Secretary of Defense supports White House's space policy

Defense Secretary Robert Gates fully supported the new U.S. space policy to enhance international collaboration and reduce the country's vulnerabilities.


"Space-based capabilities are critical to our military's ability to navigate accurately, strike precisely, and gather battle space awareness efficiently," Gates said last night. "However, changes in the space environment over the last decade challenge our operations. Today, space is increasingly contested as our systems face threats of disruption and attack, increasingly competitive as more states, private firms, and others develop space-based capabilities, and increasingly congested with orbital debris."


You can read a full account of the policy and reaction in today's newspaper story by Bart Jansen.