Council, “Cleared Q&A on National Space Policy,” January 22, 1988, CIA-RDP90M00005R000300060022-4, CREST.
- 18.
“NASA’s Course Correction,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 15, 1988; “Reagan is Right to Stress Exploration, Commerce,” The Dallas Morning News, February 13, 1988, copies in Box 15, Papers of Nancy Risque, RRL.; Donald Fink, “Too Late with Too Little,” AWST, February 29, 1988, 9.
- 19.
Ronald Reagan: “Remarks at the Electronic Industries Association’s Annual Government-Industry Dinner,” April 19, 1988. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, APP, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=35704.
- 20.
Letter from James Fletcher to Kenneth Duberstein, July 8, 1988; letter from James Fletcher to Nancy Risque, August 18, 1988; memorandum from “Todd” to “Nancy,” August 19, 1988, Box 17, Papers of Nancy Risque, RRL.
- 21.
Ronald Reagan: “Remarks at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas,” September 22, 1988. Online by Peters and Woolley, APP, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=34875.
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Logsdon, J.M. (2019). The Quest for Leadership. In: Ronald Reagan and the Space Frontier. Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98962-4_23
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