According to a source, the space subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing next Tuesday on unmanned lunar missions being planned, or are already in progress, by several other nations. The preliminary list of witnesses includes:
- John Logsdon of GWU (discussing Japanese missions)
- James Oberg (on Chinese plans)
- Sven Grahn of Swedish Space Corp (on ESA’s SMART-1 mission launched last year)
The hearing information hasn’t been posted to the committee’s web site yet, but should be there soon.
Update from web site and Webcast
International Space Exploration Program
Science, Technology, and Space Hearing
Tuesday, April 27 2004 – 3:30 PM – SR – 253
Description: Members will hear testimony on international space exploration programs. Senator Brownback will preside. Following is a tentative witness list (not necessarily in order of appearance):
Panel 1:
Mr. Sven Grahn
Vice President Engineering & Corporate Communications, Swedish Space Corporation
Dr. John Logsdon
Director, Space Policy Institute, Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University
Mr. James Oberg
Aerospace Operations Consultant, Soaring Hawk Productions, Inc.
Ms. Marcia S. Smith
Specialist in Aerospace and Telecommunications Policy, Resources, Science, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress
Same old folks. Experts on space? Of course they are. Experts on how Indians and Chinese think? I think not. The latter point is not trivial. Nick Eftimiades, an expert on China and national security space issues, understands (insofar as a non-Chinese can) the Chinese culture and the meaning space has to them. The cultural impetus for space activities is much more important than the technologies employed.
That said, it might be more constructive to engage India and China directly on civil space cooperation rather than huddle up in a xenophobic manner and speculate that they may be up to sinister plans. I’m not suggesting this is what the panel is about or that the speakers will support this view, but it certainly is a palpable perception on the Hill.