Space Policy Edition #12 – Is Space Policy Stagnant? With Special Guest Marcia Smith

Moon or Mars? Should NASA depend on private companies? What’s the goal of human spaceflight? These questions were debated three decades ago, yet are just as relevant today. Does that mean space policy is stagnant? Casey Dreier asks Marcia Smith, the founder and editor of Space Policy Online, and one of the top sources for space policy news and analysis. We also celebrate NASA's new budget—which gives a big boost to science—examine two new reports that indicate NASA's exploration programs might be running into trouble, and celebrate the first anniversary of the Space Policy Edition podcast.

A new episode of Space Policy Edition is posted on the first Friday of each month. Let us know what you think! Comment on this page or write to [email protected].

Related Reading and References:

• Check out Space Policy Online
• Follow Marcia Smith on Twitter
• Casey breaks down the FY2017 final budget for NASA and Planetary Science
• Read the 1986 report we reference in our interview, Pioneering the Space Frontier, which makes recommendations for the space program that are still relevant today
• NASA's Office of the Inspector General report: NASA's Plans for Human Exploration Beyond Low Earth Orbit (pdf)
• Government Accountability Office report: NASA Human Space Exploration: Delay Likely for First Exploration Mission (pdf)