Since entering office, President Bush has issued two significant space policy addendums; a policy on U.S. commercial remote sensing; and a policy on U.S. Space-based Position, Navigation, and Timing. The commercial remote sensing policy is distinctly aimed at assuring that U.S. industry can compete as a provider of remote sensing capabilities, but ensures appropriate measures, such as “shutter control,” are implemented to protect U.S. national security interests. The U.S. Space-based Position, Navigation, and Timing Policy goes to great lengths to provide guidance on sustainment and modernization of the Global Positioning System (GPS) as well as development of capabilities to “protect U.S. and allied access to and use of GPS for national, homeland, and economic security, and to deny adversaries access to any space-based positioning, navigation, and timing services.” The Associated Press characterized this guidance as President Bush ordering the U.S. to plan to disable the network of global positioning satellites during a national crisis to “prevent terrorists from using the navigational knowledge.” Both policies are clear gestures toward solidifying the nation’s space control doctrine.

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Henderson, Scott A. The Third Battle: Is the U.S. Ready to Wage the Next Conflict in Space?. Maxwell AFB, AL: USAF Air University, March 2004. [ 7 quotes ] [ page 32 ]