RAND Space Enterprise Initiative

Focus Areas

The initiative builds on long-standing RAND relationships across the national and international space domains to marshal the broad perspectives necessary for optimizing the exercise of space power.

Space Policy and Strategy

The initiative offers U.S. space policy sponsors unmatched synergies by connecting the results of space policy research done for a wide spectrum of U.S. agencies, including the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Intelligence Community, the Space Force, and USSPACECOM. RAND's research spans the work of these and other U.S. agencies. The initiative links, informs, and reinforces projects of mutual interest.

Space Operations

The initiative offers uniquely high value to sponsors seeking assistance with space operations, given the RAND operations research already being performed for U.S. military services and RAND's ability to spot the linkages between service operations and space operations, even when the topic of a service project is not directly related to space.

Space Capabilities and Resources

RAND's extensive engineering expertise drives capability and resource decisions across numerous U.S. and allied defense agencies. By serving as a hub for research on space capabilities and resources, with expertise emanating from all programs across RAND, the initiative offers sponsors greater insights than those that could be obtained by relying on any single research division.

Space Allies and Partners

Drawing on its international reach and experience, RAND provides valuable insights and recommendations to national security sponsors around the world. The RAND Space Enterprise Initiative provides an additional means for sponsors to collaborate with global allies and partners to create mutually beneficial relationships and opportunities in space.

The War in Ukraine: Lessons for the Space Domain

Bruce McClintock, Space Enterprise Initiative lead, joined experts from MITRE and the Aerospace Corporation to examine lessons for the space domain from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This panel is from the West Coast Aerospace Forum held in December 2022.

Latest Space Publications

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  International Space Traffic Management: Charting a Course for Long-Term Sustainability June 5, 2023

  Bruce McClintock, Douglas C. Ligor, Dan McCormick, Marissa Herron, Kotryna Jukneviciute, Thomas Van Bibber, Katie Feistel, Akhil Rao, Adi Rao, Taylor Grosso, et al.

  As outer space becomes more congested, contested, and competitive, the risks to space safety, security, and sustainability heighten. Against this backdrop, the authors used a review of relevant literature and official documents, as well as interviews and workshops with subject-matter experts, to identify lessons from past approaches to international traffic management and offer recommendations to make progress in space traffic management.

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  The Time for International Space Traffic Management Is Now June 5, 2023

  Bruce McClintock, Douglas C. Ligor, Dan McCormick, Marissa Herron, Kotryna Jukneviciute, Thomas Van Bibber, Katie Feistel, Akhil Rao, Adi Rao, Taylor Grosso, et al.

  As space traffic becomes more congested, risks to space objects and space-related services grow. The authors offer recommendations to make progress in establishing an international space traffic management organization to combat those risks.

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