involvement in space a major objective of the United States Government. The U.S. Congress has endorsed this thrust. The President's program is designed to encourage private enterprise in space commerce to take advantage of these opportunities. This program requires government and industry to work together; to ease regulatory constraints and with NASA's help, promote the private sector investment in space. The intent is to foster an environment where the private sector has the freedom to organize and operate for profit in space. Bertrand Russell once wrote: In our complex world, there cannot be fruitful initiative without government, but unfortunately, there can be government without initiative (1). As we move into the Space Business era, I trust we shall be as successful as we were with the satellite communications industry, one of the fastest growing industries today. This new industry has joined the world in a way that would not have been possible 25 years ago. Last year, in response to the President's National Space Policy, NASA established a task force to develop an agency-wide policy and program plan to enhance the agency's ability to encourage and stimulate free enterprise in space. The task force's report is currently being reviewed by our top management people. I'd like to share the essence of the task force's report with you. The task force reached three fundamental conclusions: 1. The first is that commercial activities in space by private enterprise should begin now. 2. Secondly, the task force stated that natural and bureaucratic barriers inhibiting the commercial use of space need to and can be relieved or removed through actions of the government and private enterprises. 3. And finally, the task force declared that with firm resolve and the commitment of reasonable resources over a number of years, a partnership between government and private enterprise can turn space into an arena of immense benefit. These conclusions lead to the following principles to govern the NASA Commercial Space Policy: 1. The government should reach out to and establish new links with the private sector. 2. The government should not be the overall judge of a project's feasibility or impede private efforts to undertake commercial space ventures. 3. If the private sector can operate a space venture more efficiently than the government, then such commercial utilization should be encouraged. 4. The government should invest in high-leverage technologies and space facilities which encourage private investment. 5. The government will consider a significant contribution to a private sector initiative under two conditions: (a) there must be significant private capital at risk, and (b) there must be significant potential benefits, such as a contribution to economic health or to a positive balance of trade. NASA intends to establish a high-level office to serve as the focal point for our activities in stimulating space commerce. We intend to consider support for commercial space endeavors which are initiatives from the private sector, particularly
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